2015 Tree Action Plan: Planting

This cottonwood grows at an angle
seeking sunlight from the
hovering elm.

There is no such thing as a bad tree, just a bad location.

Planting a tree is one of the most exciting activities for any landscape manager. By planting a tree, we are giving new life, highlighting landscapes and maintaining our inventory.

According to our Tree Management Guide a healthy urban forest should have 20% young trees, 60% mature trees and 20% over-mature trees. You can view the Tree Management Guide under the Grounds Section of the club's website.

As mature and over-mature trees expire for various reasons, it is important to maintain a balance of trees by planting new young trees. Younger trees always have a greater chance to adapt and thrive in new locations than older trees. However, before trees are planted there are a number of steps that need to be considered.

The first step is to identify any deficient species of trees in your inventory. For example, we have a large number of Austrian Pines (623) at all ages but a very low number of Ponderosa Pines (8). Ponderosa Pines are schedule to be planted this year to improve our variety.

You may be asking, why are these numbers skewed so much? Without an inventory and plan in place these mistakes can happen. Why is a diverse population of plants important? In case there is a wide-spread threat to a certain variety (like the Emerald Ash Borer) you run the risk of quickly diminishing your inventory. Our Austrian Pines make up 32% of our total inventory.

The small vibrant pine is stunted by
the large ash.

Once you determine what trees to plant, finding the location is critical. As I refer to the opening sentence of this post, every tree has a place. There are many questions that need to be answered prior to selecting the right place. The following are some of the more important questions to have answers to.
1. Is there enough sunlight?
2. Do the soils drain well? (for most trees)
3. Are the soils moist and poorly drained (cottonwoods and willows thrive in wetter soils)
4. What is the mature height and width of this tree? (A common oversight)
5. What impacts will it have to playability?
6. What impacts will it have to greens and other golf course features.
7. What kind of maintenance does this tree have?
8. How do the roots affect the surrounding area?

Unfortunately, in the past here at Pinehurst (and most older clubs around the country) planting was done sporadically and little to no planning was considered. See this USGA article on developing tree programs.

Here stands an oak that is trying to
compete with a native Rocky
Mountain Juniper.

The Management Guide prevents poor planting from happening again. I have included photos from very specific examples around the golf course of improper plantings. These trees were probably very good trees at one time, but since they were planted in a poor location (too close to competing trees, buildings or roadways) they have become weak and unsightly over time.

Other common mistakes found on golf courses are plating trees to close to putting greens. It is no secret that the golf green is the most important area of the course. Trees can have an overwhelming affect to the putting green. There are three main ways trees can affect the putting surface.

1. Roots: The root systems from trees can travel a long way under ground. The roots from trees are bigger than turf grass roots and they compete for water and nutrients. Almost every time they dominate over turf roots for these critical attributes to plant life.
2. Sunlight: All plants need sun, especially morning sun. Photosynthesis can not be complete without sunlight. See this post back in May that discusses the importance of morning sun and the negative impacts to low mowed areas on a golf course.
3. Air Movement: Golfers frequently check for wind prior to making a shot. When greens have 60-80' high tree screen around them the air hardly moves. When the air remains still and stagnant, moisture can linger on turfgrass and the threat of disease can become a problem.

Vistas and view corridors are another aspect to tree planting that gets overlooked. Pinehurst has many wonderful views of its rolling hills, views of the mountains and even of downtown. We should be careful not to hinder, but highlight these spectacular vistas. However, trees can be planted as successful screens in some locations such as shielding Denver Water or even Pierce Way.

All of these steps will be considered when planting trees on the golf course and clubhouse grounds to ensure that we maintain a successful tree habitat for years to come.