Orchard People

#004 Know Your Fruit Tree's Name - and Brown Turkey Fig Trees in Philly
[00:00:00] Introduction to the Urban Forestry Radio Show
Welcome to the Urban Forestry Radio Show, brought to you by the Community Orchard Network. In this monthly radio show and podcast, I'm going to take you on a journey. We'll learn about fruit trees, permaculture, food forests, and so much more. So if you're a gardener and enjoy growing your own food, If you love trees and especially fruit trees, or if you're just interested in living a more sustainable life, you've come to the right place.
I'm Susan Poizner, your host for today. So get ready, roll up your sleeves. And let's dig in to today's episode.
Welcome to the Urban Forestry Radio Show with your host, Susan Poizner, right here on Reality Radio 101. To contact Susan, email her, realityradio101@yahoo.com. And now, your host, Susan Poizner.
[00:01:57] Susan Poizner's Journey into Gardening
Hi everyone. Welcome to the show today. You know, it feels like just yesterday that I started to learn more about nature and gardening. Today I work with fruit trees, but growing up I knew nothing about plants. Then, I couldn't even identify common trees like oaks or serviceberries.
All trees looked the same to me when I was young. Over the years I learned a lot more. I became a gardener, and I studied landscape design. And in my favorite course, I learned tree identification. So I had to memorize the botanical names of each type of tree, and I had to learn to identify that tree just by looking at its bark, branches, leaves, and buds.
[00:02:42] Interview with Jason Adkins: Tree Identification and Campus History
Well, my first guest today believes that when we learn the botanical names of trees, we can connect with them better. He is Jason Adkins, the Environmental Projects Coordinator at Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville, Tennessee. So I'll talk to him in the first half of the show. Now, there are some trees that most of us can recognize and identify at a glance.
And that's fruit trees, of course, especially if it's harvest time and they're filled with ripe and yummy fruit. In the second half of the show, I'm going to talk to Erica Smith of Philadelphia Parks and Recreation. She heads their popular Tree Philly Giveaway program. And she'll explain why fruit trees are at the top of local residents free tree wish list.
But first, let's chat with Jason Adkins of Trevecca Nazarene University. And he's on the line right now. Hi, Jason. Welcome to the show today. Hi, Susan. Thank you. Oh, it's great to have you on the show. And I'm really curious, we're going to be talking a lot about the trees on your campus.
Before we start, can you tell me, are there quite a lot of trees? And what's the history of the trees on the campus? Well, we have a 70 acre campus and we have, 200 and, and 40 of those trees that are on the campus labeled, but there are a few hundred more that are on the outlying areas where we haven't yet labeled them.
So we do have a lot of trees. I think it's a really lovely canopy we have around here. So what's the history? Who are the first people that started to plant those trees on the site? Some of the really beautiful trees were here when the university arrived in the 40s but over the years they were planted, for different reasons.
A fruit orchard was planted here for food in the 40s. The university students had a farm that they worked here that provided a lot of the food for the campus. And so, our recent activity in restarting an urban farm connects with a past, that dates back to the beginnings of its time here on this spot.
but then, one of the interesting, parts of our tree history is that, Homer Adams was a former president in the 70s who really loved trees and planted a lot of them. some of those trees he received from a, a nurseryman who, paid for his daughter's tuition in trees. And so a lot of the Trees that were given to him in exchange for his daughter's education are still here growing and, and are really lovely.
Well, that's fantastic. I bet you people on, who are listening to the show are thinking, Hey, maybe I can pay for my education in trees. Does your university still accept trees as payment? That would be a great question. You're not the person to ask. Is that what you're saying? We'll have to negotiate with somebody else.
That sounds very fair to me. So we're going to talk about the fruit orchards. I find that very interesting that there is a long history of fruit trees on the site, because today it's become trendy for university campuses to plant fruit trees when it, I don't think it was in the 40s. but first I just want to talk about the canopy in general.
Now, we're going to be talking about names of trees. What are some of the different names of trees that are common there in Tennessee that are on the campus? Right. We have a lot of oak, mulberry, pine. We have a real variety of hickories and pecans and we, in the recent years, planted a lot of fruit trees.
That's been a focus for the campus along with some hardwoods as well. Some more oaks, some chestnut, American chestnut has been a tree that we've planted here. And Chinese chestnut. We've planted about 80 different varieties, 80 different fruit trees around campus in the past five years. With a wide variety of of cultivars and types of fruit.
So we have a good diverse mix of trees here on campus. That sounds wonderful. So the climate is good for this kind of growing. Yes. It is. It supports a wide range of plants, some of which are on their southernmost, sort of growing zone, and some of which are on the northernmost.
Hmm. So, alright, so it seems to me, I looked online and it sounds to me like it's actually officially an arboretum on the site. Is that the case? What does that mean? Yes. Well, different states, and have different ways of certifying arboretums. Our Tennessee Urban Forestry Council certified our arboretum, and there are different levels that one can achieve on a given property.
