The City is partnering with Professor Sean Thomas, University of Toronto, to research the impacts of biochar and biofertilizer on improving soil health, promoting tree growth, and reducing green house gas emissions.
In 2025 the study is expanding to include more City-owned trees, including trees in front of people’s homes located on the City-owed right-of-way. University students and staff will be applying Biochar or Biofertilizer soil amendments around the base of randomly selected newly planted trees and collecting data using specialized equipment 2-3 times a year for a minimum of 2 years. Trees will remain under their regular maintenance schedules and do not require any additional intervention as a result of this study.
For more information: https://scthomaslab.wixsite.com/thomaslab/torontobiochar
1. What are researching doing to these City trees?
The City of Toronto and University of Toronto researchers will be adding biochar or biofertilizer to randomly selected newly planted City trees to improve their health and growth. Amendments will be added in 2025, with monitoring continuing for about two years with regular monitoring 2-3 times per year. Scientific measuring devices maybe attached to the tree for brief periods of time.
2. What are biochar and biofertilizer?
3. Is this safe for pets, kids, or pollinators?
Yes! There are no known risks to people, pets, wildlife, or pollinators from these treatments.
4. Will this affect my lawn or property?
You should not notice any major change to your property. The soil treatments are gently mixed into the area around the base of the tree. The mulch is then replaced, and everything is restored to its original state.
5. Can I opt out or remove my tree from the study?
No. Trees were randomly selected to ensure fair and accurate results. Since these are City-owned trees, they’ll be treated and monitored as part of the City’s regular tree care.
6. Is there anything I should be doing?
The best thing you can do for the study is nothing at all. Any disturbance to the trees or soil can compromise the results of the experiment. City of Toronto maintenance crews will treat the tree as normal. If you have a regular watering schedule for your trees, please continue to water as normal - consistency is preferred when performing experiments in the natural environment. Please do not add any chemical fertilizers or other amendments to the City tree adjacent to your property.
7. Will results of this study be made available to the public?
Yes. The University of Toronto is working closely with the city to share results as the study progresses. The results of the study will be made available once the sampling and analysis have been completed.