Nature park planting party was a big success

Three hundred, one-gallon native, coastal sage scrub plants were purchased from El Nativo Growers with discretionary funds from city councilmember, Rick Schneider. The plants were delivered to the South Pasadena Woodland and Wildlife Park on Friday, January 27, 2012, and with the help of three volunteers, we quickly unloaded the truck, counted the plants, and separated them into groups that would be placed in different locations around the park.

Small group of deergrass (Muhlenbergia rigens) and a coast sunflower (Encelia californica) to be planted on Pasadena Avenue at the entrance of the park. We have tried quite a few things including Pacific Coast Hybrid irises, yarrow, monkeyflowers and blue-eyed grass with spotty success. Let's see how these durable grasses do.

Still smiling after unloading, counting, separating and placing 300 one-gallon pots. Volunteers made this project both possible and fun. Thanks to Marie, Allan and Liz!

The next day, Saturday, January 28th, girls scouts and community volunteers started arriving at 9 AM. At 10, students from Occidental College arrived. In total, there were about fifty people participating. The day was sunny and cool, perfect planting weather, and everyone was ready to get dirty and have some fun. Although I was very busy the whole day, I was able to snap a few pictures that tell the story better than words.

Sign with contact info and dates for future community park clean-ups.

Tools, hoses and watering cans laid out and ready for the big day. Luckily other volunteers brought extra tools as well, but still we were not fully equipped when the scouts and the college students were working in the morning.

Equestrian rides by as girl scouts and other volunteers get started.

Girls from one troop help younger scouts plant blue-eyed grass and other natives.

Occidental College students make due using sticks to pull weeds while waiting for some tools to become available. Girl Scouts (upper right) are busy planting California fuchsia in soil that turned out to be rock hard. A couple planted there two years ago survived, so hopefully, in spite of the soil, we will have a lovely red floral display next fall.

Not only did volunteers dig and plant, they also watered each and every new planting, and as you can see from this picture of a girl scout, they did it with a smile.

Some parents stayed to work, others only dropped off or picked up kids, but most remained long enough to see what was happening and to catch up with friends and neighbors.

Sometimes it is nice to just slow down and enjoy life outdoors.

Everyone seemed to be having a good time.

Amy Nettleton (Landscape Architect, Elemental Landscapes) chats with Drew Ready (S. Pas Natural Resources & Envir. Comm.) while his son digs nearby. Amy  laid out paths in this central part of the park, raking the mulch to mark their location so that we would know where to put the plants and where to keep the ground clear.

The morning went by very quickly but a lot was accomplished.

David is proud of how much he got in the ground!

Mike, volunteer par excellence, traveled from Long Beach to see what we were up to. Working with teachers at Prisk Elementary School, Mike created and has maintained --   has it been a dozen years now? -- a truly amazing native plant school garden.

Sonia Nicholson, who was on the original community task-force for the design of the park, lends a hand.... and a foot.

Councilman Rick Scheider (left), responsible for providing funds for the plants, talks with Sam Burgess (right), high school environmental science teacher and scout parent, Don Wielenga (2nd from left), and girl scout, Maaike Wielenga (3rd from left). Maaike's troop is getting their Silver Award working at the nature park. In addition to participating in the planting party, they are also creating interpretive materials including plant identification signs and a park brochure.

Oxy student lovingly plants a black sage (Salvia mellifera).

Students get ready to pose for photo by school photographer.

Plants in the ground and well watered, tools and hoses loaded back in my car, we take a break at the end of the day by the Arroyo Seco. Most students are unfamiliar with the waterways in Southern California and find it interesting to see the basis for our nature park.