And we're a level two arboretum for planting 60 different species of trees on our campus, which we already had. And we continue to plant new species and trying to get to the next level, which for level 3, we'd need 90 trees and we have a map of the arboretum available, at our alumni center and we also have an online map and we have those. We have about, as I said, 200, I think 240 trees right now labeled, with their common names and their botanical names.
[00:08:33] The Importance of Naming Trees
So, why is that important to you? Why really is it important that when people stroll around and look at the trees that they know exactly what they are or even the Latin names for them? Yeah, I really connected with what you said about growing up not knowing the names of the trees around me and, and to me as well, they just, you know, it was just green and I didn't discern any differences between one tree and another.
Some people call the names of the trees and the names of all the birds, which I always admired, and my stepfather does as well. So it was in my adulthood that I became interested in gardening and farming, and learning the names of the trees was a real practice in getting to know my neighbors.
Like knowing a neighbor, when you know their name, it changes the relationship you have to that person. And the same thing happened with trees is, when I knew the names of the trees I was looking at, there was a different and closer relationship that developed between me and my love of trees.
So, it's really an exercise in getting to know our neighbors. Beginning with myself, because I'm not an arborist, I learned these trees as I labeled them, alongside other arborists that were helping us identify them. And, and that really led to Led into a really exciting relationship to be able to just drive along or walk along a place and just being able to, Oh, that's, that's not just a tree, that's a, that's a red oak, or that's a swamp oak, or that's a white pine.
And knowing how to identify the different ones. So I, I, like, like I said in my, in my, little thing before, I really resonate with that. I feel it's so important for myself, and I, I hear that you've, you feel the same way. but when you have volunteers or others coming to the campus, do you know that those little plaques are making any difference whatsoever?
How do you know that's helping people? I'm also a teacher on the campus, so I ask, and certain students will say they have enjoyed having those. around and, you know, learning the names of the, of the different trees around campus. So I guess it's just anecdotally that, you know, I hear people saying, that they're excited to be able to learn how to identify these trees.
That's fantastic. years ago in, in the park where I grow my fruit trees, we actually developed a beautiful, it's a tree tour where, children could come and they were looking for evidence of which tree is which and it was like a treasure hunt for trees. It was a lot of fun. Yes, we, we do something similar.
We have a scavenger hunt, using, using the phones on, on the cell phones and, and they have to come back and identify a certain number of trees. So. That's a good fun. It is good fun. So, okay, and in 2013 something new and interesting happened And I know that that was the year you guys were certified With the Toyota Arbor Day Foundation's Tree Campus USA program.
What does that mean and what did that involve? So, this is another certification that the Arbor Day, uses to kind of hold up as, as sort of examples of campuses that are doing things they'd like to see us do, which is just a commitment to planting trees and not only protecting, both the protecting the existing, urban forest or, or rural forest if, if a campus happens to be in the country, but a commitment to, dedicating dollars and efforts and, and volunteer projects, wherein new trees are planted.
And so, we found out about it, and it really, it dovetailed with our present commitments and, and we'd already gotten our arboretum status, so, from there we just needed to, write a certain, some certain documentation, which Mackenzie Cox here did a lot of work on in our, in our plant operations.
and, and just solidify that commitment to dedicating, event days and dollars to every year to planting more trees. And why is that meaningful? Why is it great for the campus? Well, I, I think, you know, as I said, it, it both connects to a, a present commitment by the administration, our, our vice president, David Caldwell, and our president Dan Boone are both.
Real lovers of gardens and, and, and trees. And, you know, that, that connection, that commitment shouldn't just You know, in with their tenure at the university, it should be connected to the fabric of, of who we are as an institution. So it really, it connects it less to just the personalities that happen to be in charge and kind of creates an ongoing commitment, across administrations and, and people that come and go from the university.
That makes a lot of sense to me, actually. I think, yeah, it, it just motivates people to keep moving forward rather than taking, you know, what's on campus for granted and, and to continually plant more. so, in a minute, we're going to come up to a little, commercial break and we're going to hear from our sponsors.
And then after that, I want to talk a little further about the fruit trees on the site, about urban agriculture. So I want you to stay on the line. Would you do that for me, Jason? And we're just going to hear some commercials. Okay, super. Well you're listening to the Urban Forestry Radio Show on Reality Radio 101.
This program was brought to you by the Community Orchard Network. I'm Susan Poizner and let's chat again. After this short break.
Hey, Sally, your garden is looking great today. Thanks, Gary. Your lawn is looking a little bit dry. Ah, that's okay. It's all going to change. Soon I'm going to plant a fruit tree in my yard. I'm thinking an apple tree or maybe peach. That sounds great, but do you know what you're doing? Well, fruit trees are easy.
You just plant them, water them, and wait for the harvest, right? Actually, that's not quite the case. What? Organic orchardists spend a lot of time protecting their fruit trees from pest and disease problems. Really? And in order to thrive, fruit trees need to be pruned every year. Hmm, I didn't know that.
