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| November LIBPA Newsletter |
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Our popular LIBPA Oyster Roast Date: Tuesday, November 11th Time: 6PM Place: Sheriff’s Camp Chowan Creek Bluff (Take Highway 21 south, go right on Chowan Creek Bluff towards Lady’s Island Elementary – last right on Lady’s Island before Chowan Creek, Camp is ¼ mile past the school on the left.} What to bring: Your oyster knife Covered dish or dessert What LIBPA provides: Oysters, Chili, Hot Dogs, Beer, Wine & Soda |
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Island Notes: An opportunity to recognize a Lady’s Island small business. The South Carolina District Office of the Small Business Administration is seeking nominations for their 2009 small business awards and has specifically requested nominations from the Lady’s Island business community. The deadline for submission of nominations is November 14, 2008. Details regarding the award and nomination guidelines can be found at www.sba.gov/sc. A mixed welcome was received by Mr. Randy Ray, owner and manager of the Complete American Pawn Shop located in the new commercial complex on Sams Point Road and Mayfair Court Drive. Shortly after opening his doors for business a window was broken and thieves stole some of his inventory. Sadly this type of incident appears to be on the rise. A new City of Beaufort Comprehensive Plan. The consultant hired to draft a new comprehensive plan for the City of Beaufort will conduct a charette during the period November 10 – 17 as a way to hear public thoughts on a variety of subjects. During the period November 12 -17 discussions on specific key subjects will be conducted each day as a method to allow public comment on specific subject(s) of individual interest. These discussions will be held in the Dolphin Room of the Best Western, Sea Island Inn on Bay Street. The schedule for these focus discussions, by subject, can be found at the LIBPA web site (www.libpa.org). LIBPA representatives will attend those discussions, such as “Where should “big box” retail stores be located,” which have the potential to affect Lady’s Island. Just a reminder. Lady’s Island Middle School is hosting a special breakfast (7:30 – 8:30 AM) on Wednesday, November 19 for members of the community as a way to promote a better understanding of the great things that are happening at LIMS. The meeting will be held in the media center. There is no charge but please call Lesley Wilkes (525-8526) to confirm your attendance since the breakfast will be catered. A special thank you to each of our neighbors who ran for elected office in the recent election. That you were willing to represent our community is appreciated. The speed with which you removed the political signs is especially appreciated. To the winners, congratulations and we look forward to working with you in the future. |
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A Note From The Editor: As readers of the Lady’s Island Business and Professional Association monthly newsletter you are well aware of the fact that I love statistics and enjoy sharing them with you. For anyone who enjoys statistics this is a great time of the year. The Census Bureau publishes an enormous amount of data about almost everything at this time of the year. The Lowcountry Council of Governments recently published a compilation of data entitled, “The People and the Economy of the Lowcountry: A Demographic Overview”. Beaufort County is in the process of completing the last 5 chapters of its new comprehensive plan. The City of Beaufort and the Town of Port Royal have hired consultants to rewrite their respective comprehensive plans. A contractor has been hired to conduct a study of the feasibility and desirability of a northern bypass. A lot of people are studying our area and from these studies comes a large amount of data. So if the next few issues of the LIBPA newsletter appear to be a little heavy on the statistics side, please understand that I just cannot resist sharing some of the more interesting (I think) tidbits. As always, thank you for your support of the Lady’s Island Business and Professional Association. |
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Nominations For 2009 LIBPA Officers: The nominating committee has submitted, for consideration by the membership, the following Lady’s Island Business and Professional Association 2009 slate of officers. President – Jon Rembold Vice President – Rich Tritschler Treasurer – Pat Harvey Palmer Secretary – Cathy Crocker Naturally, additional nominations will be accepted from the general membership at that time. In view of the policy of not holding either general membership or board meetings in December, the election of 2009 officers will occur at our November 2008 meeting with those elected taking office on January 1, 2009. |
