Plant installation in Plot 1 of the trials at CUH in June . ( Photo by Soo-Hyung Kim )
Soo-Hyung Kim referring to the plot randomization grid that guided the installation of 360 plants . ( Photo by Clare McLean ) words , tree-like . “ Vitex has proven to be really drought-tolerant for us and with no obvious negatives . So , if you could get a compact , intensely colored , freely blooming one like Blue Diddley ®, it could be a pretty popular landscape plant , especially as an alternative to the similarlooking but invasive – butterfly bush .”
Intensive Teamwork and Collaboration Teamwork , problem-solving and perseverance were essential to launching the project . “ Obviously , the project has its own meaning and implications in terms of research , but in terms of the process of working together , it has been really , really great ,” enthuses Kim . “ This has been the culmination of how staff and students and faculty can work together to achieve a goal . This is a very , very impressive outcome .”
Funding for the trial originated with the USDA and is funneled through the California Department of Food and Agriculture to UC Davis , which in turn distributes it to the six participating universities . Once UW ’ s funding was approved , Kim and David Zuckerman , UWBG Manager of Horticulture , embarked on a multi-step process to bring the trial to life .
After identifying the CUH field as the ideal potential site last year , Kim and Zuckerman had to obtain approval to use it from the UW Environmental Health and Safety Department . Because the land is close to a wetland buffer , it was a nerve-racking and long process — with a successful outcome .
The next step was performing soil analysis ( result : sandy loam on top of irksome hard pan ) and soil preparation . Annie Bilotta , UWBG horticulturist , began plowing in April , 2021 . “ I
had started by using our walk-behind rototiller but that just bounced off the soil ,” she recalls . In the end , she used a number of John Deere tractor implements ( spring-tooth harrow , rototiller , sub-soiler and disc harrow ) to break up deep soil compaction and clods in order to transform the field into a plantable area . “ I had to go over the field over and over again — I felt like a farmer plowing a field , trying to get it to a usable state .”
Meanwhile , Hsu and M Stuke , SEFS graduate student and research assistant , were sourcing and transporting plant materials and coordinating plot layout .
Next came the irrigation design and installation . James Boeckstiegel , irrigation lead at UW Facilities , consulted with Kim and Zuckerman to ensure that the site had a reliable water source and the appropriate hydrology to support the project ’ s irrigation requirements . “ I showed them how to do the installation , and then they took over . They did all the measuring of the pipes , the cutting and gluing ,” he says of their can-do spirit . “ They were very enthusiastic . They were more than willing to jump in and learn and do all the aspects of whatever the project called on them to do .”
Then it was time to install 360 plants , which was accomplished by a team of staff , faculty and students . Zuckerman gave student volunteers a mini workshop on correct planting techniques before digging in . “ It ’ s important that they get planted properly or else we would have high mortality . The students got to see how to do it . They were like , ‘ I didn ’ t know you could be that ruthless with the root ball !’ Yes , you ’ ve got to get those roots spread out !”
12 v Washington Park Arboretum Bulletin