Urban Trees from Seed. Sunday Harrison Green Thumbs Growing Kids EcoSchools conference, Feb. 22, 2018

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1 Urban Trees from Seed Sunday Harrison Green Thumbs Growing Kids EcoSchools conference, Feb. 22, 2018

2 Green Thumbs Growing Kids A bit about us: we ve been partnering with a number of schools in downtown Toronto for 18 years We re a community-based organization, mainly operating garden-based learning programs in greenhouses and on school grounds, year round Much of our programming has been about veggie, herb and flower gardens, and connecting children and youth to food and to nature through gardening This project (Urban Trees from Seed) is relatively new, started in 2 schools in In 2017/2018 we have funding to expand it to up to 10 new schools.

3 To plant trees is to give body and life to one s dreams of a better world. - Russell Page, The Education of a Gardener Holding down soil, shading the earth and cooling its surface, absorbing rainwater and gradually re-releasing moisture, softening the sweep of winds, trees are a major climate regulator in our country and on our planet The importance of maintaining our green canopy cannot be overemphasized. Climate moderation is perhaps the most essential and the least recognized role of our trees. - Henry Kock, Interpretive Horticulturalist, Guelph Arboretum

4 Trees from Seed science links Biodiversity Each seed is an individual, with varied genetics including resistances By planting trees from seed, we foster biodiversity in our tree plantings Trees that are making seed have adapted to their ecosystem Climate change Trees draw down carbon dioxide and produce oxygen Trees provide shade and habitat As the climate changes, some trees will do better than others, and some will have their range extended

5 Trees from Seed more why and how Urban trees are largely planted by people rather than planting themselves as they would in a forest. Therefore, as they age, they must be replaced by younger trees. When choosing trees for seed, try to choose older trees, that have proven to thrive in the conditions they re in. Try to mimic those conditions when planting out the seedlings into permanent positions. Pay attention to soil conditions, orientation, and hazards such as being too near a building or under power lines.

6 The Importance of Native Species Habitat Native species of plants have coevolved with insects and mammals Non-native trees are often more susceptible to pests and disease, causing the use of harmful pesticides Pollinators Many of the native trees are superior support for pollinators A tree in flower presents a huge boon to the insects dependent on these food sources, often early in the season

7 Trees from Seed Vocabulary: Forecasting is observing the flowering stage of the tree, and identifying the best time to collect the ripe seed. Stratifying is giving your native seeds a cold period such as seed would have in the wild Scarifying is removing part of the seed coat in the case of seeds that are adapted to the acidic conditions of passing through the gut of an animal

8 Trees from Seed More vocabulary: Genus/species/cultivar: Genus is the family name in the Latin convention. Species is the type within the genus, the second name. Cultivar (cultivated variety) refers to a plant that has been selected for specific features within the landscape trade. Ex: Thuja occidentalis Rheingold Genus name is capitalized, species name is lower case, and cultivar name in quotes

9 Resources: Trees from Seed Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Ontario Tree Seed Plant, Angus ON By Henry Kock Mr. Arboretum, U of Guelph Elm recovery project Guelph Organic Conference Firefly Books

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11 Indigenous and online resources Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission Plants Used by the Great Lakes Ojibwa - Package contains database/cd with plant names in Ojibwe/Anishnabemowin language wpsm/genera/

12 Film & resource: Call of the Forest the forgotten wisdom of trees Diana Beresford-Kroeger is a medical biochemist and botanist. She has identified substances emanating from trees that have medicinal benefits, and believes that each person planting one tree per year for the next 6 years will mitigate climate change. She lives in eastern Ontario.

13 Eastern White Cedar Giizhik Thuja occidentalis

14 Giizhik/Kiizhik (Cedar) Used for tea (make tea for students infuse some leafy branches in boiled water, sweeten with a bit of honey. Ensure that the tea is not too strong.) Used as protection (indigenous use one of four sacred medicines of Anishnaabekwe) and hedging (settler use withstands pruning better than other evergreens) Tree comes in many cultivars but only the species will yield good seed Wood is highly valued as it is rot resistant. Used for premium quality raised garden beds. Collect seed in fall, label and store in freezer, plant in spring

15 Kentucky Coffee Tree Planted by City of Toronto as it is very urban hardy. However it is only winterhardy in GTHA and southern Ontario (Carolinian species). Comes in 2 types: male & female. Only the female produces seed. The botanical name is Gymnocladus dioicus. The second part of that name indicates that it is a dioecious species, eg. male and female flower parts on separate trees. This tree had become rare due to its evolutionary relationship with the Mastadon. The large animal was the only animal that could digest the leathery pods. When the Mastadon went extinct, the tree became endangered.

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17 Kentucky Coffee Tree Teacher brought her window pole to knock the seeds off the tree in April. This tree was a short walk away from the school in downtown Toronto.

18 Kentucky Coffee Tree

19 Student Work

20 Seeds planted in 4 pots, raised under glass. Excellent germination

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22 Nursery Conditions Grow tree seeds under lights until transplanting outdoors. Ensure that tree seedlings are planted out in a fenced area so they will not be mowed. Ensure that they can be easily watered, especially after planting Check species root types, eg. a tap-rooted plant will be harder to dig up and transplant (eg oak) than a shallow-rooted plant. Plant roots can usually be pruned when dug, but oaks need 12 of the taproot to transplant. You may want to protect the tree seedlings from wildlife, with cages.

23 Planting Out After about 3 years, your tree seedlings are ready for their permanent homes. If the children who planted the seeds are still in the school, try to engage them with finding the permanent home for the trees. Research the final height and width of the tree, ensuring that it has enough space and is not too close to a foundation. Protect the transplanted tree for a few years with a tree cage and mulch. Arrange the mulch in a donut shape around the trunk, not touching the trunk.

24 Trees not to propagate Norway Maple (Acer platanoides) looks very much like Sugar Maple but has a milky sap from end of petiole (leaf stem) when leaf is removed. Norway Maple is invasive and non-native, but was commonly planted in cities. English Oak (Quercus robur) has elongated leaf lobes and acorns. Wikipedia has good identification information. In general, do not propagate species from outside the bioregion, even if native to another area of this continent.

25 School Board tree selections If the trees cannot be located on private, residential properties, consider passing them along to other schools through your school board. In Toronto, the TDSB has a list of trees they receive from the City. These trees are planted on school grounds primarily to provide shade, but also habitat and naturalized spaces. They are not known to have any fruits or other parts to which children might be allergic. I can provide this list on request.

26 Funding for Urban Trees from Seed provided by: The Gosling Foundation

27 Contact us! Sunday Harrison Green Thumbs Growing Kids