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Who Is Fixing The Sidewalks?: Recently, there has been a great deal of activity to replace portions of the sidewalk along Sea Island Parkway in the Village Center. The story behind the repair of the sidewalk is that SCE&G contracted for improvements to be made to their electrical infrastructure from the Wood’s Memorial Bridge to the intersection of Sams Point Road and Sea Island Parkway. In the process of installing the improvements, portions of the sidewalk were damaged. The South Carolina Department of Transportation noted the damage and requested SCE&G take action to repair the sidewalks. They are and we appreciate it. As a matter of general information each year the S. C. Department of Transportation budget includes funds for the long term repair/ replacement of damaged portions of sidewalks along roads such as Sams Point Road and Sea Island Parkway. As we continue to build sidewalks along an ever increasing number of roads the repair and maintenance of these sidewalks can be expected to be a future financial challenge. Editor’s Note: A special thanks to Mr. Wendell Mulligan, DOT Public Works Officer for his courtesy in working with LIBPA and Lady’s Island. |
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Veteran's Day: Tuesday, November 11, 2008, is Veterans Day, that day on which we pause to honor those who served in all American Wars. The following information, which is as of 2007, is provided by the U. S. Census Bureau regarding our veterans. Number of military veterans in the United States – 23.6 million Number of female veterans 1.8 million Age of veterans – 9.3 million are over 65, 1.9 million are younger than 35 Education – 25% with a bachelor’s degree or higher, 90% (age 25 and older) with a high school diploma or higher. Median annual income - $36,053 Number of veterans in the labor force – 10.7 million Number of veterans with a disability - 17.4 million Number of veterans with service connected disabilities – 2.7 million Number of veterans who voted in the 2004 presidential election – 74% (63% for non –veterans). We, in the Lady’s Island Business and Professional Association, extend our sincere appreciation to all who have served in the past and are serving our country today. |
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Lady's Island Numbers: In 1981, when the Lady’s Island Business and Professional Association was founded, there were 76 businesses on Lady’s Island. Today, based on business licenses, there are 595 businesses with gross revenues of $176 million. The top 5 types of businesses are contractors, professional, business and health services and miscellaneous retail. |
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Who Is Moving?: As LIBPA continues its efforts to guide the growth on Lady’s Island the question of who desires to move to our part of the country must be considered along with moving trends in general. Recently the following information was provided by the U. S. Census Bureau as to folks moving within the United States. Between 2006 and 2007, 38.7 million people relocated to another residence in the United States and a closer look at those that moved showed the following: 65% stayed in the same county. 19% moved to another county but stayed in the same state. 13% moved to another state. 3% came from outside the U. S. The black population had the highest relocation rate (17%) followed by Hispanics (16%), Asians (15%) and white (12%). 29% of all renters changed residences compared to 7% for those who owned their residence. People in the 20-29 age range had the highest moving rate. The Northeastern United States has the lowest moving rate (9%), followed by the Midwest (13%), the South (14%) and the West (15%). Housing related issues - such as the desire to own a home or live in a better neighborhood –were the most common reasons given for moving (42%), follow by family- related issues (30%), employment reasons (21%) and other (7%). On Lady’s Island we do not need a Census Bureau survey to tell us why people move to our community – it is a great place to live, work and raise your family. The challenge is coping (infrastructure wise) with the increasing number of folks who agree with us. |
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Lady's Island/St. Helena Fire District Report: During the first 3 quarters of 2008 the fire fighters of the Lady’s Island/St. Helena Fire District conducted 1,401 responses to calls for their services or about 5 responses per day. The average response time was an amazing 5 minutes and 8 seconds. Following is a breakdown of the types of incidents to which they responded. The property involved in fires to which our fire fighters responded during this period had a value of $1.5 million and they were able to save 64% of it. The remaining property which could not be saved had a total value of $528,560. We, on Lady’s Island and St. Helena Island, are very lucky to have such dedicated and professional fire fighters. Hopefully, you will never need their services but isn’t it a comfort to know they are just 5 minutes away, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week? Type of Response Percentage of Total Structure Fires 2% Brush Fires 5% Activated Alarms 9% Medical Calls 56% Auto Fires 1% Motor Vehicle Accidents 7% Cancelled Calls 5% Miscellaneous 15% |
