tree grant resource guide - planning

• 2-3" Bur Oak

• 2-3" Live Oak

• 2-3" Cedar Elm (limited quantity)

• 3-4" Sweetgum

• 4-6" Live Oak

• 4-6" Chinquapin Oak

• 4-6" Red Oak (limited quantity)

• 10- and 15-gallon container grown species, including Cedar Elm, Bur Oak, Bald Cypress, Chinquapin Oak, Red Oak, Live Oak (quantity and size varies by species)

Please keep in mind that availability changes quickly during tree planting season due to:

1)  projects receiving trees,
2)  popularity of some tree species, and
3)  limited quantities of other species.

Due to these factors, Forestry personnel cannot always guarantee your tree choices.

Trees are only available during the dormant season. Due to the popularity of some tree species and limited availability of others, Forestry personnel cannot always guarantee tree choices. The tree species are either native or well adapted to the area. They are grown at Rolling Hills, the Parks and Community Service’s 71-acre tree farm from seed collected locally from hardy stock. To learn more about the characteristics of each tree, refer to the tree planting section on our website, or to page 14 of the Native & Adapted Trees for Fort Worth & Tarrant County tree planting and maintenance guide (English version, Spanish version).

Where and what trees should I plant?
For help in selecting the right tree for the right place, please refer to pages 4, 5 and 14 of the Native & Adapted Trees for Fort Worth & Tarrant County tree planting and maintenance guide (English version, Spanish version) as well as the tree planting section on our website.

We encourage you to spend equally as much time planning where you will plant the trees as you do deciding which trees to plant. For example, large trees are not appropriate for planting under power lines or in a parkway that is less than five feet wide. Additionally, the strategic placement of trees will provide many benefits to your site in the years to come. The canopies of trees that overgrow non-permeable surfaces such as sidewalks, patios, streets and driveways benefit the City in the following ways. They reduce storm water runoff by catching and diverting rainfall. They reduce temperatures by shading heat-reflecting surfaces. They reduce fuel evaporation and hydrocarbon emissions by shading parked vehicles. 

Shading seating areas make them more inviting to pedestrians. Shaded public seating areas create gathering places that strengthen community ties.

As mentioned previously, keep in mind the tree grant project evaluation criteria. Due to the many benefits trees provide, you can receive extra points for locating your trees next to parking lots, streets, etc. You can also learn more about the benefits of trees on pages 11 and 12 in the Native & Adapted Trees for Fort Worth & Tarrant County tree planting and maintenance guide (English version, Spanish version).

How does the type of soil I have affect my tree planting project?
Our types of soils can vary widely within the Fort Worth city limits, ranging from deep, heavy clay soils. To help ensure the success of your tree planting project, check your site for proper drainage by conducting a perc test. First, dig a hole the same size as the tree’s root-ball. Next, fill the empty hole with water and let it sit overnight. If it takes longer than 24 hours to drain, select another site. A tree will die if its roots are underwater for long periods of time.

Does my site plan meet the City of Fort Worth’s spacing requirements for planting trees?
When planning for your trees, proper spacing is equally important as planting location.

Refer to the following information if you are planning to:

• P.O.S.E. Guidelines:  
  Plant trees near the intersection of 2 streets

• Parkway Guidelines:  
  Plant trees in the parkway (area between sidewalk and curb)

• Median Guidelines:  
  Plant trees in the median

Does my site plan clearly show where I want to plant trees in relation to existing trees, sidewalks, buildings, and other structures?
Your site plan may be completed by using a variety of methods: 

1) drawn by hand like the triangular median and playground examples; 2) editing an aerial photo such as the park and the police station examples. Among other websites, you may be able to find an aerial map of your site at http://www.dfwmaps.com/ or http://maps.google.com/; or download Google Earth from http://earth.google.com
3) using a PDF file or other professional design created by an architectural, engineering or related firm.

