Environment

U of M request to Pollution Control Agency for Modification of Air Emissions - 2004

TreeSpotters Dutch Elm Disease Project - Paula Denman, 2004

Air Quality Update - Bill Kahn, 2002

It is Time to Create Your Rain Garden on the Boulevard - Bill Kahn, 2000

Buckthorn Tree Removal Project 2002 (year 2 of 10-year project) - Paula Denman

Neighborhood Buckthorn Tree Removal Project (year 1 of 10-year project) - Paula Denman

From: Nassaurer, Halverson, & Roos. "Bringing Garden Amenities into Your Neighborhood: Infrastructure for Ecological Quality A Guidebook for Cities and Citizens"

The PPERRIA Environment Committee urges you to take advantage of whatever excavation has been done for the lighting project on your boulevard to create rain gardens. We have two thousand dollars earmarked for a model rain garden but a suitable public site could not be found; we are discussing how to use this money to buy plants and materials for boulevard easement rain gardens, as visible as any public site. You can, of course, start now.

A rain garden (or small bio-retention area) is essentially a ditch or swale with plantings tolerant of alternating dry and wet conditions. Rain gardens retain run off water and can be as simple as a hole filled with gravel, covered with mulch, and bordered by day lilies; or a complex network of interconnected ditches filled with native shrubs, forbs, and grasses. Which plants one picks depends on the sun exposure and drainage of the site.

You can determine if your boulevard strip is suitable for a rain garden by observing run off during a rainstorm. If you observe moderate sheeting of water towards your strip or a line of sediment bordering your boulevard strip following a storm, chances are you can detain some run off water from the storm sewer through planting a rain garden. If you have a torrent of water flowing along your boulevard strip, you may have a run off problem greater than a rain garden will solve; in this case, look for ways to reduce the run off at the source or do some more extensive drainage work.

If you decide to create a rain garden, place instructions to the sub-contractor on a lawn sign saying you don't want the soil level raised over the curb level and you don't want grass seeded or sodding done. After they have done their work drop a weed barrier or mulch down, choose your plants, grab your shovel, and create that garden.*

*Gopher One Call; call before you dig.

Buckthorn was originally planted because it was a tough, reliable landscape plant that adapted to a variety of planting situations. Unfortunately, buckthorn also adapted well to wetland and forested areas. Buckthorn seeds on plants growing on residential property are eagerly eaten by birds and then spread in their dropping to our natural areas. In these areas it grows vigorously, smothering out the native plants that provide food and habitat for wildlife. The Prospect Park East River Road Improvement Association is again sponsoring a buckthorn removal to help eliminate this invasive plant from our community.

This year, because the Neighborhood Cleanup is being conducted in the fall, we are combining the buckthorn removal with the curbside pickup of brush. This allows us to offer the pickup at no cost to our residents. This removal is being sponsored by the Landscaping and Garden Committee of the Prospect Park East River Road Improvement Association using funding from a USDA Forest Service Grant for Woody Invasive Species obtained through the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board. Aspen Waste Systems is providing us with trucks. NRG Processing Solutions, LLC has agreed to dispose of the brush for us at no charge.

In 2001, the University of Minnesota Extension Service and the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board trained Master Gardeners and neighborhood volunteers to identify buckthorn, and they surveyed private property visually from sidewalks and alleys. Wherever buckthorn was identified, a doorhanger was left that included information about our project and how to take part. Unfortunately, because surveys could only be conducted from public property, much of the buckthorn was not visible to surveyors. If you received a doorhanger and were unable to remove your buckthorn during last yearís removal project, plan to join in this year for the free pickup. If you did not receive a doorhanger but would like to determine if there is buckthorn on your property, call and request a visit by a volunteer.

Please help us with this challenging project by removing buckthorn from your property. If you'd like to join in, fill out and mail the form on the reverse side of this page and you will receive information about buckthorn and how to remove it so that it does not regrow. For more information about buckthorn, please call Paula Denman at 338-1871. If you are unable to participate this year, plan to take part in the fall 2003 removal.

