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Fall Is Tree Planting Time

2020-09-02T00:25:08+00:00

You may not know this but TreeUtah is coming up on it's second busy season of planting, we plant not only in the typical beautiful spring weather but in the early fall too! Fall is a great time to plant trees. A fall garden is full of delightful sights, there’s nothing like the sweet smell of fall and the chill of cooler temperatures to get out there and get planting.

Planting in the fall gives trees an extra growing season, as they benefit from the cooler temperatures and rain allowing them to establish deeper roots and prepare for the coming spring breezes. Trees go dormant in the winter, which is like hibernation but for plants. This period slows down the tree’s growth and energy use. Properly planting trees is the first step towards protecting their long-term survival. It’s safe to plant trees until the ground is frozen solid, generally after the first hard frost. Even if there is snow on the ground, if you can place a shovel in the ground you are good to plant your tree.

Here are five trees that make for colorful fall foliage: Japanese Maple, Berbiris thunbergii, Smoke bush (Cotinus), Dogwood and Hardy plumbago

Remember planting in the fall allows for a stronger root system and daily care. TreeUtah encourages you to be water aware. It is important to make sure your new trees are getting enough water. Due to differing elevations, microclimates, and tree species, be sure your trees have the water they need.

If you plant now you will find you have less aftercare into the next season. The first 2 years of a tree’s life is critical for survival. The tree is establishing its root system in the soil and is sensitive to stressors like heat and drought. Water a newly planted tree immediately after planting and routinely check the soil moisture often to be sure the tree has enough water for the next 2 growing seasons. After the tree is established, it will have an easier time adjusting to heat and drought conditions.

TreeUtah Tree Care Guide

TreeUtah - Identity

2020-05-29T16:30:58+00:00

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TreeUtah EcoGarden, Permaculture In Action

2020-08-12T14:57:05+00:00

It’s a beautiful sunny day and you are standing in an EcoGarden, a permaculture demonstration space, situated on the grounds of the Day-Riverside Library, in the Rose Park neighborhood of Salt Lake City. It fills the space between the library itself and the Jordan River, providing an inviting link between the building and the riverside trails that connect with the surrounding community. As you are surrounded by the plants and trees it is obvious this is a special community space but how did it all start and what does it mean for a community?

This ever-evolving EcoGarden was first laid out in 2005, under the direction of renowned permaculture expert and author, the late Toby Hemenway and former TreeUtah director Vaughn Lovejoy. Since then it has been sustained by dedicated volunteers, neighbors and TreeUtah staff. The land the garden sits on was originally intended as an overflow retention basin for the Jordan River. When TreeUtah decided to do an EcoGarden, they considered putting it at Bend in the River Park along the Provo-Jordan River Parkway Trail. However, the land was too toxic with mercury and lead to grow anything edible. The plot by the Day-Riverside library seemed to be the perfect solution.

The guiding principle of permaculture is to cultivate food, medicine, and other useful plants in harmony with and in imitation of the surrounding ecosystem. Traditional farming techniques prioritize annual plants and require a continual input of nutrients, pesticides, and new plants, permaculture relies on a thoughtful mix perennials to create a more closed self-regulating and sustainable system.

The garden is designed around fourteen guilds or smaller plant communities. These are each centered around a fruit or nut tree. Each tree is planted with a specific mix of shrubs, flowers, grasses, herbs, and native plants that complement one another through their unique characteristics. Some plants might fix nitrogen in the soil, making it available to the surrounding plants. While others perhaps attract pollinators that will benefit the entire group. A third species may discourage pests or invasive plants with the scent of its flowers or the oils in its leaves.

Additionally, the guilds are designed to maximize water retention, by slowing evaporation and runoff called Swales. Swales are ditches dug along the contour of the land, so as water runs downward, it is caught on the formation, and moisture is more effectively contained. Many of the plants are also drought-resistant, meaning the garden can survive (and even thrive) with minimal watering and even go long periods without any surface water at all. The irrigation that is in place is a drip system that delivers water directly to the plants root systems.

Finally, and most importantly, the EcoGarden is a community gathering space. The area is not fenced off from the neighborhood. Rather it is an inviting space, with benches, picnic tables, and a shade structure grown over with grapevines. We encourage residents of the neighborhood to utilize the space for gatherings, quiet contemplation, and of course as a source of food.

The library brings children into the garden for storytime. Nearby elementary schools bring students for outdoor lunches. Garden maintenance and upkeep is done by volunteers. TreeUtah holds regular workshops on topics ranging from tree pruning, to mason bees, to uses of medicinal herbs. A healthy ecosystem necessarily includes the people who live in it, join us in our work in creating sustainable communities. Contact volunteer@treeutah.org

What is Permaculture?

2020-07-01T13:44:26+00:00

Permaculture is a way of caring for both the Earth and humanity. It strives for renewability, sustainability, and self-sufficiency. The three ethics on which the whole of permaculture builds are articulated in, founder, Bill Mollison's A Designers' Manual:

Care of the Earth: Provision for all life systems to continue and multiply.
Care of people: Provision for people to access those resources necessary for their existence
Return of surplus: to those two goals. If there is extra of something, use it either to help people or help the Earth. Never waste it.

Let's assume we all care for the earth and want a more sustainable world. Recently we all saw the positive side effects on the environment due to the limitations the Covid19 virus set upon society. Less pollution and energy consumption was a strange and positive test we were all thrown into which let us see how our actions affect our environment.

With that in mind, we are then curious to explore other areas that might create long lasting and positive affects. Premaculture may not at first seem an obvious area of interest to organizations like TreeUtah, who strives to build a thriving urban tree canopy. Wouldn't any old leafy tree do? Yet, when we delve deeper into this area we start to notice that we can always take things further and not only reduce heat island effects but also create usable food sources for a fully integrated community plan.

Could the answer be in planting "Forest Gardens?" We know the foundations of permaculture but what is a forest garden?

One of the best explanations are found here, "A forest garden is a garden that is designed to mimic the interrelationships that exist in a natural woodland environment. Wild trees, shrubs, groundcover and vines all grow together in a symbiotic fashion that requires no additional fertilizer, water, pest or disease control other than what the plants provide for themselves. In Permaculture these small groups are called guilds, and when you put many guilds together you in turn get a forest garden.

Picture the tallest trees planted to the north, then moving south, smaller trees with vines growing on them, then herbs and finally some ground cover. Since the tallest trees are to the north, all elements of the garden are stepped down in size to receive adequate sunlight from the southern sun." https://www.growforagecookferment.com/permaculture-forest-garden/

So, from here we see there are ways to take tree planting further. We can plan better ways forward to make the most beneficial use of our lands and how we can maximize the benefits for communities. Let us commit to planting trees in ways that invite us to engage in and to feel and taste the place we live in.

Can you think of a place that brings back memories of green space and local food? Maybe a walk along a path where you picked a sun sweetened stone fruit. When we plant with intention, we create a more diverse and engaging landscape. We see not only plants thriving but humans too.

There are many resources for learning more about permaculture. If you are interested in how to support more forest gardens in your area contact TreeUtah or visit

https://permaculture.usu.edu/index