I'll tell you what. Before you buy your tree, Why don't you go to OrchardPeople. com? You'll learn growing fruit from the blog, and there's a fantastic monthly newsletter with seasonal tips and reminders. Maybe I should check that out. Yeah, then if you really want to move ahead, you can sign up for OrchardPeople.
com's beginner fruit tree care course. So, maybe I should hold off on buying my tree today? You got it. The more you know, the better your tree will grow. Sign up for a free membership to OrchardPeople. com today.
Welcome back to the Urban Forestry Radio Show, with your host Susan Poizner, right here on Reality Radio 101. To contact Susan, email her Reality radio101@yahoo.com.
And now back to your host, Susan Poner.
This is the Urban Forestry Radio Show brought to you by the Community Orchard Network. I'm Susan Poizner, and today I'm chatting with Jason Atkins of Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville, Tennessee. We've been talking about the Tree Campus USA program at the university. We've been talking about naming trees on the site.
And now we're going to talk about fruit trees and how they are becoming part of the mix. Hi, you still there with me, Jason? Yes. Wonderful.
[00:17:07] Urban Agriculture and Fruit Trees at Trevecca Nazarene University
So you mentioned earlier that, that the, that your site has a long history of urban agriculture. I guess, is that unusual for your part of the world? It certainly is here.
Yes, and it was interrupted by about 50 years. so it's only recently come back after, a time when gardening for, You know, really, self sufficiency was quite common in the 40s, especially in the, in the World War II era, where Victory Gardens were, held high and really provided about 30 percent of the nation's vegetables.
you know, there's certainly, after the post World War, increase in, in agricultural productivity, a lot of that dropped off to some extent. and then I think, there's been a resurgence of that in our, in our area and in our generation. Yeah, definitely there is. Now, now, how, how has that affected your campus?
So when did you guys start thinking in terms of urban agriculture on campus again? Our campus is located adjacent to a food desert, and so we were asking questions around how we could be helpful, in our neighborhood to address food access problems. And so, The urban farm that we have today is an answer to that question.
and an ongoing attempt to teach and inspire people to grow their own food. especially from the local schools and then other neighbors as well and people that attend camps and workshops that we hold. and, and really fruit, fruit trees are such a critical part of that because when you plant a tree and establish it, there is ongoing maintenance.
But it is less maintenance than a garden and so, you know, a tree that's been established can provide food for the people in the area for a generation or maybe a lifetime. So, we're really impressed with the perennial ways of providing food. like that. And it was, you know, said to be the original fast food.
And we live in a place that's kind of plagued by a lot of fast food and very little fresh food. And so we want to maybe supplant some of that with, with something healthy. I love that. Thinking of fruit as the original fast food. That's so true. what a wonderful idea. So, what you mentioned was what I know that I, I felt at first with fruit trees.
And it is true that they are less It's easier to care for in some ways than your vegetable plants that need weeding and you know, watering every day and a really close eye on them. However, fruit trees have their challenges.
[00:19:52] Challenges and Solutions in Growing Fruit Trees
Have you had challenges with your fruit trees or has it just been an easy ride for you guys?
We've had lots of challenges. we, we got, we've gotten some really good help from a, a local volunteer who has helped us prune the last three years. And that's something we didn't really know how to do. So that's been very helpful. There's certain varieties that we've found have been difficult to grow in our climate, such as apples.
Peaches have their problems as well. And so because we're a completely organic farm, we've tried to choose and, multiply those varieties, which are very carefree, both in our tree fruit and our bush fruit. And so we found, we plant less apples and more Asian pears. We, we We plant more persimmons, our Nanking cherries, our bush cherries are, are, a little easier to care for some than some of our other cherries.
So we've had to learn to go with what works and then use some, use some support plants around the tree in a, in a, in our permaculture approach to, to tree health and, and orchard health, to create some, habitat for the kind of insects that tend to help us out and the kind of herbs that tend to repel, some of our problems, so.
Yes, we have, we have had our problems, but they've been, they've been teaching moments. Hmm, absolutely.
[00:21:15] Companion Planting and Permaculture Approaches
So tell me a little bit more about, what sounds to me like companion planting. You know, planting other plants nearby that will help to protect your trees. What, what do you suggest? What have you been using?
Right. Well, I mean, different functions are provided by different, Sometimes it's, it's an insect or, or animal deterrent, such as chives, which are commonly planted around apples and pears and can be planted around a lot of different things. comfrey is an excellent plant, which accumulates, deep nutrients.
They're called a dynamic accumulator and then, and then, makes them available to some of the surface roots. it's also a great mulch plant, so we just chop it and drop it on the ground to suppress some of the turf competition. Mint is wonderful to plant around the tree that kind of sprawls out and, and competes against some of the deeper rooted grasses that, can compete with nutrients with the, with the surface, superficial roots.
And our fruit trees. So there are a lot that we liked. We also like, planting things like ilium and, and calendula that attract insects that, pollinate in it. And so once the pollinators are in the neighborhood, hopefully they'll go ahead and, and pollinate our trees as well. So those are some of the approaches.