PROSPECT PARK EAST RIVER ROAD BUCKTHORN REMOVAL PROJECT

YES! I want to take part in year two* of the Prospect Park East River Road buckthorn removal project. I will have my buckthorn stacked and ready for pickup at the curb before 8 am on Saturday, September 28. Please send my packet of information and directions to the address listed below. Both buckthorn shrubbery and buckthorn trees, along with other brush, will be collected.

Name (please print): ______________________________________________
Address: _______________________________________________________
Phone: ________________________________________________________

-------------------- PLEASE CHECK ALL OF THE FOLLOWING THAT APPLY ------------

____Please send me a packet of information about buckthorn and removing it so that it  will not regrow.
____I need help with determining if I have buckthorn on my property. Please call  me to schedule a visit to my property by a Master Gardener.
____My buckthorn will be placed at my curb by 8 am on Saturday, September 28.  Trunks of buckthorn tree trunks will be cut into pieces no longer than 4 feet in length.
____I can help load brush on the truck on Saturday morning, September 28.

Please mail the completed form to:

Buckthorn Removal Project
Paula Denman
1531 East River Parkway
Minneapolis, MN 55414

If you have questions, please call Paula Denman at 612-338-1871

*This is the second year of a projected 10-year removal project.

Buckthorn was originally planted because it was a tough, reliable landscape plant that adapted to a variety of planting situations. Unfortunately, buckthorn also adapted well to wetland and forested areas. Buckthorn seeds are eagerly eaten by birds and then spread in dropping to our natural areas where they grow vigorously, smothering out native plants that provide food and habitat for wildlife.

One neighborhood alone cannot have an impact on the damage done by a plant as invasive as buckthorn. Protecting our natural areas requires a long-term collaborative effort by many communities and entities. Removal from private property in Prospect Park is being sponsored by the Landscaping and Garden Committee of the Prospect Park East River Road Improvement Association using funding from the Neighborhood Revitalization Program, a USDA Forest Service Grant, and a grant from the Community Action Cooperative Association.

Throughout the Twin Cities a collaborative effort to control buckthorn is underway. This is the second year that the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board has removed buckthorn from Tower Hill Park, and removal along the banks of the Mississippi is under way. In our neighborhood the Minnesota Department of Transportation will remove buckthorn along I94, and the Minnesota Commercial Railroad will cut and treat buckthorn along the railroad tracks that it manages for the Canadian Pacific Railroad. Other neighborhoods are sponsoring removal projects, including Seward, Longfellow, Fulton, Linden Hills, and Hale Page Diamond Lake.

The University of Minnesota Extension Service and the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board have trained Master Gardeners and neighborhood volunteers to identify buckthorn, and during September they are surveying private property visually from sidewalks and alleys. Wherever buckthorn is identified, a doorhanger will be left that has information about that neighborhood's project and how to take part. Unfortunately, because surveys can only being conducted from public property, much of the buckthorn will not be visible to surveyors. If you did not receive a doorhanger but would like to determine if there is buckthorn on your property, volunteers are available to help - call and request a visit by a volunteer.

Please help us with this challenging project by removing buckthorn from your property. If you'd like to join in, fill out and mail the form on the reverse side of this page. Curbside pickup of buckthorn will be available for $15 per household to cover the cost of hiring a truck and driver from Aspen Waste Systems. NRG Processing Solutions, LLC has agreed to dispose of the brush for us at no charge. For additional forms or more information, please call Paula Denman at 338-1871. If you are unable to participate this year, plan to take part in the fall 2002 removal.

Discount coupons will be available in the spring to purchase replacement plants. During the winter, classes on choosing and planting replacement plants and on designing your landscape will be offered. Watch for further information this winter.

ROAD BUCKTHORN REMOVAL PARTICIPATION FORM

YES! I want to take part in year one* of the Prospect Park East River Road buckthorn removal project. I will have my buckthorn stacked and ready for pickup at the curb before 9 am on Saturday, October 6. Please send my packet of information and directions to the address listed below. I understand that there will be a $15 charge per address to cover the cost of the truck and driver. Both buckthorn shrubbery and buckthorn trees will be collected.

