treepower programsfrom acrossthenation · portanceoftree-trimming,care andplacementtoensuresafety....

A Ginkgo tree is planted in downtown St. Marys as part of the city’s on-going beautifi-cation process.

TREE POWER Grant Winners Plan and Plant

M anilla Municipal Utilities isusing its $2,500 TREEPOWER Grant to plant flow-

ering crab trees in a new subdivision.The trees, which will be planted byutility staff, will attractively outline apond near the entrance of the subdivi-sion. The Iowa utility won the grantlast June in a random drawing of allTREE POWER members.2007 TREE POWER Grant winner

City of St. Marys, Ohio, used its$2,500 to plant 10 Ginkgo and two Mt.St. Helen Plum trees in its downtownarea as part of an ongoing beautifica-

tion project. Several trees and stumpshad already been removed from down-town St. Marys, and the grant allowedthe city to proceed with planting re-placement trees. Ginkgo trees werechosen to be the main replacements be-cause of their tolerance for urban con-ditions and resistance to pests andstreet-cleaning materials. Local busi-nesses and newspapers commended theutility’s efforts to improve the down-town area. Future plans for the beauti-fication project include the gradual

2009, Issue 1Winter/Spring

TREE POWER programs fromacross the nation

Demonstrate your utility’s commit-ment to improving the environ-ment and enhancing yourcommunity by planting trees.Trees beautify communities, pro-vide shade and windbreaks, andare important to local and nationalcarbon dioxide emissions-reduc-tion efforts. Programs to “plant theright tree in the right place” helpeducate customers about the im-portance of tree-trimming, careand placement to ensure safety.

APPA’s TREE POWER programallows APPA members to partici-pate in a nationwide effort to planttrees and encourage communitydevelopment of programs basedon local resources and needs.Currently, more than 260 utilitiesparticipate in the TREE POWERprogram.

Because sharing ideas andsuccess stories can spark creativ-ity, APPA publishes recent reportsfrom participating utilities. Pleaseremember to keep APPA informedof your tree-planting and educa-tional activities. Recent TREEPOWER reports provided to APPAare on page two.

Continued on page 4

2 Tree Power Winter/Spring 2009

Bowling Green, Ky., Municipal Util-ities has developed several programsto help balance reliable electric serviceand trees, including a tree voucher pro-gram partnering with local nurseries; a“Right Tree Right Place” neighborhoodrecognition program to educate resi-dents; a “Utility Friendly Tree Tag”program to label utility-friendly treesat local nurseries and large retailerslike Lowe’s, Home Depot, and Wal-Mart; and an annual Arbor Day cele-bration. The utility plans to post a treetrimming video on its Web site.

Brigham City Light & Power inUtah annually sends out flyers on treetrimming, “Planting the Right Tree”and “Trees & Our Electric Service” tokeeps its customers informed. BrighamCity has also been named a Tree CityUSA for the past 22 years by theNational Arbor Day Foundation.

The City of Bowling Green, Ohio,holds public seminars on urbanforestry in March, June and Septemberto educate customers about trees andtree-planting. In conjunction with OhioState University, Bowling Greenplanted 192 ash trees at the Water Pol-lution Control Plant for Emerald AshBorer Research.

A tornado on Aug. 26, 2007 destroyedmore than 70 percent of the forestryassets in the City of Northwood, N.D.On May 2, 2008, Northwood hosted“Northwood ReLEAF”—a celebrationwhere students, families and commu-nity leaders joined together to honorNorthwood’s accomplishments inforestry over the years—particularlyhow it faced the challenges after thetornado. The North Dakota Departmentof Transportation awarded a $50,000grant to the city to defray costs of re-placing trees destroyed by the storm.Northwood has replanted more than1,000 trees since the disaster. The citywill also be working on a forestry man-agement plan to outline the long-termstrategy for replanting trees.

TREE POWERUpdates

Commission workers hand out small trees and shrubs to local elementary schoolstudents to plant as part of Arbor Day festivities.

Grand Marais, Minn., Public Utilities Commission

High school students in Princeton, Ky., help plant trees as part of an Arbor Day eventat the Caldwell County Recycling Center.

Princeton, Ky., Electric Plant Board

3Tree Power Winter/Spring 2009

Many TREE POWERmembers also participate in

the National Arbor Day Foundation’s “Tree Line

USA” and “Tree City USA” programs.

