Plantings are made with little appreciation of or attention to the character of the material that lies beneath the surface. One of the most misunderstood, least-researched, and least-documented factors is the urban soil (Spirn, 1984). In recent times we have made some progress in distributing the correct information, but much of this updated material, based upon the experience of a wide range of professionals, has failed to reach the attention of those who need it most-landscape architects, architects, foresters, arborists, horticulturists, and landscape contractors. Unfortunately, much of the information on the techniques and specifications of tree planting and soil preparation, uncritically repeated for years, has proven to be unsatisfactory or downright wrong for many situations, and little has been done to correct these practices. Further, many authorities, such as Operation Global Releaf and the American Forestry Association, point out the need to plant more trees to offset the global warming trend of the “greenhouse effect.” If we temporarily set aside the merits or limitations of the basic premise on which the warming forecasts are based, the success of the extensive tree-planting programs that have been proposed requires the application of sound tree-planting principles if they are to avoid some of the widespread failures of the past. Recently, we have come to recognize the importance of trees in metropolitan areas not only for their ability to improve the quality of life but also for their ability to moderate the physical environment.
Street trees die for many reasons, but the best place to start looking for causes is in the soil.
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