Name (please print): ______________________________________________
Address: _______________________________________________________
Phone: _________________________________________________________

-------------------- PLEASE CHECK ALL OF THE FOLLOWING THAT APPLY --------------------
____I need help with determining if I have buckthorn on my property. Please call
me to schedule a visit to my property by a Master Gardener.
____My buckthorn will be placed at my curb by 9 am on Saturday, October 6. Trunks of
buckthorn tree trunks will be cut into pieces no longer than 4 feet in length.
____I can help load brush on the truck on Saturday morning, October 6.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This form must be received no later than September 28, 2000. Please enclose a check for $15 made out to PPERRIA and mail it along with the completed form to:

Buckthorn Removal Project
Paula Denman
1531 East River Parkway
Minneapolis, MN 55414

If you have questions, please call Paula Denman at 612-338-1871
______________________________________________________________________
*This is the first year of a projected 10-year removal project.

What's the Problem With Buckthorn, Anyway?

What familiar woody plant starts easily from seed, is capable of producing large quantities of berries that birds love to eat, grows vigorously in sun or shade, and grows well in soil that is rich, sandy or clayey? It comes in three varieties to meet all our garden needs – common, glossy and fernleaf, and is available with and without thorns to meet our property protection needs. Valued for its medicinal properties and its superior characteristics as a fast-growing hedge, it makes good firewood and produces fruit and bark usable for dyes. The plant is Rhamnus, commonly known as buckthorn!

What has naturalized and now grows throughout the northeastern and north central third of the U.S.? What has proven so adaptable to wetlands and woodlands that it warrants its own "watch" program and has inspired the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board to institute five-year eradication partnerships with residents? Again, buckthorn!

Non-native buckthorn came to us from Eurasia and was popular as a shelterbelt planting during the 1800’s. While our native buckthorn (Rhamnus alnifolia) poses no threat, non-native forms are persistent, invasive and tend to grow in large colonies that quickly displace native plants. The characteristics which make it so attractive for landscaping have also allowed it to become a pest.

What do you do if you have buckthorn, you really love it, but don’t want to add to the problem? If you have a hedge, trim it in May and June to remove flowers and prevent formation of fruit. Hand pick any fruit that manages to form. With tree forms, removal is the only answer. We had two beautiful buckthorn trees on our lot. The shape of the trees was spectacular; the number of berry-like fruits produced was even more spectacular. The sidewalks were purple and slippery during fruiting season. The birds were happy, but we gave up on cleaning up the mess and cut the trees down. Years later I still devote hours of gardening time each season to pulling up seedlings.

Eliminating buckthorn is a challenge. Cutting it down doesn’t work because it encourages vigorous resprouting from underground buds. To be successful you must also use other methods. Spread is mainly by songbirds that eat the fruit and delivery it in their droppings wherever they go. Seeds are viable for several years and make control difficult.

A good resource on control of buckthorn is a fact sheet produced from information presented at a Buckthorn Conference held locally in 1995. (Yes, folks, this plant presents us with a serious enough threat to warrant its own conference!) This fact sheet outlines methods of destroying existing plants and ways to deal with seedlings. There’s also a five-year plan for the eradication of buckthorn and restoration of native species to sites where it has taken over. If you are currently a buckthorn advocate, you may feel a little differently about it after reading this information. To obtain a copy call the Department of Agriculture’s voice mail at 297-7279 and request that a free copy of the buckthorn information be mailed to you.

We all have to meet the challenge of getting along with those who don’t see eye-to-eye with us on divisive issues. Buckthorn is tough and attractive; buckthorn is invasive. Some love it, some hate it; haters tend to be a bit intimidating. For now, we can choose to grow buckthorn if we want. Nurseries still offer it for sale, although many refuse to stock it because of what’s happening to our woodlands and wetlands. Many who have buckthorn on their property didn’t plant it and may not know what it is. Others cannot afford the cost of removal or replacement of large plantings. Information about how to prevent spread is important to share, but in a manner that will not alienate neighbors. Gardeners are caretakers of the earth, as well as all of the creatures that share it with us - other humans included.