I have been back to the park several times since the planting and things are looking good. Still, this is not the easiest place to grow new plants. The irrigation system does not function so plants have to be watered - until they become established -  with a series of hoses that are connected to a spigot up on Pasadena Avenue and strung down into the park. Some plants are too far from the spigot and can only be reached with a watering can. The park has a healthy and hungry population of gophers who love to eat the roots of tender new plantings, and I have already found some evidence of their work. Finally, the soil in the park was heavily disturbed and is just starting to heal. We have worked hard to remove weeds, giving the native plants a chance to grow and multiple, and we are definitely seeing positive results. It is likely we will have a fairly high loss rate, but those that make it will naturalize in the site, reseeding and eventually replacing the weeds with appropriate and lovely coastal sage scrub habitat. As this occurs, the area will become a better home for birds, lizards, butterflies, dragonflies, and a myriad of other insects and critters that once flourished here.

Thanks to everyone who made the Nature Park Planting Party and Occidental College MLK Day of Service a success. If you would like to be notified of future park clean-ups and events, check the nature park blog, Native By Design, or email me to add your name to our park email list (all emails are sent using bcc for privacy).

Wilding Your Garden

I recently gave a talk on habitat gardening titled, Wilding Your Garden. Yes I know that the very title is controversial since the word wilding has a rather unpleasant meaning in the urban context, but I kept it because it comes closest to conveying the message of the talk.

This fierce-looking insect, a robber fly, is an amazing predator that as an adult catches its prey "on the fly." It lays in wait on the leaf of a toyon in my garden. 

I knew that the gardeners attending this session were interested in learning about native plants that would be most effective in attracting birds, butterflies and hummingbirds to their gardens. My goal for the group, though, was to convince them that to attract these little pretties, they would need to change not only the plants they were growing but more importantly their approach to gardening. Although plants provide food for many critters, especially at certain times during their life cycle, most birds and many other animals need insect protein and fat for reproduction and to feed their young.

During the summer phoebe's swoop near the ground under the oak tree, catching insects in mid air.

If we are serious about attracting and protecting birds, butterflies and hummingbirds, we need to get serious about both native plants and insects. Furthermore, we must not only include specific plants in our gardens, but we must mimic our local natural environment. That means allowing some dead branches to remain on trees and shrubs, and letting twigs, leaf litter and other organic debris accumulate on the ground. It means allowing organic matter to decompose to be recycled back into the environment. It means banishing mowers, blowers, and chainsaws from the land.

The case for habitat gardening is most thoroughly and eloquently made by Douglas Tallamy in his watershed book, Bringing Nature Home. He points out that although many birds feed on berries and seeds, requiring high-energy food for migration or to make it through the winter season, most birds need fat and protein that comes from insects for reproduction and rearing their young.

We spent several months from spring through summer watching a hummingbird tend her nest and then feed her young. Even these birds need protein and fat for their young.

Similarly, although butterflies are attracted to a broad range of plants whose flowers provide high-energy nectar, caterpillars – the larval phase of the butterfly – often require a very specific host plant. The loss of butterfly species may not be due to a lack of appropriate nectar plants, but rather to the loss of specific larval host plants. In short, although plants with pretty berries, nutritious seeds and nectar-bearing flowers may feed birds and butterflies during a portion of their lives, many cannot survive without more specific host plants and an abundance of insects.

There was quite a ruckus beneath a shrub as this lizard did battle with a large beetle. The lizard whipped its head around beating the insect senseless and finally finishing it off. I did not get to see her dine, though. Can't imagine how she could consume something so large!

One can study individual birds and butterflies to determine specific needs, as good restoration ecologists must, but for the home gardener creating gardens using locally native plants that typically grow in association with each other is a most effective approach. Furthermore, removing or reducing lawn, and allowing our gardens to be a bit messy creates good habitat for a diversity of insects, lizards, and other critters necessary for the health of the birds and butterflies we so enjoy. Finally, this more naturalistic and holistic approach not only gives you a good excuse when your neighbor points out that your grass is not the greenist on the block, but it can increase your awareness and appreciation of the wild drama that plays out in the natural world of your garden.

For more resources, check out the last three slides of the Wilding Your Garden presentation and the list of links to lists of plants that attract birds (a mouthful!).

One day on my way out - and in a rush as well - I heard a sound right by the back gate. There I found this rather small spider wrapping up its prey. It took about five minutes for it to delicately wrap up its meal while swinging from its web. I stayed to watch, figuring that it was worth being a bit late. I can't remember now what I was in such a rush about but I will never forget watching this spider going about its important business.

