Parks, Recreation & Leisure

Parks, Recreation & Leisure / Parks & Forestry

Tree Talk

Landscaping Tips | Plant of the Month | Tree Talk

Tap Dancing
Summer 2005 has given us high heat and low rain. This has resulted in very few mosquitos but we are so busy complaining about the heat and humidity that few of us have noticed.
Hot dry weather has been particularly hard on shallow rooted water loving trees. It is important to water your trees regularly in hot weather, running an inch or so of water a week on the root area under each trees dripline. Street trees particularly need this attention as their root system is limited by pavement.

Deep rooted trees with tap roots have fared much better under these conditions than those trees without the tap root. Tap roots also serve to anchor trees securely making them less likely to blow down in storms. There can be exceptions to this however as not even tap roots can penetrate far into the solid limestone lying just under the surface soil in parts of Arlington near the Scioto river.

The tap rooted species most familiar to people are the various oak species and other nut trees. All of these trees have limited nursery availability as the tap root makes transplanting nut trees of any size difficult. It is common for young nut trees to have a tap root just as long as the tree is tall. I transplanted a seedling Bur Oak to my current yard on moving to Arlington fifteen years ago and felt like I was digging to China. These trees are thus best when planted directly in your yard from seed (ask a friendly squirrel to help) or moved as very small container grown plants, six to eighteen inches in height. Patience is the key and it is also important to use a Tubex tree shelter to protect the young trees from being eaten by rabbits.

These small trees require protection and water for the first two to three years but then they take off and grow just as rapidly as many of the maples. White Oaks as a rule do better than Red and Black Oaks in the alkaline limestone based soils of U.A. They are less likely to need supplemental iron to prevent yellow chlorosis of the foliage. The city has had good success with Swamp White Oak (Quercus bicolor) as a street tree and we have been able to purchase these with some size. Northern Pecan (Carya illinoensis) can also be found and we have placed one in the Tree Commissioner's Grove in Thompson Park.

Many of the other hickories, hazelnuts, chestnuts, walnuts and pecans have to be ordered by mail. One excellent source is Oikos Tree Crops in Kalamazoo, Michigan. They can be reached at oikostreecrops.com. Their Michigan location means that most everything they raise is winter hardy here but sometimes the alkalinity of U.A soil can be a barrier. I have done well for example with hybrid American Chestnuts in Victorian Village but had less success in south U.A. Oikos has a fascinating array of hybrid trees as well. I have long had an Oikos Shrub Live Oak (Quercus turbinella) near my front door. This San Diego native looks like a holly and tolerates all of the heat and drought I can throw at it.

There is much to be said for planting drought resistant trees that produce tasty edible nuts in your yard. My European peasant ancestors would approve- they certainly would have never planted something that was merely ornamental. Just don't put the tree where the nuts will damage cars or property when they fall.

Charles J Hickey
Vice Chairman, Upper Arlington Tree Commission

Parks & Forestry Division
Parks & Recreation Department
City of Upper Arlington
3600 Tremont Road
Upper Arlington, OH 43221
Phone: 614-583-5340