Your site plan needs to include the following information:

• Location and species of all trees, both requested and existing.
• Location of all objects within 50 feet of requested tree locations, including: utility lines, curbs, sidewalks, buildings, traffic signs, and other structures.
• Directional arrows (north).

Without an accurate, detailed site plan, Forestry personnel are unable to verify the following information:

• Trees will be planted on public property within Fort Worth city limits.
• The proposed planting site demonstrates an environmental need for trees.
• Trees are providing benefits by being planted in close proximity to streets, parking lot and other areas as indicated on the application.

If your site plan does not meet the above criteria, you will be asked to resubmit your design. Your project will not be considered for trees until an acceptable site plan has been submitted.

Besides my site plan, have I accurately completed the Tree Grant Application?
It is very important to fill out your application completely and accurately in order to receive all of the points your project is eligible for. The application is divided into five sections, consisting of short, fill-in-the-blank answers and checklists. It is easy to complete and, with the exception of the site plan, does not require a lot of time. Please note that if you are watering your trees using an irrigation system, you will need to submit a copy of your irrigation plan with your tree grant application. Similarly, if your organization and/or proposed tree planting location is a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) recipient, please provide documentation (copy of an award letter, etc.) with your tree grant application. If you have any questions about how to complete the application, please contact Melanie Migura at 817-871-5739.

Did I submit my Tree Grant Application on time?
Tree Grant Applications are due September 1 of each year. Faxed applications must be received by midnight, September 1. Mailed applications must be postmarked by September 1.

How am I going to plant the trees?
Most of the tree grant applicants in the past have either hired a professional to plant the trees, or planted the trees themselves using volunteers from their organization, such as a homeowners association.

• If using a professional: 
  When using a professional to plant the trees, please keep the following in mind: 
  1) Do they have the necessary equipment to safely transport and handle the trees? 
  2) Do they have a successful track record of planting B&B trees? 
  3) Have you provided them with a copy of the planting specifications? 
  4) If so, have they read the specifications and agreed to abide by them? 
  5) Are they going to take responsibility for locating utility lines for you? 
  6) Are they properly licensed, bonded and insured?
  
  
• If using volunteers:
  How many volunteers do I need?
  Our experience tells us that it takes 1 to 1½ volunteer hours to plant one tree. This means that it could take two people 30 minutes to plant one tree, while it would take four people only 15 minutes to plant the same tree. If using volunteers, we recommend planting no more than 5-10 trees the first year.  
  
  What equipment do I need to plant trees?
  Shovels will be needed to dig the holes, unless you are having this done with a backhoe. Hard rakes work well to score the sides of the hole to prevent them from glazing over. Hard rakes are also useful for raking excess soil off the top of the newly planted tree and building the water ring around the tree. Wire cutters are needed to remove the top 1/3 of the basket. The top 1/3 of the burlap surrounding the rootball can be folded back, or cut off with either a pocket knife or a utility knife. Depending upon the species, the trees will easily weigh 300-400 pounds each. Are you able to rent or borrow a tree dolly to help you move the trees? Please remember volunteer safety and comfort as well. Be sure that they have gloves, as well as provide them with plenty of water.

What is the correct way to plant the trees?
The trees received through the Tree Grant Program must be planted according to the City of Fort Worth tree planting specifications.

The City of Fort Worth Forestry Section will generally honor a one year replacement on trees, provided the trees are planted and maintained for two years according to city specifications. Failure to follow the tree planting specifications may result in forfeiture of the tree replacement guarantee. Furthermore, serious violations of the tree planting specifications may affect your chances of receiving trees for future projects.

How will I water the trees?
Providing water appropriately and adequately to newly transplanted B&B trees is critical to their success. Give careful consideration as to how trees will be watered because by receiving City of Fort Worth trees, you are committing yourself to watering them for two years. Trees may be watered by hand or by an irrigation system that is installed and working at the time of tree planting. City parks only are eligible to receive watering services provided by Forestry personnel. If using an irrigation system, trees must be on a separate zone from turf, with either tree bubblers or drip emitters. Projects relying only on natural rainfall to establish the trees after planting will not be considered for trees.