“Tree Line USA” recognition goes to utilities that

provide quality tree care, attend annual training,

and have an ongoing tree-planting and public

education program. “Tree City USA” recognizes

communities with successful urban and commu-

nity forestry programs.

See more about public power and Tree Line USA on page 5.

Grand Marais, Minn., Public Utili-ties Commission hands out 250 treesand shrubs to customers each spring.The electric department has assistedvarious clubs and the city parks depart-ment in planting trees and removingdead trees in parks. The utility alsogives trees to local elementary schoolstudents to plant for Arbor Day.

Two Wisconsin utilities, Juneau Utili-ties and Waupun Utilities, haveTREE POWER programs that rewardcustomers for planting qualified treeson the south or west sides of theirhomes—providing significant shadingto the home or air conditioning unit.The utilities pay half of the cost oftrees, up to $50. Waupun has a long es-tablished program and has paid incen-tives on 43 trees.

Keys Energy Services in Key West,Fla., hosted its 14th annual tree give-away in May. The giveaway was on afirst-come, first-served basis. KeysEnergy customers were given two freenative shade trees each. To date, theutility has given away more than32,000 native shade trees.

Muscatine, Iowa, Power and Waterheld a tree sale last fall and gives treesto customers on an as-needed basisthroughout the year. Last year, thecommunity was hit by a tornado, so theutility’s tree-planting program becamevital during the rebuilding period.Within the last year alone, the utilityhas planted 1,762 trees for a total ofmore than 4,190 trees planted as partof its TREE POWER program.

The Princeton, Ky., Electric PlantBoard sponsored an Arbor Day eventat the county’s recycling center byplanting 38 trees. High school 4-H stu-dents and many other communitymembers helped out with the event.

Stoughton, Wis., Utilities runs aTREE POWER incentive program thatoffers customers a cash-back reward ofup to $50 for planting trees of qualify-ing species on the south or west sideof the customer’s house. The utilitygave rebates for 39 trees in 2007, total-ing almost $2,000.

Sturgeon Bay, Wis., Utilities givestree rebates averaging $67 to its cus-tomers. The utility paid 13 rebatesin 2008. It is working with the RotaryClub to promote and expand thisprogram.

Watertown, S.D., Municipal Utili-ties plants trees on public boulevardsand in parks for the beautification ofcity-owned property. The utility hasplanted almost 13,000 trees as part ofits TREE POWER program, with 405planted in 2007 alone.

Four ofWPPI Energy’s members offerrebates toward the purchase of qualify-ing shade trees as part of their energyconservation programs. The Wisconsinutilities have offered TREE POWERrebates of 50 percent off the cost oftrees, up to $60 per tree purchased. Inprevious years, the rebate was a maxi-mum of $50. The utilities encouragecustomers buying trees to plant them inplaces that will provide significantshade to houses to reduce coolingcosts.

Lompoc City Achieves Golden Tree StatusLompoc, Calif., City Utilities received the APPA Golden Tree Award in 2008for planting one tree for every public power customer as part of APPA’sTREE POWER program. Lompoc City has 13,173 residential meters. As ofDecember 2008, Lompoc has planted more than 14,183 as part of its TREEPOWER program. Lompoc is the 73rd recipient of the Golden Tree Award,which was created in 1991.

Apply for the Golden Tree Award Today

Since the 1991 inception of its Golden Tree Award, APPA has recognized73 utilities from 22 states for plant-ing one tree per public power cus-tomer. Replacement trees and treesplanted by the utility before TREEPOWER participation count towardthis goal. For moreinformation on the award or to applyonline, go to the “Special Utility Pro-grams” section ofwww.APPAnet.org.


C ongratulations to these ninepublic power utilities that havebecome TREE POWER partic-

ipants as of Jan. 1, 2009:

Borough of Middletown, Pa., has ashade tree commission that grants au-thority to tree owners to plant, remove,and maintain trees along roadways.Middletown is working on a programfor electric customers whose trees werecut down because they were in danger-ous or obstructive locations. The citywill compensate those customers witha free tree, to be planted in a proper lo-cation. The town also plants and main-tains all trees in public parks.

