Examples of jurisdictions with minimum tree soil volume requirements
Link to this table.
| Jurisdiction |
Minimum tree soil volume |
| Kitchener, Ontario, Canada |
- Large stature trees (≥24” diameter at maturity): 1589 cubic feet (c.f) for single trees; 1059 c.f. for trees sharing soil volume; 530 c.f. allowable shared soil volume
- Medium Stature trees: (≥16” diameter at maturity): 989 c.f for single trees; 653 c.f. for trees sharing soil volume; 336 c.f. allowable shared soil volume
- Small stature trees: (≥8” diameter at maturity): 600 c.f for single trees; 389 c.f. for trees sharing soil volume; 212 c.f. allowable shared soil volume
- For all boulevards where trees are planted, the minimal soil depth will be 450 mm (17.7 inches), and all other soil habitat zones (public/private front lawn, cul de sac, active parkland) will be 900 mm.
- Where soil habitat zones (e.g. boulevard and front lawn) must be connected to achieve the required soil volumes, root pathways or Silva Cells will be used to provide a functional connection between the two areas.
|
| Emeryville, CA |
- 600 cubic feet (17 cubic meters) for a small tree
- 900 cubic feet (25 cubic meters) for a medium tree
- 1200 cubic feet (34 cubic meters) for a large tree
- 50 percent credit for planting areas under adjacent paving using 100% planting soil with Silva Cell or similar products.
|
| Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
- 30 cubic meters (1059 cubic feet) of soil per tree
- 20 cubic meters(706 cubic feet) per tree for trees with shared volume
- Minimum 0.9 m (3’) and maximum 1.2 m (4’) depth
|
| Markham and Oakville, Ontario, Canada; Burnaby MetroTown Development Area, British Columbia, Canada |
- 30 cubic meters (1059 cubic feet) of soil per tree
- 15 cubic meters (530 cubic feet) per tree for trees with shared volume
|
| North Vancouver Lonsdale Street Guideline, British Columbia, Canada |
15 cubic meters (530 cubic feet) per tree for trees with shared volume |
| Calgary, Alberta, Canada |
Provide for a volume of soil suitable for a 25 year tree life span, this is approximately 14 cubic meters [494 c.f.) for a single tree. An additional 7 cubic meters [247 c.f.] of soil is required for each additional tree in interconnected plantings |
| Langley, British Columbia, Canada |
- Zoning Bylaw requires 10 cubic meters (353 cubic feet) of growing medium per tree planted in hard surfaced parking lots on private developments.
- Subdivision and Development Servicing Bylaw requires 10 cubic meters (353 cubic feet) of growing medium per tree (generally street trees)
- growing medium defined as screened, weed free, composted soil mixed according to BC Landscape Standards for the intended use and confirmed with a soil analysis report.
- In hardscape environments, street trees are expected to be planted using structured supports such as Silva Cell to achieve the expected growing volume
|
| Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, Tree Planting Details and Specifications, Downtown Area and Regional Streets |
- 8.5 cubic meters
- (300 c.f.) to 12.75 cubic meters (450 c.f.) of soil per tree
- 17.0 cu.m. (600 c.f.) to 25.5 cubic meters (900 c.f.) for 2 trees with shared volume
- Optimal planting medium depth 900 mm (36in.). Minimum planting medium depth of 760 mm (30in.) will be accepted where 900 mm is not feasible.
|
| Denver, CO |
Internal (city) standard: 750 c.f. of soil volume per tree |
| University of Florida Extension Recommendations (Urban Design for a Wind Resistant Forest) |
- Small trees (shorter than 30’) = 10’x10’x3’ = 300 c.f.
- Medium trees (Less than 50’ height or spread) = 1,200 c.f.
- Large trees (Greater than 50’ height or spread) = 2,700 c.f.
|
| Minnesota B3 Guidelines |
- Small trees (e.g. serviceberry) = 400 c.f.
- Medium trees (e.g. ironwood) = 800 c.f.
- Large trees (e.g. hackberry) = 1,200 c.f.
If using structural soils, total soil volumes above need to be multiplied by 5 to obtain equivalent volume of soil useable by the tree. |