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A Smaller Wal-Mart?: Wal-Mart recently announced plans to reduce the number of new stores to be built. As to super centers, similar to the one proposed for Lady’s Island, Wal-Mart indicated plans to build only 125 to 140 in 2010 versus the 191 they plan on building next year. According to the announcement, the new stores will be “smaller and incorporate sustainable building practices for increased efficiency”. They also plan to take the hyphen out of the word Wal-Mart. This is not an attempt to initiate an unfounded rumor regarding Wal-Mart and Lady’s Island but only to point out the fact that the company continues to expand, even in tough economic times such as now. |
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Waterway & Airport Revenues - All In The Attitude: By Rick
Butler, LIBPA Transportation Representative This month, let’s consider other transportation affecting Lady’s Island businesses. Why is it that other communities seem to get more out of transient boaters and visiting fliers than we do here? And how can we do better at these lucrative revenue sources? The Lady’s Island Airport is easy. We don’t offer enough hanger space and our runway is too short to attract deep pocket fliers. In regard to hangars, if you have spent over a million dollars on your executive plane, you are not going to move your business or your residence here and leave you expensive baby outside in the salt-laden air for long periods. Although there is some question as to who made the final decision (Airport Commission or County Administrator) proposals for any new hanger construction have been nixed until a new airport master plan is completed. There are local people who want to build hangers as a public – private venture (their funding/airport property) but so far they have been put off. Those who might consider locating here and commuting in their own planes have not been encouraged. The shortage of hangars is not a new situation. For many years there has long been a hanger waiting list of 50 or more at Lady’s Island Airport. As to the adequacy of the length of the present runway, our own County mosquito spray planes presently have to deal with partial fuel and spray loads to facilitate safe take offs at the Lady’s Island Airport. This is just another argument to support extending the present runway by 1,500 feet or so, which would permit increased takeoff weights and allow higher performance types of aircraft to use the runway. It is recognized that extending the runway would encounter federal, financial and environmental challenges but the question deserves its day in court. Now, how about that parade of snowbird boaters every spring and fall? Yes, some sail boaters have a miserly reputation, but power boaters do not. Both types are generally successful folks with discretionary income. And they use hardly any County or municipal services, making them nearly ideal visitors. Some, like my wife and I, even liked stopping here in our boat so much we visited local realtors and bought our home ashore. Why don’t more of them stay longer and spend more? Consider Georgetown, on the Waccamaw River ICW, which is South Carolina’s most successful small town at attracting marine visitors, and getting them to stay longer than they might otherwise. How? Well, the town put in several transient moorings, which are available at reasonable cost, and a nice dinghy dock. They installed a Wi-Fi network specifically to serve their visiting boats. They have several marinas, and somehow most merchants seem to understand the importance and appreciate boater-generated revenues. The welcome mat is out, and boaters have responded by extending their visits and their spending ashore. In comparison, Beaufort’s Day Dock has no “Welcome” sign at all – just a half dozen “donuts” (You know, DO NOT do this, DO NOT do that, etc.) on a well-worn sign which is not even visible to passing boats. The City of Beaufort is debating over which, if any, small extension to their day dock to build. The Lady’s Island Marina would seemingly like to go entirely condoslip. The Downtown Marina of Beaufort has a loaner vehicle available. This nice service is sometimes negated by their off-putting and longstanding habit of not answering marine radio callers who fail to say the Marina’s name exactly right. There is no public Day Dock on Lady’s Island welcoming transients, no transient moorings, no map to locate groceries or other services. Those of us who live and work here like to think we support efforts to welcome newcomers, but sometimes, regretfully, the attitudes experienced by visiting boaters and fliers don’t reflect it. |