City of Coffeyville, Kan., intends tostart planting trees in an area aroundfairgrounds that was destroyed by aflood in July 2007. Approximately one-third of the town was destroyed in theflood and the utility intends to expandits tree-planting program to benefit re-building efforts.

Danville, Va., Department of Utili-ties, has been tracking the number oftrees it has planted for more than fiveyears. Danville’s Public Works Depart-ment and the City Beautiful Committeespearheaded a garden and landscapingprogram in 2000 known as DanvilleInterchange Gardens (DIG). There arenine DIG sites throughout the city.

Evansville, Wis., Water & LightDepartment offers a rebate of 50 per-cent of the cost of a tree, up to $50, toutility customers who plant deciduoustrees on the south, west, or southwestside of their homes. The incentive lim-its the number of rebates to three perhousehold.

Fayetteville, N.C., Public WorksCommission commemorated its 100thanniversary in 2005 by providing 100new dogwood trees to be planted alongthe Fayetteville Dogwood Trail (sinceFayetteville is known as the “City ofDogwoods”). The utility will also beginpromoting green-roof technologies,starting with a new addition to the util-ity’s operating facilities.

Florence, Ala., Utilities plants morethan 1,000 replacement trees per year.Florence looks for tall trees that pose athreat to power lines and replaces themwith shorter, low-growing trees.

Greenwood, Miss., Utilities Com-mission gives away free seedlings tocustomers and planted 30 trees in fourcity parks. Greenwood plans to con-tinue planting trees in the communitythis year and will increase the numberof trees planted and seedlings given tocustomers. It has worked with the localparks commission to identify the needfor trees and plans to expand its con-tact in the community with the in-creased number of trees planted.

New Ulm, Minn., Public Utilitiesoffers a rebate of two thirds of the costof shade trees planted on the east andwest sides of houses for energy conser-vation, and for trees planted as windbreaks on the north/northwest sides ofthe home.

The Sullivan, Ill., Electric Depart-ment has implemented a program toreplace trees that are removed fromnear power lines with more suitabletrees.

TREE POWERGrant WinnersPlan and Plant

replacement of all of the trees in thedowntown area.The TREE POWER grant is

awarded annually at the APPA NationalConference to any active TREEPOWER participant to support tree-planting efforts and encourage partici-pation in the program. The winner isdrawn randomly from active TREEPOWER participants and is requiredto submit a report detailing how thegrant money will be used to benefit thecommunity’s tree-planting program.If you have any questions regardingthis grant, e-mail [email protected].

NewParticipants

70 Public Power Utilities Win 2008Tree Line USA HonorsThe National Arbor Day Foundation, in cooperation with the National Asso-ciation of State Foresters, recognized 149 electric utilities for earning the2008 Tree Line USA designation. Almost half—70—were public powerutilities.

The Tree Line USA program recognizes public and private utilitiesthroughout the United States for bringing their communities many environ-mental and economic benefits. The utilities earned the designation based onthree criteria: a program of quality tree care, annual worker training in qualitytree care practices, and a tree planting and public education program.

Almost three forths of the Tree Line USA public power utilities are alsoTREE POWER participants. The utilities have demonstrated a creative com-mitment to public education, tree planting, and quality tree care. Some ofthe projects include programs to use trees to reduce heating and coolingcosts, demonstrations on proper pruning techniques, and workshops onplanting utility-friendly trees near power lines and larger trees away fromlines.

For more information on enhancing your tree-planting program, or gain-ing Tree Line USA designation, please visit www.arborday.org.

Continued from page 1


M any organizations exist thatoffer grants, educationalcourses, tree-planting advice,

and more.The following not-for-profit organi-

zations can provide valuable informa-tion and assistance in planning,implementing, promoting, or fundingyour TREE POWER program.You mayalso adopt elements of these programsto qualify for TREE POWER participa-tion. Whether you are interested in be-ginning an urban forestry program,building an arboretum, or organizing atree-planting event geared to youth,give your efforts a boost by checkingout these resources. Organizations maycharge fees for some or all of theirservices.