The pollinating, pollinator, attractors, you know. Plants that provide fertility, like comfrey, and, plants that deter insects. It's amazing. It sounds like you're looking at your orchard from a big picture perspective. It's not the sort of old fashioned rows of fruit trees and, you know, tractors going in between them, and, and sprays of noxious sprays going on them.
I guess it's a very different, perspective. Yes. We've been very inspired by, Jay Russell Smith, who wrote a book called Tree Crops, way back in the 30s, talking about how we needed to feed ourselves as much as possible from perennials, trees that would keep our soil in place while we were still able to eat from them, unlike, annuals, which cause a lot of erosion.
And then, more recently, Dave Jackey's books about, edible forest gardens, have been really inspirational and incredibly helpful in terms of, what he says, which is plant ecosystems, don't plant trees, plant ecosystems, and so planting the support plants around the tree can be as important as the, as planting the tree itself, and, and it, it, it certainly cuts down on a lot of the work we have to, would otherwise have to do, ourselves with, With yeah labor or chemicals.
It sounds like it's been an awesome, really awesome learning experience for you guys. Yes, absolutely. Hmm.
[00:24:01] Environmental Justice and Community Impact
Now, I know that you mentioned that you teach, is it environmental justice? Is that what you're teaching? So in what ways are you using the trees to bring equity to your community? Right, well, Our community, as I said already, is really suffering from a lack of healthy food, which is in some ways considered an environmental issue, as well as the You know, we are one mile from downtown Nashville, and so there's a lot of traffic, there's a lot of air quality issues, and water issues, and there's flooding around, some of the, some of the areas in our adjacent neighborhood.
All those issues, you know, can be, helped or even solved by planting trees. and so, from food access to, sequestering water before it gets into the creeks and overflows the banks, to produce, producing clean air for a neighborhood that has a lot of, is surrounded by a lot of traffic. All these are services, that trees do for us for free and, And we're happy to spread that.
We, we love to see these trees go into neighbors yards or neighboring school, school yards where students can experience the, the direct access of, of food, to their food. So, those are some of the ways in which we, we try to, you know, utilize trees to, to elaborate justice in our area. So when I understand you're actually propagating some of these trees that you've planted, how does that work?
That's one of the, you know, that's one of the real, motivations behind what we do because, we are, we can't feed the neighborhood. That's not our intention. we really want to inspire and teach people to feed themselves and, and, and their neighbors. so. You know, our fruit stock can't, can only go so far in terms of feeding people, but in terms of propagating trees, you know, we could produce, there's no limit to the number of trees we could produce with the, as long as, as we're attending to the skills of tree propagation.
So, that's one of our motivations. In planting a really, diverse, fruit stock, here on campus is, is so that we can have some, some nursery stock from which to propagate. And, and we're all, we're amateurs at this, but the, the great thing is you can be an amateur and still achieve great success, so, so we, we get our YouTube videos out and our, our horticultural books and, and we, we figure it out and, it's a real adventure. Oh, I bet it is. It really is. Yes, I've taken some grafting workshops and it takes a lot of confidence. In fact, on a recent trip to, I think it was Seattle, yes, in Seattle, one, one chap showed me how he grafted fruit trees using electrical tape.
to get the, to the branch and the rootstock together. And he used a box cutter to do the cutting. So he said, look, you don't need fancy equipment. Check it out on my website on orchardpeople. com on the blog. He was so interesting and he was highly successful with a box cutter. And electrical tape. And he was, and he was grafting onto existing fruit trees, different varieties.
So these were old fruit trees that, the fruit didn't taste very good, but you know, you don't want to cut these things down. Why not just graft on some new varieties? I think that's brilliant. And that's something we're, we're, we're beginning to try out, just last year, is, some gorilla grafting of some existing trees that, like, Bradford pears that weren't producing edible fruit, but could be.
Amazing. So we're going to wrap up in a minute. I know you have to run back off to class. But just before you go, can you give me a bigger picture?
[00:27:51] Expanding the Urban Farming Program
Because it sounds to me like the whole urban farming program there is really interesting. What else do you have other than the orchard? We have quite a bit for being a mile from downtown.
We're about 1. 5 miles from the capitol building of, capitol of Tennessee. So, we have 40 goats, we have 3 pigs, we have 2 guardian dogs, 2 great pyrenees, we have, two beehives expanding to 10 beehives. This, this, spring. And then, a worm farm. We grace tilapia in our greenhouses. we have a tremendous amount of starts that go into community gardens in our, in our urban farm area, and a composting system.
So it's a, we try to do a little bit of everything as well as, Mushroom, production in order to teach students how to, take, take the, the liberating work of, of growing food, for oneself into neighborhoods that are food insecure, both in our country and abroad. So we also work in, in different countries to help, communities that have invited us there to work with, with their communities for, So that's, that's some of the really great work our students are doing with, with our local and distant communities and what we're training them to do through our environmental justice system.