The planning stage is the appropriate time to work out the watering details, not after the trees have been planted. Make sure you can answer the questions that follow for your particular tree planting project.

• Is water available and easily accessible on site at the time of planting and from that point forward?
  If not, how do you propose to adequately water the trees over the course of the two year establishment period?
  

• How much water do I need to give each tree?
  Remember, by receiving City of Fort Worth trees, you are committing yourself to water them for two years. The Forestry Section requires that you provide a minimum of 7 gallons of water per caliper inch per week throughout the growing season as needed. This means that a 3” caliper tree will need to receive 21 gallons a week. During periods of heavy rainfall, you will not need to water the trees. The watering is to continue for a minimum of two years or until such time as the trees become established.
  
  Newly planted trees need slow, deep watering to become established. By encouraging the water to move deep into the soil, you are encouraging a deeper root system and a more drought tolerant tree. For more information on how to do this, please visit the tree maintenance section of our website. Once your trees are established, you may also find additional information on how to care for them on page 9 in the Native & Adapted Trees for Fort Worth & Tarrant County tree planting and maintenance guide (English version, Spanish version). 
    

• If hand watering:

o    How far will you have to drag a hose to water the trees? Are you or your volunteers willing to do this on a regular basis for two years? If you’re unable to water the trees for 2 years, are you hiring someone to do so? Will they use a portable drip irrigation system (i.e., Treegator), a water truck or some other source?

• If using an irrigation system:

o    Be sure to submit an irrigation plan with your tree grant application for verification purposes.

o    Is or will the system be installed and running before the trees are planted?  

      If not, before your project receives trees, you will need to provide Forestry personnel with an acceptable interim plan on how will you water the trees until the system is ready.

o    Is the irrigation system zoned properly so that trees are being watered separately from turf?

Just like we group plants in the landscape according to their different water requirements, irrigation systems need to be zoned so that plants with different water needs are irrigated separately. Turf, for example, should be watered separately from trees. Trees have a much deeper and more extensive root system than turf, and thus need water less frequently but for longer periods of time.

Lawn irrigation we group plants in the landscape according to their different water requirements, irrigation systems need to be zoned so that plants with different water needs are irrigated separately. Turf, for example, should be watered separately from trees. Trees have a much deeper and more extensive root system than turf, and thus need water less frequently but for longer periods of time.

Lawn irrigation is generally inadequate when watering a newly planted tree. However, with careful monitoring, trees located in turf areas can benefit from normal lawn irrigation, but supplemental watering will often be required. Just as frequently, however, the reverse is true. Trees that are growing on poorly drained sites and planted in or near turf areas that are regularly irrigated are especially susceptible to over-watering. In this situation, irrigation water runs across the surface of the ground and collects in the looser soil of the planting hole, drowning the tree’s roots. Possible solutions to this scenario include: 
1) planting the tree away from the reach of the lawn’s irrigation system, 
2) adjusting the turf irrigation system so the root-ball of the newly planted tree does not become saturated (which can result in under watered turf), and 
3) planting the tree slightly higher than the existing grade.

For the reasons discussed above, only projects that are using irrigation systems zoned separately from turf areas with either tree bubblers or drip emitters will receive irrigation credit. All other irrigation systems will receive credit for hand watering the trees and, prior to receiving trees, will need to work with Forestry personnel to develop an acceptable supplemental watering plan.  

o    Does my irrigation system use tree bubblers, drip emitters, pop-up spray nozzles, or rotor heads?

Only projects that are using irrigation systems zoned separately from turf areas with either tree bubblers or drip emitters will receive irrigation credit. All other irrigation systems will receive credit for hand watering the trees and, prior to receiving trees, will need to work with Forestry personnel to develop an acceptable supplemental watering plan.

o    If my irrigation system is set to turn on automatically, do I know how to turn it off during and after periods of extensive rainfall?

If you have not already done so, please become familiar with how to manually override your automated irrigation system.