American ForestsPO BOX 2000Washington, DC 20013202/737-1944e-mail: [email protected]

American Forests helps communitiesplan and implement tree and forest ac-tions to restore and maintain healthyecosystems. Its programs includeGlobal ReLeaf and an urban forestryprogram. Services American Forestscan provide include:

� Urban ecosystem analysis to helpyou calculate the value of trees inyour community

� Publications andeducational resources

� Historic tree nursery

� Online magazine

American Forest Foundation (AFF)1111 19th St., NWSuite 780Washington, DC 20036202/463-2462e-mail: [email protected]

AFF is an education and conservationorganization working for healthyforests, quality environmental educa-

tion, and informed decisions made bycitizens about their communities. Serv-ices AFF can provide include:

� Conservation programs

� Educational booklets geared to pro-moting environmental community-relations efforts

� Educational conferences

� Publications

American Nursery and LandscapeAssociation (ANLA)1000 Vermont Ave., NWSuite 300Washington, DC 20005-4914202/789-2900www.anla.org

ANLA, now in its 132nd year, provideseducation, research, public relationsand representation services to gardencenter retailers, growers, and landscapespecialists that provide assistance andsupport for tree-planting programs.Services ANLA can provide include:

� Legislation and regulatory alerts

� Educational courses and seminars

� Quarterly newsletter andother publications

International Society ofArboriculture (ISA)P.O. Box 3129Champaign, IL 61826-3129217/355-9411e-mail: [email protected]

The International Society of Arboricul-ture is a worldwide professional organ-ization dedicated to fostering a greater

appreciation for trees and promotingresearch, technology and the profes-sional practice of arboriculture. Serv-ices ISA can provide include:

� Web-based discussion groups

� Educational resources

� Certification program for arborists

� Grants and scholarships

The National Arbor Day Foundation100 Arbor Ave.Nebraska City, NE 684101-888-448-7337www.arborday.org

The National Arbor Day Foundation isa network of more than 800,000 mem-bers. Its mission is to help promote treecare and conservation, and to educatepeople on tree issues. Services the Na-tional Arbor Day Foundation can pro-vide include:

� Educational information andguidelines about proper treeplanting and care

� Educational information for youth

� Online tree guide

� Online tree store

� Tree Line and Tree City USArecognition

National Urban and CommunityForestry Advisory Council (NUCFAC)1400 Independence Ave., S.W.Mailstop 1151Washington, DC 20250-1151202/205-1007e-mail: [email protected]/nucfac/

The National Urban and CommunityForestry Advisory Council was createdby Congress in 1990 to advise the U.S.secretary of agriculture on matters re-lated to the protection, planting andcare of trees and forests in U.S. citiesand communities. NUCFAC servicesinclude:

� Cost-share grant program—A grantpre-proposal form is available fordownload from the council’s Website

� Public forums

TREEPOWERResources

TREE POWER has

267members.

TREE POWER Fast Fact

Continued on page 6


Trees Are GoodP.O. Box 3129Champaign, IL 61826-3129217/355-9411e-mail: [email protected]

Trees Are Good is a Web-based organi-zation sponsored by the InternationalSociety of Arboriculture. Trees AreGood provides the general public withquality tree-care information on thefollowing topics:

� Benefits of trees

� Tree selection and planting

� Proper tree-care techniques

� Pruning both youngand mature trees

� Tree hazards and treatments

Trees Forever770 Seventh Ave.Marion, IA 52302319/373-0650www.treesforever.org

Trees Forever supports individuals andgroups engaged in local tree plantingand care programs. Services include:

� Programs and resources forgrass roots projects

� Workshops

� Online publications and newsletters

� Information on developing urbanand community forestry programs

TreeLink352 S. Denver St., Suite 315Salt Lake City, UT 84111801/ 363-3435e-mail: [email protected]

TreeLink provides information, re-search and networking for people andorganizations working in urban andcommunity forestry in more than 70countries. Services include:

� Educational materials

� How-to guides

� A research database

� Discussion forums

� Grants for urban andcommunity forestry projects

Tree City USA100 Arbor Ave.Nebraska City, NE 68410402/474-5655e-mail: [email protected]/programs/treeCityUSA.cfm

The Tree City USA program, spon-sored by the National Arbor DayFoundation, provides direction, techni-cal assistance, public attention andnational recognition for urban andcommunity forestry programs in townsand cities across America. Servicesinclude:

Recognition for tree-plantingprograms

Educational resources

TREEPOWERResources

APPA Environmental Online Resources

APPAnet.org is a great source forenvironmental resources. You can:

� Visit the “Utility Operations” sec-tion for information on environmen-tal issues, renewable energy, andenergy efficiency/demand-sidemanagement.