That is so exciting. It sounds like you have your hands full. I'm sure that you're going to go tend the goats after class. Right. That's true. It's very exciting. So I really appreciate you coming on the show today, taking the time out of the classroom and out of the orchard and out of the gardens to come and chat with me here on the show today.
Thank you so much. And please do keep me posted on what happens in the future. I really look forward to learning more. Thanks for including me, Susan. Okay. Thanks. Goodbye for now. Okay. Goodbye. That was Jason Adkins of Trevecca Nazarene University. After a word from our sponsors, we're going to learn how brown turkey fig trees are taking over the city of Philadelphia.
You're listening to the Urban Forestry Radio Show, brought to you by the Community Orchard Network.
[00:30:06] Reality Radio 101 Introduction
And this is Reality Radio 101. I knew I wouldn't forget you, and so I went and let you blow my mind.
Your sweet moonbeam, the smell of you in every single dream I dream. I knew when we collided, you're the one I have decided who's one of mine.
Where am I? This place is amazing. There are birds, bees, and fruit trees, and I'm in the middle of a big city.
[00:30:57] Discovering Philadelphia Orchard Project
You are in Philadelphia. Our city is growing more beautiful each year thanks to the Philadelphia Orchard Project. We plant fruit trees, berry bushes and other edibles in city parks, gardens, and other public places.
I can see that. Raspberry canes, fig trees, and peaches. If I lived nearby, I would never go hungry. That's one of our goals. We want to help communities grow their own food by teaching residents how to plant fruit trees and care for them. We focus on the neighbourhoods that need it most. It sounds like a great project.
[00:31:36] How to Get Involved with Philly Orchards
How can I help? How Can I learn more? Please visit our website@phillyorchards.org to volunteer or donate, and you can also follow our Urban Orchard blog, philly orchards.org. I will definitely check it out. Thanks so much and have a great day. This message was brought to you by the Philadelphia Orchard Project.
[00:32:10] Community Orchard Network Invitation
Are you new to growing Fruit Trees? Or perhaps a seasoned expert? Either way, come and join the Community Orchard Network. We are a group of community and home orchardists from across North America who gather through monthly webinars, radio broadcasts like this one, and podcasts. We want to share our experience, deepen our knowledge, and widen the movement.
Join the conversation. Visit www. orchardpeople. com forward slash network to find out more. This message was brought to you by the Baltimore Orchard Project.
[00:32:58] Tree Campus USA Initiative
This broadcast has been sponsored by Tree Campus USA, a program of the Arbor Day Foundation. Tree Campus USA honors college campuses and their leaders for promoting healthy urban forest management, and also for getting the community involved in environmental stewardship. Last year, 254 colleges and universities in the United States were recognized with Tree Campus USA distinction.
All of them had to meet five standards, including having a tree advisory committee, having a tree care plan in place, spending some of the campus budget on tree planting and education, organizing an Arbor Day celebration, and engaging students in tree related projects and initiatives.
Are you interested in finding out how you can get involved? Visit www. arborday. org slash TreeCampusUSA.
TreeCampusUSA is an Arbor Day Foundation program, sponsored in partnership with Toyota.
[00:34:15] Urban Forestry Radio Show Introduction
Welcome back to the Urban Forestry Radio Show with your host, Susan Poizner.
Right here on Reality Radio 1 0 1 to contact Susan Live. Email her Reality radio101@yahoo.com. What can I say? What can I do? Still in love. And now back to your host of the Urban Forestry Radio Show, Susan Poiser.
This is the Urban Radio Show brought to you by the Community Orchard Network. I'm Susan Poizner.
[00:35:18] Tree Philly Giveaway Program
So why are brown turkey fig trees becoming so popular in Philadelphia? Well, it could have something to do with the Tree Philly giveaway program, where free trees, including fruit trees, are being given to residents.
to plant in their yards. Since 2013, the Tree Philly program has distributed and planted 13, 000 free trees to local homeowners. And overseeing the program is Erica Smith, and she's coming on the line in just a minute.
[00:35:52] Interview with Erica Smith
Erica, are you on the line with me now? Hi Susan, yes I am. Hi, thanks for coming to chat with me.
I'm glad to be here. Good stuff. So tell me a little bit. How did you get involved in the Tree Philly initiative? Well, I was working with a lot of community gardening and environmental education programs in Philadelphia and really focusing on the interaction between people and plants. I had received a Bachelor's from Haverford in biology and a master's in environmental horticulture.
And so I was really focused on people and plants and the, opportunity came up to get involved with creating a citizen engagement focused campaign to increase the tree canopy in the city, through the Philadelphia parks and recreation department. And I, I got on board, we started Tree Philly.
Fantastic.
[00:36:53] Tree Philly Program Details
So how does it work? Well, how is it organized? Well, Tree Philly program is a part of the Philadelphia Parks and Recreation Department here in Philadelphia. we are a, municipal, non profit, corporate partnership. so we have a great partner in the Fairmount Park Conservancy and we have a fantastic corporate sponsor.