Selecting and Planting Trees for Long Term Success

Children and adults are amazed by the upturned root of a large pine tree that blew over at Garfield Park during the storm.
The root seems quite shallow for such a large tree, possibly due to the frequent, shallow watering practices used in the park to maintain the grass.

Trees have been on everyone’s mind. Hundreds, maybe thousands, fell during the big windstorm on November 30th. People wondered whether the high failure rate was due, at least in part, to horticultural practices. Trees growing in parkways, receiving frequent, shallow irrigation, toppled over in the strong winds. Many of these trees had been subjected to root pruning during road and sidewalk repair. Surely these conditions resulted in much of the damage. Trees located next to houses and other buildings were watered on schedules better suited to the turf grass growing beneath them. In compliance with city regulations, many of these specimens received water several times each week for fifteen minute periods. The grass was green, but the trees grew shallow roots unable to withstand the nearly one hundred mile per hour winds.

It is possible, even likely, that under better conditions, fewer trees would have failed. In the next few posts, I will describe the ideal conditions for growing a beautiful, strong, long-lived tree beginning with selecting and planting new trees, moving on to caring for and training young trees, and finally, proper care for mature trees. I will try to include photographs of common, less-than-ideal practices, featuring both my own mistakes and others that can be seen in nearly any neighborhood.

Good, strong landscape trees start from the very beginning, with proper selection and care. Selecting a young plant that will eventually turn into a healthy mature tree requires the following conditions.

The lower branches should be left on young
trees to feed the caliper of the trunk. After a few
years remove them using good pruning cuts.
Remove them before they are an inch in diameter
or if they pose a hazard. Clear the grass sur-
rounding tree, leaving at least a foot of clearance.
Check the gray plastic protector to make sure that
the crown is still protected and that it is not
moist or infested with insects. Once the grass
is cleared there should be less danger of damage
to the crown from weed wackers and mowers.

1. Only trees with excellent form, both above ground and below, will be planted.
2. These young specimens will started in the landscape either from seed (acorn, etc.), or at least transplanted when young, say no bigger than 15 gallon containers, with 5 gallon being a preferred size. The longer a tree is in a pot, the more time there is for root damage or stress to occur. Smaller trees often experience less transplant shock and usually catch up quickly with large, older specimens.
3. The roots will be well formed, spreading out symmetrically, with no roots circling within the pot. If there is a young tap root, it will not have been cut or damaged. Trees often fail years after planting because they developed circling roots while still in relatively small nursery pots. These roots continue to grow in tight balls that never adequately anchor the trees, and eventually choke off water. They may fall in windstorms, or decline due to inadequate uptake of water and soil nutrients.
4. The young “nurse branches” will have been left intact to feed the main stem resulting in a well-developed trunk with a nice flare at the base, as the tree matures.
5. The new plant will show no sign of stress or disease.
6. Only trees adapted to the local conditions – climate, soil type, water, exposure – will be selected.

In our ideal world, this perfect specimen will be planted in an ideal location.

These sweetgum trees were planted beneath power lines and need frequent pruning by So Cal Edison resulting in unappealing trees with weakly attached branches.

1. It will be the right sized plant for its location so it will never be topped because there are power lines above, because it is “too big for the house,” or for any other reason.
2. Its roots will have room to grow and spread.
3. If irrigation is required, the tree will be watered according to its needs rather than the needs of nearby turf grass or tropical flowers. In general, it will be watered infrequently, usually once or twice a month when there is no rain, and deeply, soaking the soil to a depth of two feet or more for mature trees (p.84, CA Master Gardener Handbook).

Not only will our trees be perfect specimens when starting out, not only will they be placed in the ideal location, but also they will be planted in the way that gives them the best possible start.

Crown of tree (place where stem starts
to flare out to roots) is buried - this
tree does not have a chance unless
this is corrected.