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Community Preservation Committee Report: The Lady’s Island Community Preservation Committee met October 20th at the Lady’s Island Airport Conference room. The meeting was open to the public. Subjects discussed at the meeting included: Northern Bypass. Representatives of the engineering firm of Thomas and Hutton attended the meeting. Thomas and Hutton is the firm which has been awarded the contract to study the feasibility and desirability of developing a northern bypass which would include a bridge from the vicinity of the Marine Corps Air Station to the northern part of Lady’s Island. No specific routes have been considered at this point in the study. The study will also include a look at building an alternative to the Woods Memorial Bridge. The purpose of the meeting was to solicit thoughts and opinions from representatives of LIBPA and the Community Preservation Committee. At a later date, when specific alternative routes have been identified, public hearings will be held to solicit community comments. Performing Arts Center. The plans for construction of a performing arts center at the Beaufort High School include a portion of the building that would have a height of 60 feet. The maximum building height on Lady’s Island, in the Village Center, authorized by either Beaufort County or the City of Beaufort is 50 feet. A waiver of the limitation has been requested from the City of Beaufort Zoning Board of Appeals. The Community Preservation Committee voted to not oppose the granting of the waiver on the basis that (a) the school district deserves support for its efforts to improve the facilities of our schools, (b) a performing arts center on Lady’s Island, as part of the High School, is a plus for the community and finally (c) the City of Beaufort Zoning Board of Appeals is the same board that supported Lady’s Island in denying the Wal-Mart attempt to build a store on the island. They deserve our confidence to make sound and fair decisions in matters such as this. A new rural zoning regulation. Ms. Delores Frazier, Deputy Director of the Beaufort County Planning Department and Mr. Rob Merchant, Beaufort County Long Range Planner presented an overview of the proposed rural zoning regulations that are being recommended to replace the present rural zoning. The members of the committee had mixed opinions regarding the proposed regulations but did support the idea of investigating the desirability of Coosaw Island being designated a Community Preservation area as a way to avoid excessive development. |
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Will The New Performing Arts Center Be The
Tallest Building On Lady's island?: The Beaufort County School District is moving quickly to gain permitting authority for construction of a performing arts center at the Beaufort High School. Funding for this project was part of the recently approved construction referendum. It should be remembered that Beaufort High School was annexed into the City of Beaufort as part of the “shoe string” annexation that led to Publix being in the City of Beaufort. As a result of this annexation the City of Beaufort is the review and permitting authority for construction of the new performing arts center which will be part of the high school. The design which was submitted to the City of Beaufort for conceptual approval locates the 25,000 square foot building on the grounds of the present high school and based on the architectural drawing should be a real asset to the school and the community. The “touchy” part of the proposed building is the 4000 square feet directly over the stage or the portion called the stage house which allegedly needs to be 60 feet in height. The rational for requiring this height is, ‘The stage house encloses the entire stage area, which includes the effective performance area and the working side spaces. For the stage area, space is the most vital consideration. It is necessary that the stage be so arranged that multiple sets can be set up and stacked in succession without being seen during a performance. This is accomplished by use of a high loft space above the stage where scene sets are lifted, stored, and changed routinely. The height of this loft space is a multiple of the proscenium height of the stage. At the Beaufort Area Performing Arts Center, the proscenium height needed to support the variety of performances is 22 feet. The required multiple is 2 ½ times the proscenium height of 22, which equals 51 feet of clear space above the stage floor. Added to that are the 7’ of head height needed above the gridiron and the 3’of roof structure, resulting in an overall structure height of 61’ above the stage floor.” The bell tower for St. Peter’s Catholic Church is 138 feet in height so it would still be the tallest structure on Lady’s Island. The height of most of the pine trees near the school is 45’ to 50’ so the stage house portion of the building would be above the level of the surrounding trees. The maximum authorized height by either Beaufort County or the City of Beaufort for buildings on Lady’s Island (Village Center) is 50 feet. The Lady’s Island Community Preservation Committee voted to not oppose the granting of a waiver for this building. There is concern that such approval could set precedence for taller future buildings but the performing arts center will be a significant benefit to both the school and the community. There are many steps for this project to take prior to obtaining final approval. However, whether the permitting authority is the City of Beaufort or Beaufort County the objective is the same – the best facilities possible to support our schools and our community. Editor’s Note: A special thanks to Mr. Chis Poe, Director of Facilities and Construction, Beaufort County School District for the professional and open manner which he worked with LIBPA to ensure information regarding the design of the performing arts center was made available. |