The Buckthorn Problem in Prospect Park

The Prospect Park neighborhood is fortunate to have an attractive mix of residential areas, Tower Hill Park, and the Mississippi River. As an older neighborhood it is also blessed with lots of greenery. Unfortunately, many of these plants are now an imported invader that is overwhelming plant life on the river and in the park.

Buckthorn (Rhamnus) is highly adaptable and was imported in several forms. We have a native buckthorn which causes no problems in our ecosystems. It is the non-native buckthorn that is naturalizing in our forest and woodland areas and destroying the native plant communities that support wildlife. Widely planted as hedges and landscape ornamentals by homeowners, seeds have been spread by birds through their droppings. Because buckthorn is tolerant of shady to sunny locations, dry to wet sites, and almost any soil type, the lack of natural controls allows it to displace more desirable species of plants. Buckthorn is now on the "Restricted Noxious Weed List" and, as of this year, it is can no longer be sold in Minnesota.

The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board has begun a fight to reclaim Tower Hill Park and the banks of the Mississippi River from a buckthorn infestation, but they will need the help of residents to accomplish this task. As long as there are large numbers of fruit-bearing buckthorn growing on private property, the best that can be done is to annually remove buckthorn along the river and in the park.

The Prospect Park East River Road community will be using Neighborhood Revitalization Plan funds to sponsor a 'Buckthorn Roundup' this fall. Watch the Southeast Angle for information on identification of buckthorn, selection of suitable replacement plants, and an opportunity to participate in the roundup by having buckthorn hauled away.

We Have to Work Together to Thwart Buckthorn

One neighborhood alone cannot have an impact on the damage done by a plant as invasive as buckthorn. Protecting our natural areas requires a longterm collaborative effort by many communities and entities. Removal from private property in Prospect Park is sponsored by the Landscaping and Garden Committee of the Prospect Park East River Road Improvement Association using funding from the Neighborhood Revitalization Program, a USDA Forest Service Grant, and a grant from the Community Action Cooperartive Association.

Partnering with others

Several groups are working to make this project a success. This is the second year that the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board has removed buckthorn from Tower Hill Park, and removal along the banks of the Mississippi is under way. The University of Minnesota Extension Service is training Master Gardeners to help neighborhoods identify buckthorn in their communities. The Minnesota Department of Transportation will remove buckthorn along I94. The Minnesota Commercial Railroad will cut and treat buckthorn along the railroad tracks in our neighborhood that it manages for the Canadian Pacific Railroad. Other neighborhoods are currently sponsoring removal projects, including Seward, Longfellow, Fulton, Linden Hills, and Hale Page Diamond Lake.

If you are unable to participate this year, plan to take part next fall. If you have questions call project coordinator Paula Denman at 338-1871

Garden Hazards: Horticultural Hoarding, Buckthorn Obsession

Horticultural Hoarding

One of my goals as a beginning gardener was to have a fresh bouquet of flowers indoors all summer long. From buying flowers all winter, I realized what an inexpensive summer treat I could give myself. As soon as I had enough flowers to make even the tiniest vase, I snipped with glee. Eventually I could put together gorgeous bouquets of lilies with baby's breath, an impressive multicolored arrangement of iris, or peony blooms backed by enormous hosta leaves. But when I finally had enough daffodils to cut, something shifted in my gray matter.

No matter how many daffodils were blooming, there weren't enough to spare for cutting. The more daffodils I added, the more I felt I just had to leave them all in the garden. Before I admitted having a problem, this aversion to cutting spread to all flowers. I rationalized by saying that I might be bringing in pests that would infect my African violet collection.