Our sponsor, that is new this year and we're really excited is TD Bank, and they help us fund the tree, the yard tree giveaway program. So we, twice a year we give away over a thousand trees to Philadelphia residents to plant. in their yards on private property in the city. the trees go in, in the ground, not in a pot or in the sidewalk.
They are meant to increase the tree canopy. Our goal is to get tree canopy to 30 percent in every neighborhood in Philadelphia. What is it currently? Is it quite low at the moment? The tree canopy? Yeah, the canopy across the city is an average of 20 percent, but it's not equitably distributed. So there are large areas that are very, very low canopy.
And so as part of the Green Works plan, which was a sustainability plan begun in 2009, one of the targets of that plan was to to increase the tree canopy equitably across neighborhoods. So that's been our goal here at Tree Philly. Fantastic. Well, I've said in my introduction that you guys have so far planted 13, 000 trees.
That sounds like quite a lot. How many years is that? The 13,000, right? So, so the 13,000 is actually how many trees we've given away through the Tree Philly program. And we've, in, in the entire city, we've planted many, many more through, street tree planting, plantings and parks, private plantings, and things like that.
So the, the number total. across the city is, more in the 100, 000 or more than that, range. Much more than that. So you're trying I don't have the stat right off the top of my head, but, but the 13, 000, it's actually more like 14, 500 trees we've given away through the Yard Tree Giveaway Program.
You're trying to catch up with NYC, I see. New York City. okay, so tell me a little bit, you're giving trees to the public.
[00:39:30] Popular Trees and Community Impact
Are they excited? Are there certain trees that they want? How are they participating? Or are they just calling up and saying, Sure, I'll take a tree. Yeah, so we've been giving away trees since 2012.
And we have a number of different types of trees that we give away. We do large shade trees. small flowering trees and fruit trees. And we find that, the fruit trees and the small flowering trees are the most popular. people are very excited to have not only the benefits of the tree, but the benefit of the beautiful flowers or the fruit to have in their yard, to benefit from.
And so we've, We have found that the smaller trees are more popular. We try to balance how many trees we give away, and try to focus on getting people larger trees to increase the tree canopy. but also, you know, this is a program to engage people in doing something for the tree canopy and to get them excited.
And so we really do want to focus on the types of trees that people are excited about as well.
[00:40:41] Challenges and Solutions in Tree Distribution
Something I was asking myself when I, when I read about your program is, first of all, on the one hand, I know here in Toronto, so many people would jump at the opportunity to have free fruit trees in particular, but then there's the other, the flip side of free stuff.
Do you really appreciate it if it's free? Is that something that you have considered over the years? Right, yeah, we have, we've talked about that a lot, actually, because it does come up. we focus on giving away the trees for free, but the The effort that people have to go through to get the tree, in our mind, is equal to any amount of money that they might spend on it.
So, for example, in order to get a tree through our program, you have to register early. We allow people to register for the type of tree that they want, which also helps us see which trees are the most popular. and then once you've registered, we send you several reminders to come get your tree and we have tree giveaway events that people must come to in order to get their tree.
at the event, we have tree planting and care demonstrations that they go through. and then we send them on their way with as much information as we can, including, you know, how to plant and care for the tree, where to put it. if it's a fruit tree, we are able to give them a fantastic Take the pruning guide that the Philadelphia Orchard project puts out so that they have that resource as well to take care of their fruit tree.
And so for us, you know, the effort that people go through to come get their tree is what we think really makes them. appreciate the tree more than just if they had paid for it and it arrived on their doorstep. It's excellent to have the support of a local organization like the Philadelphia Orchard Project.
[00:42:33] Support and Resources for Tree Care
So, if, for instance, people have problems with pest and disease, do they turn to you? Can they turn directly to the Philadelphia Orchard Project? How are they involved in a, a support capacity? Sure. So, we, we do get questions about The trees, once people get them home and plant them, and even after a few seasons, people will still contact us.
We try to answer their questions, but we do also have a lot of resources on our website, including a link to the Philadelphia Orchard Project's website. And so we have, many different types of resources. Like the Orchard Project, in the city we also have, A project, through the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society called Tree Tenders where people can go to to learn more about trees.
And so we all work together to try to make sure that the trees that we're giving away are cared for properly and that people know what to do to make sure that those trees flourish, survive, and, really benefit. I love the way that different organizations are working together for the same goal and everybody's using their strengths, you know, some people know how to care for the trees.
Some people can give out the free trees and have those resources. and I think it's wonderful that everybody's working together to make this a success. So yeah, it sounds really, really good. what do you do if people don't show up and, and, and pick up their tree? Do you have leftovers ever? Yeah. Yeah, so we, allow for quite a bit of that at our events, and we accept people to walk in to receive the tree.
So people, know ahead of time that if they couldn't register, there will still be trees available at the events, and we accept walk ins at the end of the event. You know, depending on what's left over, we will then give those trees away to people. If, you know, we still have some trees left over at the end of the season, we, we have plenty of park space to plant them in.
