PLANT A TREE FOR THE PLANET

By LADYBUG

 This is the book for all those who are enraptured by the cherry blossoms that burst into bloom late this month, early next month.

For everyone, really, who dreams of sitting in the dappled shade of a tree in their yard, who loves the foliage of one, the flowers of another or the fruit of yet another.

Kate Bradbury lists the reasons – if we were looking for motivation – we should bring home a tree.

Instead of feeling hopeless about climate change and the devastation we’re beginning to witness around the globe, we should all join together to plant trees. Starting in our gardens.

“Each drop of water absorbed by the tree’s roots is a drop that won’t join others to form a puddle or a flood... Each bee that visits its flowers will not go hungry, and each egg laid on its leaves will provide food for species further up the food chain.”

She makes a case for more trees in our cities. Not only for cooling and absorbing polluting particles but for “reducing crime and road rage (yes, really!)”.

She answers the question that gardeners grapple with: Native or non-native? with a question of her own.

“A native tree is generally considered to be one that is grown in a given place since the last Ice Age, and is therefore perfectly adapted to the climate it lives in. But today’s climate is changing too quickly for many trees to evolve and adapt in time to the new conditions. Should we therefore be looking to non-natives to grow in their place?”

 And then introduce us to a variety of trees suited to varying growing conditions and size of gardens.

Along with the ones you’d expect to find such as serviceberry and crab apple and garden staples such as lilacs and magnolia, get ready to get acquainted with soft tree fern, which looks like a coconut tree having a bad hair day. It is, of course, as she informs us, not really a tree, but “with their trunklike stems and crown of fronds, they look like them and play the same role in the garden.”

I learn more about Mountain Ash and Hawthorn that haven’t figured on my list earlier but which I really want now – if only my garden were large enough to accommodate them. A woman can dream!

HOW TO DEAL WITH SPONGY MOTHS

The City of Vaughan provides step-by-step control methods for managing the spongy moth population in spring.

Have you checked the trees on your property for brown- and orange-coloured egg masses? In May, you may start to see some of these egg masses hatch into caterpillars. These insects are called spongy moths, an invasive species not native to Ontario.

In the caterpillar stage, spongy moths eat leaves from hardwood trees such as oak, maple, birch and poplar, and select shrubs.

While forested areas may be affected, trees in urban areas – including on local and regional roads and on private property – are most at risk. Soil compaction, air pollution and other pests and diseases make trees in urban areas more susceptible to infestation. However, affected trees that are healthy will usually grow a second crop of leaves in the same season.

What you can do: To help protect trees on your property from these invasive insects, take the following precautions: 

In April: Scrape off and destroy egg masses by submerging them in a bucket of soapy water for at least two days. Then discard the solution and egg mixture in the garbage to help prevent more caterpillars from hatching in the future.

Ensure you always wear gloves to avoid an allergic reaction. It is important to look thoroughly on your property for egg masses as they can also be found on benches, firewood, outdoor furniture, swing sets and under the eaves of buildings.

From May to June: Apply biological control products to affected trees early in the season to reduce infestations. Contact a licensed tree care company to discuss options for using these products as there is a very tight timing window.

For more information, log on to vaughan.ca/SpongyMoth, www.omafra.gov.on.ca and york.ca/LDDMoth.