Page 10 - julY 14, 2016 - martensville messenger
GARDENING
-Erl Svendsen-
Prairie Tree Evaluation Trial Yields Results
When choosing a new
tree for your yard, you
want to be sure of your
choice because trees form
part of the long-term
structure of your garden
and take a few years to
become established to
provide shade to your
living spaces, moderate
temperature and wind,
and add a sense of privacy
by blocking views from
the neighbour’s deck/
windows or by obscuring
the unsightly.
Living on the prairies
can be a challenge,
especially for trees:
extreme cold, blistering
heat, withering drought
and overpowering winds.
Plant breeders develop
new tree varieties with
new
flower
colours
flowers,
interesting
leaves or sweeter fruit;
that are taller or wider;
or have greater disease
or insect tolerance. Some
of these are relatively
easy traits to evaluate.
But determining whether
a new introduction will
survive our variable
prairie climate and soils
takes several years of
patience and careful
observation. And with
clear threats to the two
most planted tree species
(i.e. elm vs. Dutch elm
disease and ash vs.
emerald ash borer), there
is an ongoing need for
new shade tree options on
the prairies.
In the past, federal,
provincial and university
organizations across the
prairie region collaborated
to
evaluate
new
introductions
for
hardiness and disease and
insect tolerance. The work
of tree evaluation benefits
not just homeowners
but also municipalities
(think of the urban forest
that
surrounds
you),
landscape architects and
the horticulture industry.
But as mandates, interests
and funding availability
changed over time, these
groups
have
mostly
stepped
away
(one
exception is the University
of
Saskatchewan’s
Patterson Garden [http://
patterson-arboretum.
usask.ca]). The majority
of the effort has now fallen
to the nursery industry.
Eight years ago, they
stepped up to the challenge
with the founding of
the Prairie T.R.U.S.T.
(Trial of Rural and Urban
Shade Trees). This project
received broad support
from several government
and industry groups with
funding and donation of
time and plant material.
Members of the Western
Nursery Growers Group
came up with a list of
150 shade trees that were
new to the region or were
underused but worthy of
consideration. Four test
sites were established at
commercial nurseries in
Canada climate zones 2 and
3 in Alberta (Eagle Lake
Nurseries; [Strathmore],
Old
Man
Creek
Nursery
[Edmonton]),
Saskatchewan (Lakeshore
Tree Farms [Saskatoon])
and Manitoba (Jeffries
Nurseries [Portage la
Prairie]).
Tree genera tested included
several species, cultivars
and hybrids of maple
(Acer), birch (Betula), ash
(Fraxinus), ornamental crab
(Malus), poplar (Populus),
cherry (Prunus, including
Amur, pin, mayday, choke),
oak (Quercus), willow
(Salix), linden (Tilia), elm
(Ulmus) and others. I am
particularly interested in
some of the new Japanese
tree lilac (Syringa reticulata)
cultivars that are available.
Trees received one of three
ratings:
•Recommended: less than
10% winter damage, high to
complete disease and insect
resistance, good adaptation
to prairie soils, superior
ornamental
value
and
commercially available.
•Collector: sustained 10
– 50% winter damage
but otherwise had high
to complete disease and
insect resistance, good
adaptation
to
prairie
soils, superior ornamental
value and commercially
available. [author note: may
perform better in protected
microclimates]
•Not Recommended: had
unacceptable winter damage
(greater than 50% winter
kill) and/or had high disease
or insect susceptibility.
Knowing what varieties to
stay away from is seldom
reported but is as valuable
knowing as what varieties
perform well.
The results are now in and
can be found at the project
website: www.prairietrees.
ca.
ABOVE: HotWings maple (Svendsen)
Compost For A Better Lawn
Do you compost? Do
you save grass clippings,
leaves, yard waste, kitchen
scraps and more for the
compost bin? If so, you
have some really good
fertilizer on your hands,
and unlike traditional
chemical-based fertilizers,
your compost will not harm
the environment.
Compost is great for
top-dressing lawns two
or three times a year. It
adds vital n utrients to the
lawn, including nitrogen,
phosphorus and potassium.
It works fast, doesn’t smell
and won’t stain concrete or
burn the grass. And, it is
easy to apply.
No matter where you live,
the best time to top-dress
your lawn is when the grass
is actively growing. If you
live in an area with a cool
climate, spring to midsummer is ideal. If you live
in a warm climate, midsummer is ideal.
Top-dressing a lawn with
compost is easy. First, you
need to aerate and seed
the lawn. Then, you can
apply the compost. Make
sure the compost is finely
textured. This will ensure
even raking later. If your
compost is coarse and
lumpy, consider purchasing
some from a nursery.
Apply the compost on a
dry, calm day. Shovel some
around the yard in piles
and then spread it out in a
thin layer. When you are
finished, you should be
able to see more grass than
compost. If you don’t, you
have spread it too thickly
and it could smother the
grass.
Next, water the compost
for about 20 minutes or so.
Then, leave it be. Give it
time to work its way into
the soil, break down and
release vital nutrients. After
a week, you should be able
to mow and water your
lawn as usual. Within a few
weeks, you should begin to
see some improvement.
Top-dressing your lawn
with compost a few times
a year will do it good.
You will have a fuller,
greener, healthier lawn.
More importantly, you will
make Mother Earth happy
and never have to rely on
chemical-based fertilizers
again.
Let Us Know What
You Are Thinking
If you have a thought or
concern you would like to
share with us, please email
ssealey@martensville
messenger.ca, or contact
us at (306) 668-1093.