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ive insurance against a shovel accidentally encountering buried telephone <br /> cables, or worse!) <br /> Tools and Supplies <br /> Miscellaneous tools and supplies for Planting Day must also be arranged <br /> (Appendix E). <br /> Lunch and Celebration <br /> An especially pleasant way to end the day, once the planting is completed, is <br /> to get everyone back together to celebrate and to relax a bit before returning <br /> home (or before putting the finishing touches on the new plantings). The <br /> easiest way to accomplish this is to provide lunch for all the participants! <br /> Arrangements need to be made beforehand and folks need to meet at a specified <br /> time for the food and fun. Often, a neighborhood grocery or restaurant will <br /> be happy to donate the food. Or local businesses may be willing to donate <br /> funds to purchase food for a light lunch. <br /> Sod Removal and Digging of Holes <br /> Performing these tasks ahead of time, during the week preceding Planting Day, <br /> lightens the work considerably on Planting Day. A sod -free planting area at <br /> least six feet across must be prepared to help ensure that the new tree gets <br /> the best start possible. The presence of grass can inhibit the development of <br /> new tree roots. And by preparing a substantial grass -free, mulched planting <br /> area, neighbors are less likely to nick the young tree trunk with a lawnmower <br /> or compact the soil by treading where the tree's new roots will be developing. <br /> If the treelawn is less than eight feet in width, a sod -free planting area <br /> should be prepared that extends all the way from the curb to the sidewalk, and <br /> is at least six feet wide. For treelawns eight feet wide or wider, remove the <br /> sod in a square or circular area at least six feet across, in the center of <br /> the treelawn. The Project Leader may wish to mark with spray paint the <br /> corners or edges of planting areas when confirming the utility checks, so <br /> neighbors will know exactly where to cut. <br /> There are three ways that sod can be removed. City staff and their sod - <br /> cutting machine, if available, may do it. Or a group of neighbors might chip <br /> in to rent a sod - cutter and do all the planting sites themselves the weekend <br /> before Planting Day. Or neighbors can remove the sod by hand, using pulaskis <br /> loaned by the City for that purpose. In the latter case, it is wise that the <br /> sod first be removed from a "demonstration site" so neighbors can stop by to <br /> see how their site should look when finished, before borrowing the pulaski. <br /> Sod that is removed is best composted nearby, to avoid having to haul it away. <br /> After the sod is removed, the hole for the new tree must be dug. For most <br /> trees, a hole three feet across and two feet deep is adequate. Should the <br /> hole need to be larger, it can be enlarged when the Planting Team arrives on <br /> Planting Day. To prevent accidents after digging the hole, and before <br /> planting the tree, the hole should either be covered with boards or marked by <br /> a barrier made of stakes and light - colored flagging. <br /> 9 <br />