� Sign up for APPA’s EnvironmentalIssues discussion forum, which dis-seminates memos and documents

pertaining to environmental regula-tions and compliance. E-mailnotices also track federal environ-mental regulatory issues and pro-vide helpful industry compliancetips.

� Get legislative and regulatory up-dates and current news about envi-ronmental issues available in the“Legislative/Regulatory” section.

Golden Tree Award-winningutilities alone haveplanted more than

one milliontrees.

TREE POWER Fast Fact



Maintenance of Small-Scale Native Plant Gardens

Y ou’ve enhanced a small, yethighly visible area in yourcommunity. Maybe it’s an

entryway planting giving visitors thatfirst impression of your community,or maybe it’s a butterfly garden alonga main street. Maybe you’ve plantedseveral native prairie plant plugs, ormaybe a combination of native ground-cover and a few trees or shrubs. What-ever the planting project, goodestablishment and maintenance prac-tices are critical to the success of theproject, and to fulfilling your dreamsfor the site.

Characteristics of a well-maintainedplanting site

� All plants are growing welland thriving

� The area is free of weeds and litter

� Community members aresupportive of your efforts

Aesthetics are important, particu-larly in highly visible areas, such asalong the main transportation corridorin town or at an entryway. If the sitedoes not look maintained, residentsmight consider it a “weed patch” andcall for it to be re-planted.

Designing for Easier Maintenance

Use live plants rather than seedsThe result is that the planting looks at-tractive faster, but this type of plantingalso means a greater amount of handlabor in planting and maintenancewhen compared to a seeded large-scaleplanting.

Plant grasses with flowersThe idea is to occupy all root and shootspace so there’s no room for weeds toinvade. Using only wildflowers leavesa niche for invaders. Shorter grassestend to work better in these type ofplantings. Remember, diversity is thekey.

Visually define your plantingspace by including a borderA border is a visual clue that the site isbeing maintained. This is especiallyimportant, when the site is new and

getting established. You may consider amowed border, mulched border, orgrass border using shorter species suchas prairie dropseed.

Keys to SuccessPatience and education are key to suc-cessfully establishing any prairie plant-ing. Though these elements may notseem like establishment practices, cul-tural acceptance of a planting, in real-ity, is a big factor in determining itsfailure or success. This is particularlytrue for plantings at highly visible loca-tions—community entryways, for in-stance.Prairies are a work in progress, and

the process can be frustrating and dis-appointing, especially the first fewyears. You will no doubt receive somecomments from your friends, neigh-bors, and others in the communityabout the “weed patch” that they thinkyou have planted, so be prepared byarming yourself with as much prairieeducation as you can get and by shar-ing that knowledge with others. Someways you can educate others include:

Begin education before plantingBefore any plants go in the ground,tout the benefits of using native plants,such as reduced spraying and mowing.Showy prairie pictures can also getpeople supportive of your efforts earlyon.

Post signage at the site, suchas “Prairie in Progress”It’s also very effective to post signsidentifying individual prairie species.Prairie posters are available free ofcharge from the Living Roadway TrustFund (www.iowalivingroadway.com).Paths through the planting site alsowill allow visitors to get a closer lookat the plants and the signs you install.

Submit articles and featuresto your local newspaperNewspaper articles can help sustainpeople’s interest in native plants andcan be a way for you to celebrate andshare successes with the community asthe project grows. Articles on interest-ing facts about prairies, or explainingwhat maintenance is being done orwhat species are blooming can be aneffective and regular feature in yourlocal paper.

Map the planting foreasier maintenanceWhoever takes on the responsibilityof site care following planting shouldhave a site plan. They should know thelocation of all the plants under theircare.

Encourage many people tobe involved in maintenanceThis encourages ownership of the

Continued on page 10


The following utilities areparticipants in APPA’s TREEPOWER program. The leaficon indicates GoldenTree Award Recipients.

