Site Assessment for better gardens and landscapes

Quick links to additional resources.

Site assessment - the "discovery process" that reveals the characteristics that make your yard unique - can help your gardens and landscapes thrive.

In the step-by-step process, the hands-on activities in this workbook help you find out about compaction, drainage, existing plants, hardiness, light, microclimates, obstructions, slopes, soil, space dimensions, wildlife interference, and wind interference - all of which can influence the success or failure of your plantings.

Matching your plantings to your site's characteristics will help you create more-sustainable and easier-to-care-for gardens and landscapes.

This page provides quick access to websites mentioned in the hard copy publication. Find ordering information for the book on the Plant and Life Sciences Publishing website.

General Planning Information

Botanical Gardens, Public Gardens, and Arboretum Locations:

• http://gardenvisit.com/gardens/in/usa
  From Nightingale Garden Company, Ltd., registered in England and Wales.
• http://www.garden.org/public_garden
  From the National Gardening Association.

Cooperative Extension Office Locations:

• http://www.csrees.usda.gov/Extension/
  From the United States Department of Agriculture.

Home and Garden Information Center:

• http://www.hgic.umd.edu/
  Horticultural information to the public nationwide through a diagnostic website. Sponsored by the University of Maryland Cooperative Extension.

Information about Heavy Metals:

• http://www.uvm.edu/vtvegandberry/factsheets/interpreting_heavy_metals_soil_tests.pdf
  From the University of Vermont, by Vern Grubinger and Don Ross
• https://sites.google.com/site/healthygardeners/
  Information about heavy metals and gardening. Produced by Jennifer Gorospe, San Jose State University as part of her Master's Thesis
• http://www.gardening.cornell.edu/factsheets/misc/cgandlead.html
  Information about children, gardens, and lead, by Linda M. Ameroso and Charles P. Mazza, Cornell Cooperative Extension, NYC.

Step 1 - Garden and Landscape Area

• Wasp and Bee Management: A Common-Sense Approach, Jody Gangloff-Kaufmann, NRAES, Ithaca, NY, 2011. Available from Plant and Life Sciences Publishing, palspublishing.cals.cornell. edu

Step 2 - Obstructions Above and Below

Dig-Safe System

• http://www.digsafe.com/how_it_works.php
  For residents of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts.

Dwarf and Semi-dwarf Fruit Trees

• http://www.gardening.cornell.edu/fruit/homefruit/3treefruit.pdf
  Options are explained in the tree fruit chapter of the Cornell Guide to Growing Fruit at Home, Cornell University, 2003.

Small Trees (less than 30')

• http://www.hort.cornell.edu/uhi/outreach/recurbtree/pdfs/07~smalltrees.pdf
  An extensive list of trees whose mature height is lower than the expected height of power lines. From Recommended Urban Trees: Site Assessment and Tree Selection for Stress Tolerance, Urban Horticulture Institute, Cornell University, 2009.

Step 3 - Sun and Shade

• No links.

Step 4 - Hardiness and Microclimates

Frost

• http://www.almanac.com/content/frost-chart-united-states
  From the Old Farmers Almanac
• http://www.gardening.cornell.edu/weather/frost.pdf
  From Cornell University

Microclimates

• http://blogs.cornell.edu/horticulture/microclimate/
  From Cornell University

USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map

• http://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/PHZMWeb/
  Hardiness zone designations for all parts of the United States. Detailed information for an area can be found by entering a zip code on the upper left of the web page or by using the interactive map. From the United States Department of Agriculture.

Step 5 - Wind

Windbreaks

• http://extension.psu.edu/plasticulture/production-details/windbreaks
  Information on height, density, orientation, and other factors affecting a windbreak. From Penn State University.

Step 6 - Compaction

Dealing with Soil Compaction

• http://www.gardening.cornell.edu/factsheets/soil/compaction.html
  By Dr. Nina Bassuk, Urban Horticulture Institute, Cornell University

Improve Your Soil with Cover Crops

• http://blogs.cornell.edu/horticulture/about/basicgardening-info/cover-crops/
  From Cornell Garden Based Learning, Department of Horticulture, Cornell University.

