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Living with Urban Soils

Tree City USA Bulletin #5—Sources for More Information

Websites

The most comprehensive source of soil information is found at the website of the Natural Resources Conservation Service.

Books

There are many soil textbooks available at college book stores or online. One excellent book that focuses especially on urban soils and their relationship to trees is:

Arboriculture—Integrated Management of Landscape Trees, Shrubs, and Vines
Richard W. Harris, James R. Clark and Nelda P. Matheny
Prentice-Hall, Inc.
Englewood Cliffs, NJ 07632

This one, by the author of our Tree City USA Bulletin series, includes discussion of the nature of soil and its effects on growing trees for a purpose such as Christmas trees. It is also a guide to mail-order suppliers of tools such as soil samplers, earth augers, moisture meters, pH testing kits and other equipment for the professional or do-it-yourselfer.

The Woodland Steward—A Guide to the Management of Small Private Forests
James R. Fazio
The Woodland Press
310 N. Main St.
Moscow, ID 83843
When you order a book online, please order it through our website. This provides a link to Amazon.com and all purchases help support the conservation and education programs of the Arbor Day Foundation.

The International Society of Arboriculture has a number of books related to soils and the protection of tree roots. These include:

  • Urban Soils: Applications and Practices by Phillip J. Craul
  • Trees and Development by Nelda Matheny and James R. Clark
  • The Landscape Below Ground I & II (compendiums of workshop presentations)

To order ISA publications, phone 217-355-9411 or visit: isa-arbor.com.

Leaflets and Booklets

The following “class handout” contains a large amount of information condensed into a few number of pages. It is well illustrated and contains useful lists such as symptoms of nutrient deficiencies and soil requirements for specific species. Individual copies are available at cost from Dr. Schultz:

Soils and Tree Growth by Richard C. Schultz
Department of Forestry
Iowa State University
Ames, IA 50011

This brief fact sheet is available free:

Vertical Mulching Fact Sheet
Cincinnati Park Board
Natural Resource Management Section
3215 Reading Rd.
Cincinnati, OH 45229

More Information

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