Oh, fantastic. If it comes to that. If it comes to that. And we also, yeah, we also have, a nursery in the park system that's run by park staff where we can do some storage of the trees so that we, you know, we try to reduce the amount of trees that, that go into the park. We're really trying to get these trees into yard spaces.
So it's true that you guys are the City of Arborly Love, right? Yes, that is our message. You really are. Instead of, instead of the city of brotherly love, we are the city of arborly love here in Philadelphia. That is so nice. just we have a few more minutes, but I wanted to, to talk to you about the varieties that you're choosing and how you choose them.
I mentioned before brown turkey fig trees. The reason I mentioned it is because, A, we can't grow fig trees outside year round. There are people here who bury their fig trees over the winter, but it's too cold here in Toronto, Canada to grow fig trees. So I'm fascinated with them. And also the name Brown Turkey Fig Tree just sounds awesome.
Is that a delicious fig? Have you ever tasted it? Yeah, it is. It is a good fig. We do give away a lot of fig trees as part of our, Yard Tree Giveaway and they are, one of the most popular fruit trees that we give away. we can plant them here in Philadelphia. They do like to be protected over the winter, so we have some information about how you can wrap them and that kind of thing.
but we are also a heat sink in the city and so many fig trees, can survive. We have had several harsh winters where figs have, been killed down to the Down to the ground, but many of them have been growing back pretty successfully. and so we do, you know, give away brown turkey. We also do a celeste fig, and we're experimenting with many different, types as well.
We work, closely with The Philadelphia Orchard Project, I contact them regularly to get suggestions for different varieties that work because we really want to have the hardiest varieties that will survive here in the city. Okay, so what type are you also distributing? Apples or pears or Asian pears?
What are some of the other varieties that you're sharing? Yeah, so we've done a lot of different types of fruit trees. We also, I'm proud to say, have a bunch of native fruit trees that we've been giving away, including the Amelanchier canadensis and other serviceberry and juneberry species. Those are natives.
We've given away the native persimmon before, and one of our most interesting trees that we're excited to be able to give away and to be able to source is the pawpaw tree, which is the only native fruit tree to this area. Pennsylvania. And so we're, we're very excited about that. Pawpaws are super interesting.
We're going to talk about them a little in our next show next month, actually, because people think they're papaya trees and they very much are not. It's something very different. And they think of the jungle book as well. A lot of the time. Oh, really? Yeah. Apparently they've, they were called something like the American banana because they've got that slight banana taste.
Have you had a pawpaw before? Have you eaten one? Oh, yeah, I'm, I'm really lucky because, some of the staff here at the, park know where there are pawpaws, that grow in the park system, and some of our staff also have them growing their backyards, so I get to eat some every fall when they, when they are ripe.
So, they are fantastic. People call them, Kind of like a banana custard taste, and I would definitely say that's, that's pretty close to it. It's almost like a caramelized banana. Really delicious. Oh, fantastic. It's just such a shame that as far as I know it takes about seven years that you have to wait until you get fruit on your pawpaw tree.
Yeah, we've had, success with them fruiting within about four or five years, but it does take a while because they're very slow growing and they do require two, two different trees to set fruit. but we do also give away, all sorts of other Varieties including saffron, sweet cherry, different types of plums, pears, including Asian pear, different apples, and, Let's see. And, nectarines as well. So we have many different types of trees we give away.
[00:49:09] Participant Feedback and Tree Stories
I want to talk a little about, the feedback that you've had from participants. And so, I, you had sent me a very interesting, summary of some of the feedback you got. Can you tell me, you, you send out a questionnaire afterwards, asking people how they felt about the program?
We're going to listen in a minute to some feedback, but just tell me what type of questionnaire it's on. Yeah, absolutely. So when we finish the yard tree giveaways for the season, we always send out a survey to participants. We want to know, you know, what their experience was like with the program so we can improve it.
But we also want to use that as a reminder to please, if you haven't already, please plant your tree and tell us how your tree is doing, how you've been caring for it, and that kind of thing. And in the last few years, we actually added an open ended question to the end of our survey that says, tell us your tree story, and what does your tree mean to you?
And so we've gotten a lot of really fantastic replies to that question, and I think you'll hear some of them, I guess, coming up. Absolutely. Okay, so let's see, and let's have a listen, just for a couple of minutes. Hold the line there, okay? We'll talk to you in a minute.
The house I live in originally belonged to my grandma. She had a fig tree planted in the backyard and it was destroyed. So I chose a pear tree and I planted it in her honour, in the exact same spot the failed fig tree was.
We planted a witch hazel tree and a nectarine tree. We're in love with them. They're growing and healthy so far, and I take my six month old daughter outside every day so that she can get to know them. Can't wait to eat a few nectarines in a few years.
My yard was once a beautiful garden when the house was built in 1906. But it's gotten sad and weedy and unkempt. These fruit trees are part of our plan to bring it back to life as a little food supply and sustainable urban garden, as well as a place of beauty. I have one 80 year old apple tree that's 80 feet tall, but produces nothing.
