Urban Conservation

When designing a tree planting, consider the positive and potentially negative impacts the trees may have on the surrounding area. Items to consider include: Areas of snow drifts, water runoff from melting snow, stifling of air flows during the summer, ice blockage of drains, and visibility hazards. Plan your tree planting before building a house, if possible.

Things you need to know prior to planning:

•  Development and/or township covenants for tree planting
• Your legal description and property line
• The distance trees must be from property line (minimum of 5 feet)
• The location of your septic tank and drain field; planting over septic tank or drain field is not advised
• Utility company specifications for planting trees by their overhead lines – locate any underground utilities such as electrical gas, water, telephone lines, cable TV, and propane tanks or the property
• Hand plant tree orders are due by November 1st of each year.

Good ground preparation is the most important part of your tree planting. Poor ground preparation is one of the main reasons trees fail. Summer-fallowing the tree plot one year prior to the actual tree planting is advised. Nonselectve herbicides may be used to kill grasses and weeds prior to tillage. Following these guidelines should enable you to start the ground preparation:

• Decide on the number of rows you want
• Row spacing can be a minimum of 10 feet and maximum of 20 feet apart. The average distance between rows in most plantings is 12-14 feet.
• Allow for tillage on the outside of the tree planting (a minimum of 5 feet is recommended)
  The distance between rows should be determined by the width of your tillage equipment

~ Sample of 2 row tree planting. ~

You would need to summerfallow a 32 foot width in this example (Not to scale)

For tree and shrub descriptions and photos, visit these web sites:

• North Dakota Tree Handbook
• Trees and Shrubs

Additional information for landowner use:

• How Windbreaks Work
• Windbreak Establishment
• Windbreaks in Sustainable Ag
• Windbreaks and Wildlife
• Windbreaks for Rural Living
• Windbreaks for Livestock Operations
• Windbreaks for Snow Management
• Windbreak Management
• Windbreak Renovation
• Field Windbreaks
• Fruit Bearing Shrubs for Multi-Use Shelterbelts and Orchards
• Protecting Trees and Shrubs from Deer
• Tree Irrigation Water Fact Sheet
• Damaging Our Trees Fact Sheet (Forestry)

Windbreak/Shelterbelt Establishment Fact Sheet-no pdf

Web Soil Survey

• Step 1: Using the Web Soil Survey. Print soils map of your tree planting site. Identify the major soils.
• Step 2: Using the Soils Legend. Identify the windbreak suitability group for each major soil. (high lighted column).
• Step 3: Using the windbreak suitability groups 1-10. Identify the suitable tree and shrub species for each windbreak suitability group.

Windbreak Suitability Groups-no pdf

Planting Trees and Shrubs

Planting a Bare-root Tree

Planting a Container Tree

Planting a Tree with a Tree Moving Machine

Tillage for Weed Control in Windbreaks and Shelterbelts Fact Sheet

Synthetic Mulch (Fabric) Management Fact Sheet

Synthetic Weed Control Fabric Advantages and Disadvantages

Warm-Season Grass Cover between Tree Rows Fact Sheet (Plant Materials)

Tree Water Management Fact Sheet

Fertilizing Trees

Pruning of Overgrown Shrubs

Pruning a Deciduous Tree

Pruning Evergreens

Contact our office for a list