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History Of Dataw Island:
by Cathy Crocker, LIBPA Secretary and Dataw Island Resident Legend has it that Dataw Island’s name was derived from a legendary Indian giant named King Datha. The existence of King Datha was based on stories related by an Indian named Francisco Chicora who the Spanish had captured in 1521. According to Chicora the giant’s size was due to the magical herbs which he ate. The meaning of the name Datha was thought to be “Greenwood.” Over the years, based on historic documents, there have been eleven different spellings of Dataw. The earliest spelling in the English record, a 1698 Proprietary Grant, used “Datha.” In 1701 it appeared as “Data” in a King’s Grant. Today the accepted spelling is “Dataw Island.” The island’s recorded history began with the establishment of a trading post by Caleb Westbrook, a Scottish trader, in 1682. The land was then sold to Charles Odingsell in 1698. In 1755 the island was listed as consisting of 1170 acres. It changed hands several times and among other things was used as a plantation for growing indigo, rice and cotton. During the Colonial era Col. Thomas Wigg his wife Ann Reeve Wigg and son Lewis Reeve Wigg were also owners of Dataw Island. The land known today as Dataw Island was purchased by William Sams – the first of many in his family to own it – in the 1780s. William was the grandson of Colonel John “Tuscarora Jack” Barnwell, the famous Indian fighter who is buried in the St. Helena Church graveyard in Beaufort. William’s introduction of cotton growing, particularly his choice of Sea Island cotton, guaranteed the family wealth. The original plantation house was built in 1786. The chapel was constructed in the late 1700s. After William’s death, his two sons, Berners Barnwell Sams and Lewis Reeve Sams divided the island with Berners owning the southern parcel and Lewis the north. Berners occupied the “old house” and added to it over the years. Lewis built his house on Dataw’s north shore along the Morgan River. The Sams brothers died within a year of each other in the mid 1850s and their families continued to inhabit the island until 1861 when they were forced to flee in advance of approaching Federal troops. Beaufort was the first South Carolina city to fall to the Union Army in 1861. On the plantations, owners were forced to escape with whatever they could take with them. They left their homes and plantations and few ever returned. The island was occupied by Federal forces in 1863 and eventually confiscated for nonpayment of taxes. It was sold in several small parcels by Federal authorities. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the island was held by a series of owners. Several black “Freedman” occupied various portions of the land for some period of time. Hunting and agricultural activities were also prevalent. The well known business woman and developer Kate Gleason purchased the island in 1928. She planned to develop it and did build some sea walls. Upon her death in 1933 the island was inherited by Elizabeth Sanders (Rowland). In 1983 the Rowland family sold it to Alcoa. Alcoa developed the complete infrastructure for a residential community before they sold a single residence. When the first prospective buyers came to the island in 1985, there was a club house, golf course, tennis courts and outdoor pool already in place. In 1996 Alcoa transferred ownership of the community to the Dataw Island Owners Association. Today Dataw consist of over 800 homes, two 18-hole championship golf courses, eight Har-Tru tennis courts, two croquet lawns, a state-of-the-art fitness center and indoor & outdoor pools. Residents and nonproperty owners alike can take advantage of these fabulous amenities. For additional details in this regard please contact Silvia Lalinde, Director of Marketing & Membership (843-838-8261) or datawinfo@islc.net. Author’s Note: A special thanks is extended to the Dataw Historic Foundation from which the basic data for this article was obtained. |
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A Look At The Impact Of The Housing Construction
Slowdown In Beaufort County:
