Utilizing Biosolids for Improving Soil Quality and Promoting Healthy Trees and Turf in Urban Landscapes.

As human population increases and urban lands expand, more reliance is placed on green infrastructure to provide ecological services for sustainable and livable cities. Trees and turf landscapes are major components of the urban green infrastructure. Soil quality in these landscapes is a major concern due to: 1) degradation of these soils, 2) variable maintenance requirements and often high inputs of fertilizers and irrigation, and 3) potential contamination of surface and ground waters when fertilizers are not properly applied to these landscapes. This presentation will highlight The Morton Arboretum’s research on managing soil quality with biosolids in tree and turf urban landscapes. Data from two field experiments will be presented. This first experiment is a five-year study comparing biosolids to other organic amendments (e.g., biochar, compost, wood-chips) and inorganic fertilizers with five common urban landscape trees. The second experiment is two-year study examining the turf response to biosolids in comparison to other organic amendments and inorganic fertilization. The overall goal of this research is to enhance soil quality and promote healthy trees and turf by utilizing residuals of the urban environment, such as biosolids.