AlabamaSylacauga Utilities BoardFlorence Utilities

ArizonaSalt River Project

ArkansasParagould City Light, Waterand Cable

CaliforniaAnaheim Public UtilitiesAzusa Light & WaterDepartment

Burbank Water & PowerCity of LompocGlendale Water and PowerImperial Irrigation District(IID Energy)

Los Angeles Departmentof Water & Power

Merced Irrigation DistrictCity of Palo Alto UtilitiesPasadena Water & PowerRiverside Public UtilitiesRoseville ElectricSacramento MunicipalUtility District

Turlock Irrigation District

ColoradoColorado Springs UtilitiesTown of HaxtunPlatte River Power Authority

ConnecticutWallingford Department ofPublic Utilities

FloridaFort Pierce Utilities AuthorityGainesville RegionalUtilitiesJEAKeys Energy ServicesKissimmee Utility AuthorityLakeland ElectricOcala Electric UtilityOrlando Utilities CommissionCity of Tallahassee ElectricOperations

GeorgiaMonroe Utilities Network

IdahoIdaho Falls Power

IllinoisCity of BataviaCity of Marshall UtilitiesCity of PrincetonRochelle Municipal UtilitiesCity of Rock FallsElectric Utility

City of RoodhouseCity of St. CharlesSpringfield City Water,Light & Power

Sullivan Electric DepartmentVillage of Rantoul Light andPower Department

IndianaCrawfordsville Electric Light& Power

Edinburgh Municipal UtilitiesHagerstown Municipal LightDepartment

Mishawaka UtilitiesRichmond Power & LightTell City Electric Department

IowaAlta Municipal Power PlantAlton Municipal Light &Power

Atlantic Municipal UtilitiesCoon Rapids MunicipalUtilities

Denison MunicipalUtilities

Durant MunicipalElectric Plant

Fontanelle Municipal UtilitiesGrundy Center MunicipalLight & Power

Harlan Municipal UtilitiesHartley Municipal UtilitiesHawarden Municipal UtilitiesIndependence Light & PowerIndianola Municipal UtilitiesCity of KimballtonLake Park MunicipalUtilities

Manilla MunicipalService Department

Muscatine Power & WaterCity of Orange CityOsage Municipal UtilitiesCity of Paullina

Pocahontas MunicipalElectric Utility

Primghar MunicipalLight Plant

Remsen Municipal UtilitiesRock Rapids MunicipalUtilities

Sanborn Electric &TelecommunicationsBoard

Shelby Municipal UtilitiesSioux CenterMunicipal Utilities

Waverly Light and PowerCity of West BendWoodbine MunicipalLight & Power

KansasCoffeyville MunicipalLight & Power

KentuckyBowling Green MunicipalUtilities

Hopkinsville ElectricSystem

Madisonville MunicipalUtilities

Murray ElectricOwensboro MunicipalUtilities

Paducah Power SystemPrinceton Electric Plant BoardRussellville ElectricPlant Board

LouisianaLafayette Utilities SystemRuston Light & Power

MaineHoulton Water Co.

MassachusettsBraintree ElectricLight Department

Chicopee ElectricLight Department

Hingham MunicipalLighting Plant

Littleton Electric LightDepartment

North Attleborough ElectricDepartment

Princeton Municipal LightDepartment

Shrewsbury Electric andCable Operations

Westfield Gas & ElectricLight Department

MichiganColdwater Board ofPublic Utilities

City of Hart HydroLansing Board ofWater and Light

Lowell Light & PowerMarquette Board ofLight and Power

Traverse City Light andPower Department

Wyandotte MunicipalServices

Zeeland Board ofPublic Works

MinnesotaAdrian Public UtilitiesCommissionAlexandria Lightand Power

City of AnokaAustin UtilitiesBarnesville MunicipalPower

City of Benson Light& Water Department

Blue Earth Light &Water Department

Breckenridge Public UtilitiesDetroit Lakes PublicUtility

Elbow Lake Municipal UtilityFairmont Public UtilitiesGrand Marais PublicUtilities Commission

City of Granite FallsHenning Power & LightHutchinson UtilitiesCommission

Jackson Municipal UtilitiesLake Park Public UtilitiesLakefield Public UtilitiesCity of LuverneMadison MunicipalUtilities

Marshall MunicipalUtilities

Moorhead Public ServiceMora Municipal UtilitiesNew Ulm Public UtilitiesCity of OrtonvilleOwatonna Public UtilitiesRochester Public UtilitiesSauk Centre Public UtilitiesCommission

TREEPOWERParticipants


St. James Public UtilitiesCity of StaplesThief River Falls Water & LightWadena Light &Water Department