I planted my new little apple tree next to it to grow up and take its place. This is the cycle of life and will be the cycle of my own life.
This year, our household has started making large changes. Eating healthier, planting vegetables, herbs, and flowers, and overall going greener. The trees have added to our new changes and has really added a sense of accomplishment. Plus, the tree will look beautiful once full. Full grown in our front yard.
I am happy to be a second year tree Philly participant, and I'm happy to have four trees in my backyard. I live in Port Richmond where trees are hard to come by. So I like to think I'm doing my part and beautifying the neighborhood and improving our environment.
So that was very interesting. Erica, like I was just interested by the diversity of responses. Everybody seems to be taking a tree for a different reason. Yeah, we we do hear a lot of different types of, responses to that question. We hear a lot about, you know, planting a tree in honor of a loved one or because of a new addition to the family.
we hear about, People planting a tree because it reminds them of their family that lives elsewhere or kind of the cultural history of their family. a lot of people talk about the benefit to the community, how it's become kind of a focus point for the neighborhood and, and things like that. And, and, you know, a lot of them, when.
When we do these surveys, a lot of the focus, of these answers are on the, connection that people have made to their trees. They are in love with their trees, they talk to them, they name them, they talk about how they're going to add beauty to their yards, they're going to add, You know, a another kind of element to the community, either they're going to share the fruit or they're going to share the flowers with everyone else.
And, and so really that's kind of why we, we focus on the city of Arborley love and that connection that people make with trees as kind of a way of. of explaining the benefit of trees, just one of the different benefits of trees. It's, it really resonates and reminds me of my conversation earlier, with Jason about how important it is just to know the name of your tree, what type of tree it is, whether it's a native tree or a fruiting tree.
And to start that relationship. And that's something that as a writer, as a teacher, I teach about fruit trees and I teach people how to care for them. I tell people that when you plant a fruit tree or any tree, you're starting a relationship. This is a long term relationship. It's not like. planting a zucchini plant and if it does okay, great, you eat the zucchini.
If it doesn't, you throw it out and you try again next year or something. I, I really feel that it sounds to me like your program is really creating these relationships and, and let's hope you can do that for many years more to come. Is there a, an end date for the program or is it going to keep on going as far as you know?
Well, we are excited that, our sponsor TD is going to be sponsoring us for at least the next three years. and so we definitely have, a lot of exciting seasons to come of giving away free trees. different types of trees are coming up in the next few seasons. And, yeah, we, we are really looking forward to growing this program.
If anybody wants to know more, what's the website that they would go to if they want, if they live in Philadelphia and they want a free tree? Absolutely, the website is treephilly. org, and we are going to be opening up registration for our spring yard tree giveaways in early March, and the giveaways themselves will be in the middle of April, all over the city, many different locations, so keep an eye out for that, at treephilly.
org. I guess you don't send them to Toronto. Unfortunately, it is a Philadelphia only program. Oh, dear. Oh, well, it was worth asking. I thought I would ask. Well, thank you so much for coming on the show today. Very much appreciated, and I hope to talk to you again. Yes, you too. Thank you, Susan. Okay, take care.
Goodbye. Goodbye.
[00:56:05] Conclusion and Thank You
Well, it's coming up to the end of the show today. I don't know where it went. It went so quickly. But before we wrap up, I really want to thank our two wonderful guests, Jason Adkins from Trevecca Nazarene University and Erica Smith from Tree Philly. I also want to thank the wonderful voiceover team for the Tree Philly participant voiceover.
So thank you to Helenka, Hillary, Liz. Ellie, Alex, and Jack. Okay, it's great. I'm so pleased you tuned in to listen today, everybody. If you missed the show, you can actually hear it, or part of the show, you can download the podcast. You can either go to www. orchardpeople. com slash network. And you can listen to our podcast there.
We are soon to be available on iTunes and that's under Urban Forestry Radio. Go to iTunes and see if you can download the shows. If not today, then soon in the next few days. And you'll hear that our previous shows cover all sorts of stuff like how to grow lemon trees indoors and how to turn acorns into acorn flowers.
I'm Susan Poizner, and this is the Urban Forestry Radio Show brought to you by the Community Orchard Network. And you're listening to the one and only Reality Radio 101.
If you want to learn more about the Community Orchard Network, I've created a page on my website where you can find out lots more information and learn how to sign up for our newsletter. Just visit www. orchardpeople. com slash network and you can read our frequently asked questions and check out the free webinars and podcasts that we've recorded.
Tune in next month and you'll meet some more great guests and you'll learn more about fruit trees, permaculture, and forest gardens. Our show goes out on the last Tuesday of every month at 1 PM. Eastern time. I'm Susan Poizner. Thanks for tuning in and I'll see you next time.
You've been listening to the Urban Forestry Radio Show with your host, Susan Poizner, right here on Reality Radio 101.