I was relieved to come across an essay on this subject by garden writer Henry Mitchell. If you haven't read Mitchell's writing, take care of this oversight quickly. As I remember it, his problem was his wife's wish to cut bouquets of daffodils and tulips from "his" garden. Each year he asked her to wait until next year; he'd plant more bulbs in the fall so there would be plenty of blossoms for both of them. Each spring, he couldn't part with a one.
In my case, I'd like to think it's because I wait so long for our short growing season to start, that I can't possibly cut the first sign of spring from the landscape. Mitchell, however, lived in an area where winter was quite short. I won't depress you by naming the month in which his annual family drama was acted out. No, something else is at work here. I've found a solution to my reluctance to cut my peonies - I moved them all to a bed where I can't see them. If I want to enjoy them, I have to cut and bring them inside. I also put my lilies in with the peonies, but I'm still having trouble with cutting them. I hope to get over that soon.

One last note on this strange syndrome - I quit buying flowers in winter. Right now I don’t want to delve too deeply into what this might mean. I rationalize by saying that, due to the lazy Susan we added to our table, there isn't enough room for a vase of flowers. Next winter I plan to take action to correct the situation by purchasing a bouquet a month, no matter how uneasy it makes me.

Buckthorn Obsession

What do zebra mussels, Eurasian water millfoil, gypsy moth, Dutch Elm Disease, purple loosestrife and buckthorn have in common? They are all exotics that have wreaked havoc on the ecosystems to which they have been introduced. Some were accidental introductions; others were intentional with no suspicion of troubles to come. While we struggle with ways to prevent the introduction of new harmful species, the battle to eliminate those already here is time consuming and terribly expensive, both financially and in loss of native plant and animal life.

See: http://tncweeds.ucdavis.edu/esadocs/franalnu.html

Buckthorn: Rhamnus cathartica, Rhamnus frangula (synonym: Frangula alnus)

Talking with friends and neighbors, I realize the impact of buckthorn on our woodlands and wetlands is not understoor by many of us. Look at an area where buckthorn has smothered the native vegetation and what do you see? A green, leafy, healthy-looking stand of plants - nothing that sets off warning flares, since the loss of plant diversity and wildlife habitat is not obvious. In the newspapers there are no photos of buckthorn encrusting water pipes, no lakes awash in strands of smothering buckthorn. Once magnificent, now dead mature trees killed by buckthorn aren't in evidence. You don't even get that wash of gorgeous purple across a marsh to alert you to the extent of the crisis. The closest thing to a warning sign is the quantity of still-green buckthorn foliage after native plants have changed colors. Unfortunately, that sign of an invasion underway goes unrecognized.

Buckthorn obsession begins when one finally "gets it" about how damaging buckthorn is to natural areas. What were once planted as adaptable landscape plants, now serve as an unlimited source of seeds for birds to spread. Once you start looking for it, you realize that it has seeded everywhere. Recognizing this ecological disaster, Prospect Park East River Road is one of several neighborhoods sponsoring buckthorn removal from private land this fall. The Prospect Park East River Road Improvement Association's Landscaping Committee and Garden Club are using Neighborhood Revitalization Plan funds, along with additional grant money, to finance much of the cost of education and buckthorn removal. As part of this project, the University of Minnesota Master Gardeners will help us identify buckthorn in our community. Guidance will be provided on how to remove it and how to prevent it from resprouting after removal. Participants will receive help to determd good replacement plants, and in the fall there will be a curbside pickup of buckthorn brush.

If you you're interested in taking part in this community effort, call me at 338-1871. I'll see that you are kept up to date on the project. I'll be glad to discuss any questions you have. I've cut down all the buckthorn on our lot, joined the buckthorn removal movement, and I'd be glad to share my obsession with you!

Lose the Buckthorn and Improve the View

The reasons that we originally planted buckthorn are the same ones that contribute to the problems that we are now experiencing with its invasiveness. It grows with abandon in sun or shade, on wet or dry sites, and in sandy or loamy soil. In your landscape it grows best of all since it receives plenty of light, moisture, and nutrients because there is no competition from other plants. You may not be aware of its invasive character because you cut the seedlings down as you mow the lawn. A friend asked my opinion about plants to grow under a tree on the lot line she shared with the neighbor. She didn't like the skimpy grass underneath, but the neighbor didn't want to remove the tree. My friend decided the next best thing was a shade garden. Two growing seasons later, she asked me to take a look at this "stuff growing everywhere" in her new garden. She was constantly weeding it out and was fed up. I glanced at the garden blanketed with hundreds of seedlings, then upward at the buckthorn tree. I explained that her problem would not go away as long as the tree was producing thousands of seeds each year, and she was carefully watering and feeding each one. We discussed strategies for improving the situation. A couple of years later the tree was gone, and I didn't ask for details.