Westbrook MunicipalLight & Power

Willmar Municipal UtilitiesCommission

Worthington Public Utilities

MississippiGreenwood UtilitiesCommission

MissouriCarrollton Municipal UtilitiesChillicothe Municipal UtilitiesColumbia Water andLight Department

Higginsville Municipal UtilitiesIndependence Power & LightMissouri PublicUtilities Alliance

Sikeston Board ofMunicipal Utilities

City Utilities of Springfield

NebraskaLincoln Electric SystemLoup River PublicPower District

Nebraska PublicPower District

Omaha Public Power DistrictCity of Wisner

New YorkBath Electric, Gas &Water Systems

Village of BergenChurchville MunicipalElectric

Freeport ElectricLong Island Power AuthorityMassena Electric DepartmentNew York Power Authority

North CarolinaCity of AlbemarleCity of ConcordCity of FayettevilleCity of Rocky MountCity of StatesvilleTown of Wake Forest

North DakotaCavalier Light & Power PlantHillsboro Light &Water Works

Lakota Municipal UtilitiesCity of NorthwoodCity of RiverdaleValley City Public Works

OhioAmerican MunicipalPower-Ohio

Arcadia Utilities DepartmentBeach City Board ofPublic Affairs

Bowling GreenMunicipal Utilities

Bryan Municipal UtilitiesCleveland Public PowerCuyahoga Falls ElectricDepartment

Village of GenoaCity of LebanonOberlin Municipal Light& Power System

Shelby Division of Electricity& Telecommunications

City of St. MarysCity of Tipp CityWadsworth Electricand Communications

Village of WellingtonWesterville Electric Division

OklahomaCity of EdmondGrand River Dam AuthorityOkeene Public WorksAuthority

Ponca City Energy

OregonEmerald People’sUtility District

PennsylvaniaBorough of Middletown

South CarolinaSantee Cooper

South DakotaBeresford MunicipalPower Department

Big Stone CityBrookings MunicipalUtilities

Burke Municipal Light& Power Plant

Faith Municipal Light Plant

Flandreau MunicipalElectric Utilities

Fort Pierre MunicipalUtilities

Missouri RiverEnergy Services

Town of PickstownPierre Municipal UtilitiesCity of VermillionWatertown Municipal UtilitiesWinner Municipal Utilities

TennesseeBristol TennesseeEssential Services

Cleveland UtilitiesDyersburg Energy AuthorityJackson Energy AuthorityKnoxville Utilities BoardMcMinnville Electric SystemMemphis Light, Gas,& Water Division

Morristown UtilityCommission

Nashville Electric ServiceTullahoma Utilities Board

TexasAustin EnergyCPS Energy, San AntonioDenton Municipal ElectricGeorgetown Utility SystemsKerrville Public UtilityBoard

Lower Colorado RiverAuthority

UtahBountiful City Light & PowerBrigham City Corp.Herber Light and Power Co.Kaysville City Corp.Logan Light & PowerMurray City PowerPayson City Corp.Provo City Departmentof Energy

VirginiaCulpeper Light &Power Department

Danville Departmentof Utilities

Manassas Departmentof Utilities

WashingtonBenton PUDChelan County Public UtilityDistrict No. 1

Clark Public UtilitiesCowlitz County Public UtilityDistrict No. 1

Ellensburg MunicipalLight Department

Franklin PUDMason County Public UtilityDistrict No. 3

Wahkiakum County PublicUtility District No. 1

West VirginiaPhilippi Municipal ElectricNew MartinsvilleMunicipal Utilities

WisconsinArcadia Electric UtilityCity Utilities ofRichland Center

Columbus Water &Light Commission

Evansville Water & LightDepartment

Lodi Municipal Light& Water Utility

Manitowoc Public UtilitiesMarshfield Electric andWater Department

Menasha UtilitiesNew London Electric& Water Utility

Prairie du SacElectric Department

Reedsburg UtilityCommission

Rice Lake UtilitiesStoughton Electric UtilitySturgeon Bay UtilitiesSun Prairie Water& Light Commission

Waterloo Water & LightWaunakee Water& Light Commission

Waupun UtilitiesWisconsin Public Power Inc.Wisconsin Rapids WaterWorks & LightingCommission


planting by a number of communitymembers. Being involved will helpthem learn to understand the value thatnative plants provide.

