Easy Gardener • Pat Howell
	For the love of trees

Many of you moved to Takoma Park because of the trees. And the proximity to the Metro and downtown. And the chance to live in a small, self-governed town, with small, owner-operated businesses. And the collegiality of like-minded people. And the hiker-biker trail in Sligo Creek Park (known to dog walkers as the Paw Path), where we have at least one fox (according Takoma police officers), blue herons, and barn owls; and Easy Gardener reports occasional nocturnal visits from Mrs. Possum, who has her babies in a nearby tall oak.

Because there are not very many lots on which to build a new house, and because current homeowners aren’t selling and moving out at a great rate, the cost of buying a home in Takoma Park is not cheap. So, a premium is paid to live here. After all, if one wanted a less expensive home and a larger Metro parking lot, one could get a larger house for less money in the outer suburbs.

We need to understand and respect trees. If it weren’t for trees, we would not have the quality of life we enjoy every day of our lives.

Aerial maps of Takoma Park, taken over 20 year or so, indicate that we are losing our urban forest. Trees have a shelf life. Takoma Park and its many parks have many large, shade-producing trees, and because of the age of our city, many of these trees are on the down-side of their lives. As the impact of this has become apparent to more and more residents, the pioneering Takoma Park Tree Ordinance, first adopted in 1981, has come under scrutiny and much discussion.

A re-worked Tree Ordinance was adopted by the City Council in November and took effect on December 1, 2003. The extensive re-working, undertaken over nearly two years, reflects the intention of streamlining the permitting process and assisting homeowners in the removal of hazardous and dying trees, so that replacements allow the urban forest to continue to regenerate.

Because of the many legal issues involved, the new document is still not easy to decipher at first (or second) reading, although it is better than it was. Tree Commissioners and City Council members agree that a flow chart needs to be appended to the new document as a road map, so a chart is forthcoming.

A myth about tree roots is that they grow down deeply into the soil and grow out only as far as the perimeter of the crown width, known as the "drip line." This myth produces the "dumbbell theory."

There is some regional variability, but most of the roots grow within the top 8-12 inches of the soil and spread a distance of one, two, or even three times the tree’s height, or four to seven times the diameter of the drip line.

The attached drawing indicates the concept of a tree’s Critical Root Zone.

There are two basic types of roots: woody roots and feeder roots. Woody roots are large lateral roots that form near the base of the stem (the root collar). The primary purpose of these roots is to provide support and anchorage for the tree. They also provide water and mineral transport as well as carbohydrate storage.

Feeder roots are lateral extensions of the woody root system that grow (explore) in all directions, including toward the soil’s surface. Heavy soils (clay), such as heavily compacted and back-filled soils and mulched surfaces can cause feeder roots to lose the ability to obtain oxygen, moisture, minerals and nutrients, thus starving the tree.

A tree’s survival depends on healthy root conditions. Damage to the feeder roots and woody roots severely impacts the tree’s ability to perform these vital functions. While trees rarely die "overnight," damage to a tree’s critical root zone today can result in a tree that is weakened and unable to withstand next summer’s drought or autumn’s winds or winter’s icy branch load. Therefore, one of the critical sections of the Tree Ordinance addresses mandatory Tree Protection Plans.

Copies of the new ordinance are being printed. Prior to obtaining a copy, and before planning to do any work whatsoever within 50 feet of a large tree, call the City Arborist, Brett Linkletter, at 301-891-7612. Not only is a tree at stake, but there is a substantial fine involved for violations.

We will be looking at various aspects of the love of trees as this column continues into 2004. Next month, we will feature an interview with the Emeritus Chair of the Takoma Park Tree Commission, John Hartmann, who retired from his position on October l, after 13 years of service.

Happy Holidays! And don’t forget to water your evergreen shrubs and your trees as we go into winter. We had record rains this past year, but a spate of rainless weather this late fall means that shrubs can suffer serious winter damage if they have to combat icy winds without adequate moisture to their woody stems.

Pat Howell is a Takoma Park gardener and landscape designer/garden-builder, and welcomes comments, advice, suggestions, complaints. She is available for hand-holding and answering questions through Deephaven Landscapers.