In 2005 the Beaufort County housing construction industry reached an all time high in regard to the number of single family housing permits requested and the role it played in the local economy. For example in 2005, 1 out of every 5 (21.8%) private sector jobs in Beaufort County was in construction and totaled 13,205 jobs. The annual construction payroll came to $495 million and made up 26.8% of the total private sector payroll of Beaufort County. The following chart tells the story in regard to the number of permits issued in the last decade in Beaufort County for construction of single family homes.  Last year (2007) the construction industry in Beaufort County had built (or requested to build) 2093 fewer single family homes (52% decrease) than in 2005. As a result there was a loss of approximately 2,023 direct construction jobs and the annual construction payroll dropped by $5.4 million dollars. An idea of how the reduction in the number of homes being built affected the total job market can be seen from the 2006 study by the National Association of Home Builders which found that the construction of 100 new homes generated 350 jobs for 1 year of which 280 of those jobs are local. It should be noted this refers to, not only direct construction jobs, but also housing related jobs in areas such as real estate, building materials and home financing. The construction of 2,093 fewer new homes in Beaufort County last year than in 2005 indicates a total loss of 7,315 jobs of which 5,852 were local jobs. Another way to look at it would be for every 2 direct construction jobs lost, 3 local non-construction jobs could be affected. Admittedly, this cannot be confirmed but it is an indication of the local impact of the slowdown in the housing construction market. Editor’s Note: The data contained in this article was derived from the Census Bureau, the Lowcountry Council of Government “The People and the Economy of the Lowcountry: A Demographic Overview” and the Beaufort County Planning Department. |
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Searching For Hints Of What The Future May Hold:
By Everett Ballenger, President, Beaufort County Association of Realtors,
Keller Williams Realty/Ballenger Associates. This month we are going to look at the third quarter sales for single family homes in the five major areas north of the Broad River. As can be seen from the following data the general trend over the last 3 months, when compared to the same period the past year, continues to be negative … with exceptions being the average and median prices in Port Royal and Lady’s Island.  Statistically, Burton and Lady’s Island are the engines that drive the northern Beaufort County real estate market in that they comprise 68% of the total number of sales and 79% of the total volume. So it is not insignificant that Lady’s Island has the lowest decline in both volume and number of units sold when combined with an actual 10% increase in the average selling price of homes. This increase in the average (and median) selling price of homes is also seen in the Port Royal area. It is often said that we will not realize that the bottom of the real estate market was reached until 3 months after it actually occurred. That may be true but one cannot help but watch for hints of a bottom and the Lady’s Island market is certainly worth watching closely. On the national scene, pending sales rose 7.5% in August, the biggest jump in over a year. And July was adjusted up slightly. These figures are from the National Association of Realtors, which covers the whole country, unlike the “Case-Schiller” index which is widely quoted by the media. That index only measures 20 metro areas, which to me seems less indicative of the whole picture. Are we near the bottom – no one knows. Inventories are reducing; “experts” say we needed a 30% correction in housing prices. We must be close to that nationally, so we could be getting close to the bottom in the decline in the local real estate market. Finally, as depressing as these numbers may be, when compared with the Dow Jones Industrial Index falling 18% in the week ending 10/10/08, they do not seem so bad. The recent stock market melt down has and will continue to affect a lot of people for a long time. Many individual savings, 401k’s and Individual Retirement Accounts (IRA) have just disappeared. The value of stock in some companies like Lehman Brothers has literally disappeared. Even though we have seen declines in values of homes in our area, they have retained value and we can still live in them and physically touch our land. That is why it is called REAL estate! It is a painful reminder of the difference in investment vehicles and the benefits of home ownership, even in tough times such as we are presently experiencing. |
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Where Are The Foreclosures & Bankruptcy Houses?:
The following chart is designed to show trends in Beaufort County in regard to the number of bankruptcy and foreclosure proceedings presently in progress and where they are located.  |
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The numbers speak for themselves.