Some ways to lose your buckthorn

I've had several questions about removing buckthorn. Is there an easy way to get kill it? Do you have to use chemicals? Will it grow back? Can I plant something in the same place right away? No, you don't have to use chemicals, but it is the easiest and quickest way. Yes, it will grow back, and with a vengeance, if you simply cut it down and do nothing else. You can plant new plants right away if you dig or grind out the stumps and roots; otherwise you must wait until the roots have decayed.

Mechanical methods of removal include grinding, pruning, or smothering. You can hire someone to grind out the stumps and upper roots. If you are willing to invest some effort, you can leave the roots in place and prune or mow down the shoots each week until no more sprouts form. This may take two growing seasons, and you have to be dedicated. The goal is to use up all the reserves stored in the roots. If you don't keep up with it, leaves will form and the plant will rebuild food stores. Smothering calls for cutting all but 3 inches of the stump down, covering the stump entirely with a tin can tall enough to cover the stump and push into the soil. The can is nailed onto the stump and remains in place at least one growing season. Not very pretty, but easier than weekly pruning. Treatment with the right chemical quickly kills buckthorn if you spray the stumps with Ortho Brush B Gone within 24 hours after cutting.

What to do with what you've removed

Minneapolis has curbside pick up as part of the solid waste and recycling service. Brush must be cut into pieces no longer than 3 feet, and individual pieces should be no larger than 3 inches in diameter. Brush must be bundled and each bundle must weigh no more than 40 pounds. If you have more than just a few bundles of brush, the city asks that you get a voucher and deliver it to a site on Malcolm Avenue; there is no charge for the voucher.

If you live in Prospect Park and want to take part in the neighborhood buckthorn removal project, call me at 338-1871 and I'll see that you get information about the date of our curbside pickup. There will be a $15 charge per household to pay the cost of hiring the truck and chipper, but you will only have to stack the brush at the curb.

Occasionally buckthorn grows into a nicely shaped, crabapple-sized trees. If your tree produces small blackish-purple fruit in July, the fruit seems to appears all over the place once it ripens, but you don't remember admiring pretty blooms in spring, its not a crabapple. If you have tree-sized buckthorn and want to get creative with it, check out the February 2001 issue number 67 of Woodwork magazine. On page 46 you will find "European Buckthorn, Problem for Ecosystems, Opportunity for Woodworkers." Author Barry Gordon describes buckthorn as "strong, attractive wood" and pictures a variety of items he has created from it, including pens, spoons, bowls, boxes and furniture. You may want to go out and cut someone else's buckthorn for them, just to get hold of the wood!

Now that it's over and gone

There are many replacement plants from which to choose. Evaluate your site and determine the growing conditions you have to contend with. Decide what you want from your new plants-flowers, fragrance, fall color? None of these were provided by buckthorn. Put together a wish list and do a little research to find just the plant for you.

Removing entire hedges is daunting for homeowners, as is the idea of replacing it. Ask yourself if you really want to replace it? The hedge probably came with the house, and you inherited the trimming chore. If you decide that you want or need a hedge, save yourself a lot of work by choosing a replacement that grows only to the height you want

If you you're interested in taking part in the Prospect Park buckthorn removal, call me at 338-1871. We'll have information about replacement plants to consider, plus coupons to buy those replacements at a discount.

If you're aware of particular sites of infestation in the Prospect Park neighborhood, please let me know about them. If they are on public property, I'll contact the appropriate agency to work with us. If on private property, I'll get information on our project to the owners. Removing buckthorn in an entire community is a multi-year project and some residents may not join us in this year's removal, but we don't want any interested residents to miss out on the chance to participate.