1. The plant will be placed in a hole no deeper than the distance from the pot bottom to the crown of the plant. Ideally, the crown of the plant will be slightly above ground level when planted so the crown remains above the surface even if the soil compresses slightly.  A very common cause of failure for newly installed trees is buried crowns. The trees may be planted too deeply, the soil on which they stand may compress, or soil may be piled up around the tree much later. When I see a dead tree, I always dig down to determine where the base of the tree is – that is, where the trunk flares out to form roots. This area, the crown, must never be covered with soil.
2. The hole should be wider than the container that the tree was taken from. The walls of the hole may be roughened to make it easier for roots to penetrate the surrounding soil.
3. No amendments will be added to the soil. The native soil will be placed back into the hole.
4. The soil will be tamped down firmly so there is good contact between soil and roots, but not packed down so hard that the roots are deprived of water and air.
5. A water basin may be created around the plant to direct water to the root area. This basin will be checked periodically and removed if rains or irrigation leave the tree standing in a puddle. If this occurs, either irrigation will be modified so that water can penetrate the soil, or in the case of heavy rains, the berm will be removed.
6. Since a perfect specimen was selected, the young tree is unlikely to need staking. If there is a nursery stake, this will be removed during planting and the hole filled in. If staking is required due to other conditions, such as high winds or heavy public use, two stakes at the correct height, with flexible webbing will be used. The stakes will allow the plant to move so it can develop a strong root system, and an adequate trunk caliper and taper, with a good flare at the crown. Stakes will be checked frequently to ensure that there is no damage to the trunk and to confirm that they are still supporting the tree properly. They will be removed as soon as possible, preferably during the first or second year of growth.
7. The new specimen will be watered in carefully so that the soil is wet but not sodden. The water should soak into the root ball and the surrounding soil.  Water will be applied again after the first application soaks in.
8. Organic mulch can be used to moderate soil temperature and reduce water loss, though the crown area will be kept clean of soil and mulch.

Trees selected and planted this way are given an excellent start.  In the next few years they require careful attention to make sure their roots leave the planting hole, penetrating the surrounding soil. The following tips will help the new plant during this period of establishment.

1. Before the first hot spell, feel around the root ball to check for large air pockets. These can form if the nursery soil had a lot of organic material that decomposed after planting. Gently, but firmly, press the soil to fill these holes. If you need to add soil, use the nearby garden soil.
2. Again, mulch can help these tender plants through hot weather, though it is critical that the crown remains clean.
3. The young trees should be watered regularly so that they do not dry out, but make sure that the soil in and around the root ball is not sodden. When soil is completely saturated there is no air available for the roots, and the soil can become compacted. Furthermore, disease-forming organisms thrive in hot, wet conditions, especially when there is little air present (anaerobic), resulting in root rot or other plant diseases. Water well, water thoroughly, and then do not water again until the soil begins to dry out. It is best to water before a young plant shows signs of drought stress.

Young trees often require pruning to develop into well-structured mature specimens. In the next post, I will describe pruning practices that can prevent future problems. These include removing suckers and crossed branches, selecting scaffolding limbs, and protecting and encouraging the growth of a strong and straight lead branch.

Resources:
Iowa State University, Forestry Extension

Tips for Proper Planting of Containerized Trees
To Stake or Not to Stake

International Society of Arboriculture (Trees are Good website)

Tree Selection
High Quality Trees

USDA Forest Service

Tree Owner's Manual

University of California

ANR (Agriculture and Natural Resource), Lawn and Garden Catalog

Cooperative Extension, Center for Landscape and Urban Horticulture, Planting

Cooperative Extension, Master Gardener Program, The California Garden Web, Landscape Trees

California Master Gardener Handbook, Dennis R. Pittenger, Ed. 2002. Berkeley, UC California.

Planting and Care of Landscape Trees, Part 1, Pam Bone (90 min. video)

Planting and Care of Landscape Trees, Part 2,  Pam Bone (90 min. video)

Urban Forest Ecosystems Institute

Resources

Wildsuburbia

Trees or Grass

Cleaning Up After the Storm

The Wind Event

Save Our Trees

What I Learned About Oaks

I'm Not an Arborist...