• Tree and shrub selection and use
• CU-Structural Soil™
• Transplanting (bare root method)
• Community forestry
• 'Scoop and Dump' soil remediation
• Other Cornell resources

Stewart Park Tree Tour

Tree and shrub selection and use

Woody plants database - Profiles more than 370 trees, shrubs, vines and groundcovers. Search feature helps match plants to site characteristics (light, USDA Hardiness Zone, salt tolerance, soil pH and moisture) and plant characteristics (deciduous vs. evergreen and plant size), as well as botanical and common name search.

Woody Shrubs for Stormwater Retention Practices (Northeast and Mid-Atlantic Regions) -- Second Edition [11 MB .pdf] - Woody shrubs provide low-maintenance, attractive cover for stormwater retention and infiltration practices such as filter strips, swales and rain gardens. This 57-page guide details site assessment and design considerations for those practices and profiles more than 35 woody shrub species that can tolerate both dry and periodically saturated soil conditions typical of retention areas. Print quality version [45 MB .pdf]. See also: Rethinking runoff: Shrubs and stormwater and Shrubs that Stand up to Stormwater.

Greening the inner city: How do we choose the best trees? [Open Access Government, May, 2018] - Nina Bassuk details four principles of urban tree selection: Trees should be pest-resistant and adapted to urban conditions, they should be highly diverse (including native and non-native species but avoiding invasives), they should meet functional and design objectives, and they should match management limitations.

Moving Beyond the Natives/Exotics Debate [Urban Habitats, March 2012]- In heavily urbanized areas -- with degraded soils, poor drainage, high pH soils, elevated temperatures, etc -- it may not be feasible to cultivate plant communities of natives found in nearby natural areas. A mix of natives and exotics may be the best option.

Recommended Urban Trees: Site Assessment and Tree Selection for Stress Tolerance - Profiles more than 90 trees that can stand up to the rigors of tough urban environments, including small trees that can grow under overhead utility wires. Also includes a site assessment checklist, transplanting guide and helpful lists of trees grouped by site or planting conditions.

Tree ID Guide for Common Urban Trees in New York State and the Northeast - 76-page, fully illustrated guide helps people with little or no experience to identify common urban trees throughout the year. Trees are organized by common name and a simple visual glossary is included to point out important features. No online version. $18. (Order 10 or more and pay $15 each.) Order online. Enter total payment on the form and indicate number of copies in the Transaction Notes. Questions? Email nlb2@cornell.edu

Deciduous Woody Groundcovers [2.7 MB .pdf] - 15-page booklet describes how low-growing shrubs and woody plants can provide attractive, protective cover for gardens, slopes and many difficult sites.

Visual Similarity and Biological Diversity: Street Tree Selection and Design [560 K .pdf] - 13-page publication helps with choice of species for street tree plantings to balance need for genetic diversity and need for uniformity in design.

A Cornell Campus Walk: Recommended Urban Trees [2.5 MB .pdf] - The natural beauty of the Cornell campus is rightly celebrated. Stately trees strategically planted around the buildings and along the streets and plazas contribute to that reputation. This 31-page booklet is your guide to an all-season campus tree walk designed to help you to learn about trees that can withstand tough urban situations.

Tough Trees for Tough Sites - 23-minute online video aids in tree selection and site selection in the urban landscape. Follows a real-life tree planting project in the city of Ithaca, N.Y.

Read UHI journal articles on:

• Site analysis and environmental stress
• Plant selection

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CU-Structural Soil™

CU-Structural Soil™ (also known as CU-Soil™) was developed at Cornell University as a way to safely bear pavement loads after compaction and yet still allow root penetration and vigorous tree growth. It was patented and trademarked under the name 'CU-Soil™' to insure quality control.

CU-Structural Soil® - A Comprehensive Guide - 56 page publication covers the why's and how's of using CU-Structural Soil® to support trees, turf and porous pavement. Includes six case studies. CU-Sol Structural^MD - Guide Complet (en français)

Structural Soil - Part 1 and Structural Soil - Part 2- Articles in The Field, the professional landscape architects network.

Stormwater to Street Trees: Engineering Urban Forests for Stormwater Management - U.S. EPA publication on using streetscapes to decrease the amount of stormwater runoff and pollutants that reach local waters.

Using CU-Structural Soil™ in the Urban Environment [15 MB .pdf] - 17-page booklet details how CU-Structural Soil™ meets soil needs of urban trees while also fulfilling engineers' load-bearing requirements. Utiliser le CU-Sol StructuralMD dans un environnement urbain (en français.

CU-Structural Soil: An Update after More than a Decade of Use in the Urban Environment - Article by Nina Bassuk in the Jan./Feb. 2008 issue of City Trees: The Journal of the Society of Municipal Arborists.