Using Organic Matter in the Garden

• http://www.gardening.cornell.edu/factsheets/orgmatter/index.html
  Information on how much organic matter to add to different kinds of garden and landscape sites. From the Cornell Cooperative Extension by Charles Mazza, Sally Cunningham, and Ellen Harrison.

Step 7 - Drainage

Drought Tolerant Plants

• http://www.backyardgardener.com/dry/
  From the BackyardGardener.com.

Rain Gardens

• http://learningstore.uwex.edu/pdf/GWQ037.pdf
  Detailed homeowner instructions on creating a rain garden from the University of Wisconsin. Developed by Roger Bannerman, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and Ellen Considine, U.S. Geological Survey.

Soil Drainage

• http://www.ext.colostate.edu/mg/Gardennotes/219.html
  Colorado Master Gardener Notes #219 by D. Whiting, A. Card, C. Wilson.

Soil Moisture Chart for Trees and Shrubs

• http://www.hort.cornell.edu/uhi/outreach/recurbtree/pdfs/09soilh2oph.pdf
  From Recommended Urban Trees: Site Assessment and Tree Selection for Stress Tolerance, Urban Horticulture Institute, Cornell University, 2009.

Step 8 - Soil Characteristics

Books:

• Building Soils for Better Crops, 3rd Edition, Fred Magdoff and Harold van Es. Sustainable Agriculture Publications, Waldorf, Md. 2010. Hard copy available to purchase online at www.sare.org/publications/soils.htm.
• Composting to Reduce the Waste Stream, Robert Kozlowski, Plant and Life Sciences Publishing, 1991. Available to purchase online at www.palspublishing.cals.cornell.edu

Organic Matter

• http://www.gardening.cornell.edu/factsheets/orgmatter/index.html
  Using Organic Matter in the Garden.
  From the Department of Horticulture, Cornell University by Charles Mazza, Sally Cunningham, and Ellen Harrison.
• http://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/xmlui/bitstream/handle/1957/19682/ec1561.pdf
  Improving Garden Soils with Organic Matter
  From Oregon State University by Neil Bell, Dan M. Sullivan, Linda J. Brewer, and John Hart.

Salt-tolerant Trees

• http://www.hort.cornell.edu/uhi/outreach/recurbtree/pdfs/11salttol.pdf
  From Recommended Urban Trees: Site Assessment and Tree Selection for Stress Tolerance, Urban Horticulture Institute, Cornell University, 2009.

Salt Sensitive Trees

• http://www.hort.cornell.edu/uhi/outreach/recurbtree/pdfs/12saltsens.pdf
  From Recommended Urban Trees: Site Assessment and Tree Selection for Stress Tolerance, Urban Horticulture Institute, Cornell University, 2009.

Soil Basics

• http://blogs.cornell.edu/horticulture/soil-basics/
  From the Cornell Garden Based Learning, Department of Horticulture, Cornell University.

Soil Health

• http://soilhealth.cals.cornell.edu
  Cornell Soil Health website. Includes a soil health assessment manual - primarily for farmers, but instructive to others. From Cornell University.
• http://www.soilhealth.com/
  Includes a section that explains how soils are alive. From the University of Western Australia.

Step 9 - Slopes

Building Retaining Walls

• http://hometime.com/Howto/projects/retain/rtn_1.htm
  From HOMETIME.com

Deciduous Woody Ground Covers

• http://www.hort.cornell.edu/uhi/outreach/pdfs/dwgc.pdf
  From the Urban Horticulture Institute, Department of Horticulture, Cornell University

Herbaceous Ground Covers

• http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/1000/1648.html
  From The Ohio State University by Jack Kerrigan and David Edenfield .

Step 10 - Wildlife Interference

Moles

• http://pubs.cas.psu.edu/FreePubs/pdfs/uh084.pdf
  From Penn State University

Wildlife Damage Management and Control

• wildlifecontrol.info/pubs/Pages/default.aspx
  Links to online publications from Northeast states related to wildlife damage management and control.
• http://icwdm.org
  Research-based information on how to responsibility handle wildlife damage problems. From the Internet Center for Wildlife Damage Management.
• http://www.extension.org/category/human-wildlife_relations
  Articles about human-wildlife relations. Option to ask an expert questions.

Step 11 - Existing Plants For Further Reading.