South of the Broad, where there are more homes serving as second or vacation
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The Lowcountry Landscape - Plant A Tree For Arbor
Day: By
Michael Murphy, President, Preservation Tree Care Arbor Day in South Carolina is always the first Friday in December. It is a day when arborists and horticulturalists alike promote the greening of our communities by planting trees pretty much anywhere that they have a little airspace. This year “being green” has finally come into its own, and as for planting a tree, well you can’t get much greener than that! Trees cool the air by the shade they create, as well as the moisture they give off through transpiration. When planted around our houses, they can create enough shade to significantly decrease our cooling bills. According to the South Carolina Urban & Community Forestry Association, www.scurbanforestry.org, trees benefit us in many ways. They reduce air pollution, conserve water, and reduce soil erosion. Trees save energy, can modify local climate, and can also increase economic stability. Trees reduce noise pollution, create wildlife and plant diversity, and increase property values. But most importantly, trees add beauty to our surroundings and can, just by their presence, give us an overall sense of well being. Can you imagine Beaufort without trees? Reforestation in nature is a seamless process that goes on with no one’s help, but once we build our communities, that natural process ends. We must all continue to plant trees to insure that our future tree canopy levels will be maintained. It is something that we all can help be a part of; from elementary school children planting seedlings on Arbor Day, to responsible developers planting 8” caliper trees to replace the trees lost to development. Every step that is involved in the actual planting of a tree is important, but there are a few points that demand special attention. 1) Know your soil type and structure. Sandy loam, well drained soils can sustain almost any tree that will grow in your planting zone. Heavy clay or poorly drained soils will need wet-site tolerant plants. 2) Do not fertilize at planting. Most soils have enough nutrients present to allow new roots to develop. Putting chemical fertilizers in the hole can burn new roots. Less is best for year one. 3) Irrigation! New trees will need supplemental irrigation for at least one year after planting. Even drought tolerant trees need help until they have become established in the landscape. Amounts of water needed will be determined by the soil type, species and planting location. Trees planted in full sun exposure and sandy soils will have a higher water requirement then ones planted in shady or wet and poor drained situations. 4) Dig your hole wider than deeper. Roots are always going to have a tendency to spread out laterally from the root ball, not vertically from the bottom. Making a wider hole allows roots to become more easily established. 5) Choose the right tree in the right place. Look around your planting location before you choose your tree. Do not plant large shade trees under power lines or too close to buildings. Plant sun loving trees like Crape Myrtles in full sun, not under the shade of surrounding trees. 6) Find the root flare! Whenever a newly planted tree fails to thrive, the number one reason that it fails is that it has been planted too deep. You must be able to see the root flare area at the base of the trunk after it is set in the hole and it needs to be at, or slightly above original grade. This root flare may have been buried after years of growing in the container it came in or, if field grown, may have become covered by furrowing. In any event, you MUST dig it out and expose it before setting your tree. 7) Do not over mulch! Mulch may be the best amendment that you can make to the top layer of soil after planting. A 2”-3” layer of woodchip mulch can help keep the soil temperatures and moisture regulated. Too much mulch is bad! Do not “volcano mulch” up the trunk, always keep the lower trunk area and root flare area exposed. 8) Enjoy! Your perfectly planted, well irrigated tree will give you, and future generations, years of enjoyment and beauty; and it’s “Green”-Naturally! So this Arbor Day do something to benefit your community, your home and your planet, Plant a tree! |
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