WateringPrairie plantsWatering frequency in the first fewyears depends somewhat on site condi-tions and the types of plants youinstall. Immediately after planting,water the live plants (plugs and pottedplants), and continue daily if theweather is dry. After 2-3 weeks cutback on watering: you’ve probablygotten through the key establishmentperiod. If it is extremely dry and theplants wilt at any time throughout thegrowing season, water them again,otherwise they should be fine on theirown.

Trees & shrubsA general guide is that newly plantedtrees and shrubs need an inch of rainper week. If your garden-style plantingdoes not receive that much rain, 5–10gallons of water per tree or shrub perweek is what you need to provide.Also, be sure to have a back up planfor summer vacation time. Sites suchas schools with new plantings may bevulnerable as fewer people are usuallyin the area when watering may beneeded. Plan ahead and make a sched-ule before summer break, often thehottest part of the summer.

MulchingGrowth of trees is improved with threeinches of settled mulch. Repeat appli-cations for trees will be needed as or-ganic mulch breaks down or mulch is“lost” by improper mowing. Checkwith your city or local landfill, whereyou can often get mulch in larger quan-tities and often at lower prices. Thebenefits of lightly mulching in a for-malized prairie planting include keep-ing the species individualized, creatingboundaries for an identification gar-den, maintaining moisture, and reduc-

ing weeds. Mulch can go a long waytowards making a prairie planting lookproperly tended.

PruningFor trees, maintain one trunk andprune any broken or dead limbs. Thebest time to prune is while plants aredormant—January or February. Avoidpruning oaks April 1 to July 1, whenthey have a high risk for oak wilt infec-tion.For prairie plants, remove the old

bloom to keep them flowering longeror to enable another species that isemerging to be better observed. An oc-casional thinning may also be needed,as prairie plants have the potential togrow taller than usual when placed in aformal garden setting without intensecompetition.

MowingIf your prairie garden is small, it maynot be practical to use mowing as amethod of weed control. However, youmay chose to mow in the spring toeliminate dead plant material in prepa-ration for the new growing season andimpress neighbors by keeping yourgarden beautiful. You may also mowaround the trees you plant (not tooclose to the trunk!!) or decide to mowthe edges of the garden to give it a bor-der. For larger garden-style plantings,mowing can be a useful tool, particu-larly if annual weeds seem to bestrongly invading your prairie planting.Mowing helps prevent non-desirableannuals such as foxtail and ragweedfrom going to seed and increasing theirpopulations in subsequent seasons.

WeedingCAREFUL weeding will likely be akey practice in maintaining your prairieplanting. Be ready for this task early inthe spring, so you’re not pulling largeweed plants out in the middle of sum-mer, causing a larger than necessarydisturbance to the site. Many peopleare familiar with weed seedlings—ragweed, foxtail, etc.—and can help

identify those. It is also a good idea toplace markers next to prairie seedlings,so you can more easily identify themsince it may be a number of years be-fore they flower. Marking and labelingalso locates plants in a mulched envi-ronment for watering. Though youhave a plan of where things wereplanted originally, it’s easy to be con-fused the following spring when de-sired and undesired plants are comingto life. The soil disturbance caused byweeding can lead to more weed seedgermination. Careful, early weeding isyour best bet at limiting this.

FertilizingFertilizing is not recommended forprairie plants, trees or shrubs. Usingfertilizer here encourages weed growthand rank growth of prairie species.

What is normal?Plants change according to the seasonand their age. Become familiar withthe normal changes of the plants underyour care. Regular inspection at closerange will help you observe normalchanges.It is common for prairie species to

get larger than normal and even be-come “rank” in appearance when theyare planted in a butterfly garden-typesetting. In these gardens, there is lesscompetition than a seeded large-scaleplanting. Mixed plantings of bothgrasses and forbs will improve thelong-term appearance. In addition,grasses help support forbs for betterviewing and provide competition tokeep weeds from taking over.

When to call in extra help

� To identify plant pests youfind in the garden.

� To assess unusual damageto the plants.

� To identify weed and prairieseedlings so you don’t weed outwhat you’ve planted.

Maintenance of Small-Scale Native Plant Gardens

For references and more information, contacttreesforever.com. Reprinted with persmission fromtreesforever.com.



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