Books

• Broadleaved Shrubs and Shade Trees: Problems, Picture Clues, and Management Options, NRAES-183, by Mary Kay Malonoski and David Clement, NRAES, Ithaca, NY. Purchase online at www.palspublishing.cals.cornell.edu
• Tree ID Guide for Common Urban Trees in New York State and the Northeast. Urban Horiculture Institute, Cornell University. Order form available for this pocket-sized book at: http://www.hort.cornell.edu/uhi/outreach/index.htm

Herbaceous Perennials

• http://www.infography.com/content/246155002734.html
  Links to web pages with information about herbaceous perennials. From the Botanical Society of America

Tree Identification

• http://www2.dnr.cornell.edu/ext/info/pubs/misc/Know Your Trees.pdf
  An online version of Know Your Trees, by J. A. Cope and F. E. Winch, Jr., revised by E.A. Cope, Cornell University.

Step 12 - Putting It All Together

Checklist for Site Assessment

• http://www.hort.cornell.edu/uhi/outreach/recurbtree/pdfs/04sitelist.pdf
  From Recommended Urban Trees: Site Assessment and Tree Selection for Stress Tolerance, Urban Horticulture Institute, Department of Horticulture, Cornell University, 2009.

References and Resources

General Advice

Botanical Gardens, Public Gardens, and Arboretum Locations

• http://gardenvisit.com/gardens/in/usa
  From Nightingale Garden Company, Ltd., registered in England and Wales.
• http://www.garden.org/public_garden
  From the National Gardening Association.

Cooperative Extension Office Locations

• http://www.csrees.usda.gov/Extension/
  From the United States Department of Agriculture.

Home and Garden Information Center

• http://www.hgic.umd.edu/
  Horticultural information for the public nationwide through a diagnostic website. By the University of Maryland Cooperative Extension.

Landscape Design

Land grant university Cooperative Extension programs provide resources that can help you adapt this workbook to your region. Consult your state's Cooperative Extension service and/or county office for specific local information. Here are a few:

• Developing a Landscape Plan, from the University of Missouri, Reviewed by David H. Trinklein. View this online at: http://extension.missouri.edu/xplor/agguides/hort/g06901.htm
• Home Landscape: Understanding the Basics of Landscape Design, from the University of Nebraska. To order a copy, visit http://www.ianrpubs.unl.edu/sendIt/ec1254.html
• Planning and Designing Your Home Landscape, from the University of Wisconsin. To order a paper copy or view a PDF copy, go to: http://learningstore.uwex.edu/Planning-and-Designing-Your-Home-Landscape-P754.aspx

Plant Selection

These references include a few that are mentioned earlier in the workbook.

• Improve Your Soil with Cover Crops, Ecogardening Factsheet #9 http://blogs.cornell.edu/horticulture/about/basic-gardening-info/cover-crops/ From Cornell Garden Based Learning, the Department of Horticulture, Cornell University.
• Plant Database of Trees, Shrubs and Vines, University of Connecticut. Trees, shrubs, and vines are listed by common and scientific name along with plant attributes. http://www.hort.uconn.edu/plants/
• Recommended Urban Trees: Site Assessment and Tree Selection for Stress Tolerance, Urban Horticulture Institute, Cornell University, 2009. Available online in PDF format at: http://www.hort.cornell.edu/uhi/outreach/recurbtree/ This site also includes an order form for a 133-page paper copy.
• Tree ID Guide for Common Urban Trees in New York State and the Northeast. From the Urban Horticulture Institute, Department of Horticulture, at Cornell University. Order form available for this pocket-sized book at: http://www.hort.cornell.edu/uhi/outreach/index.htm

Growing Vegetables and Fruits

• Cornell Gardening Resources - Vegetables, Cornell University http://blogs.cornell.edu/horticulture/vegetables/ The Cornell site has a vegetable selection feature, while most other sources only tell you how to grow a particular vegetable. Consult your local Cooperative Extension for vegetable gardening information suitable for your region.
• Cornell Guide to Growing Fruit at Home, Department of Horticulture, Cornell University, 2003. Includes sections on tree fruits, grapes, strawberries, brambles, blueberries, and more. http://www.gardening.cornell.edu/fruit/homefruit.html
• Home Vegetable Gardening, by Larry Bass, North Carolina State University http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/hil/ag-06.html