Using Porous Asphalt and CU-Structural Soil™ [1.4 MB .pdf] - 15-page booklet details how the combination of porous asphalt and CU-Structural Soil™ reduces runoff and improves water quality. The combination allows both water and air to infiltrate the base course underneath the pavement surface. This not only allows for healthier root and tree growth, but the trees further reduce water levels through transpiration.

Managing Stormwater for Urban Sustainability Using Trees and Structural Soils [3.9 MB .pdf] - 55-page publication addresses how trees grown in structural aid in water interception, storage, and infiltration while increasing evapotransporation potential, helping to achieve the goals of stormwater management: reducing peak flow, reducing runoff volume and removing pollutants.

CU-Structural Soil™ Videos - Online videos demonstrate soil mix that safely bears traffic loads after compaction and still allows root penetration and vigorous tree growth:

•Support Your Local Tree (13:30) describes background, mixing and placement of CU-Structural Soil™
•Excavation of London Plane Tree Roots Growing for 5 years in CU-Structural Soil™ (4:16)

CU-Structural Soil™ Graphics and Plan Views

CU-Structural Soil™ Power Point Presentation

Le pourquoi et le comment cultiver des arbres en trottoir à l'aide du CU-sol structural™ - Par Nina Bassuk, Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y. (2013). Traduit de l'anglais par Émilie Chagnon, Matériaux Paysagers Savaria Ltée, Novembre 2013.

AMEREQ Inc./CU-Soil™ Division - Site includes an introduction to the CU-Soil™ and a list of installations.

Read UHI journal articles on:

• Soil compaction and structural soil
• Soil volume

To locate licensed CU-Soil™ producers near you or to become a licensee, contact Brian Kalter (bkalter@amereq.com) or Fernando Erazo (FE@amereq.com) at AMEREQ Inc./CU-Soil™ Division, 19 Squadron Blvd. New City, New York 10956. Phone: (800) 832-8788.

If you have questions about the function and uses of CU-Soil™, contact Nina Bassuk: (607) 255-4586 nlb2@cornell.edu.

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Transplanting (bare root method)

Creating the Urban Forest: The Bare Root Method [1 MB .pdf] - 18-page booklet explains the bare root method of planting trees developed at Cornell in cooperation with the City of Ithaca. The three main nursery production methods are balled and burlapped (B&B), root, and container grown. We find that for many species bare root planting is equally as successful as B&B planting. Revised and updated Jan. 2009.

Creating an Urban Forest: The Bare Root Method - 15-minute online video demonstrates new, cost-effective method for reforestation of our urban spaces. Lightweight, bare root trees planted by volunteers eliminates the need for heavy equipment and intensive labor commitments for city forestry departments.

Read UHI journal articles on:

• Transplanting

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Community forestry

New! Ithaca's Trees - Master Plan, Inventory, & Arboricultural Guidelines for the Public Trees of the City of Ithaca, New York [2.8 MB .pdf]

Community forestry - Clearinghouse for information to help communities manage their urban trees, including developing a community forestry master plan and conducting street tree inventories. Resources pages provide links to how to information on managing urban trees and working with people.

Read UHI journal articles on:

• Urban forestry, sampling

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'Scoop and dump' soil remediation

Strategies for Remediating Compromised Soils in the Landscape [37 MB .pdf] - Presentation slides cover tree protection during construction, scoop and dump remediation, amending soil, trenching, structural soil and more. .ppt | .pdf

Long-Term Remediation of Disturbed Urban Soils [12 MB .pdf] - Presentation by Miles Sax & Nina Bassuk at the 2014 International Society of Arboriculture International Conference and Trade Show. Abstract | View slides

Urban Soils Remediation and Use of Organic Amendments [4.7 MB .pdf] - Shorter presentation on scoop and dump technique and soil health benefits.

Video: 'Scoop and dump' [0:49] - Short clip of backhoe demonstrating the 'scoop and dump' technique of soil remediation in runoff retention bioswales adjacent to parking lots near Rice Hall on the Cornell University campus.

Video: 'Scoop and dump' planting at Cornell University - 26-month update [3:53] - 'Urban Eden' students prepare and plant runoff retention bioswales adjacent to parking lots near Rice Hall off Tower Road, Spring 2014. Includes 4-, 14- and 26-month updates.

Video: Soil Health and the Scoop and Dump Method of Soil Remediation [48:48] - Presentation by Miles Sax comparing 'scoop and dump' to unremediated sites and the long-term soil health benefits of the practice.

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Other Cornell resources

Cornell Guide for Planting & Maintaining Trees and Shrubs

Pruning: An Illustrated Guide to Pruning Ornamental Trees and Shrubs

Know Your Trees - Update of classic includes identification keys, descriptions of 50 common native trees. Also available in as 7.2 MB .pdf file.

Gardening resources - Cornell site for home gardeners includes information on trees and shrubs, lawns, flowers and more.