Filed under: Compost, family activities, gardening, MillionTrees NYC, Nature, Queens, Tree care, volunteer | Tags: botanical, botanical garden, botanical gardens, compost, composting, environment, family activities, gardening, gardening tips, MillionTreesNYC, New York, plants, public garden, public gardens, Queens, sustainability, trees
Welcome to spring! City trees are blooming and leafing out in parks and tree beds alike, bringing much-needed bursts of color to our landscape.
Now is a great time to offer your trees a bit of tender loving care. There are several things you can do to help your tree out, especially in this unnaturally dry and warm spring we are experiencing.
Young street trees (those which have lived less than 5 years in a tree bed) are in the most danger of suffering from lack of water. Keeping the soil moist will ensure that tree roots grow downward and establish themselves in the tree beds.
To prepare the soil for watering, remove any remaining mulch which may have collected animal waste and other pollution throughout the winter. Remove any trash as well. Take a cultivator or other small gardening tool and loosen up the soil throughout the bed, being careful to watch for roots that may be just under the soil. Loosening the soil is an essential step to making sure the water stays in the tree bed and doesn’t drain off into the sewer system.
Adding compost to the tree bed will help the soil retain moisture and provide air space for tree roots to grow. Work no more than an inch or two of compost in first 2 inches of soil. Either vermicompost (from and indoor composting bin) or compost from an outdoor bin or garden store are great additions to a tree bed. If mulch is available, add 1-3 inches of mulch over the loosened soil, maintaining a space of 6 inches around the trunk of the tree free of mulch. The mulch will help retain water in the bed as well and prevent it from evaporating on warm, dry days.
Now, the tree is ready to be watered! Young trees need 15-20 gallons of water a week, all at once. Slowly pour the water into the tree bed (or use a hose on a low-flow setting) until the bed is saturated. Pouring the water in the “moat” area near the trunk created by the mulch is one way to capture water in the tree bed. Let the water absorb into the soil before adding more to keep water from running off onto the street and sidewalk.
Example of a tree bed moat
Spring is also a great time to shape up your trees, literally. For decades, TreesNY has been training New Yorkers to safely (and legally) prune NYC street trees. Pruning helps keep trees healthy, safe, and beautiful. The Citizen Pruner course in Queens starts in May and takes place in Long Island City. To find out more and register, please visit treesny.org. If you have trees that need pruning on your block, you can also call TreesNY to alert Citizen Pruners in your neighborhood. If trees in your neighborhood are posing a danger, please submit a pruning request through 311.
Filed under: family activities, gardening, MillionTrees NYC, Nature, Queens, Tree care | Tags: botanical, botanical garden, botanical gardens, environment, family activities, gardening, MillionTreesNYC, NYC Civic Corps, public garden, public gardens, Queens, sustainability, trees
We’re so pleased to welcome Neil Barrett to QBG as our new Civic Corps member working on MillionTreesNYC. Neil offers us a glimpse into his backround below — or better yet, meet him in person at on our our MillionTreesNYC workshops!
Since arriving from Cornwall, England in October 2010, adapting to life in New York has required significant readjustment as I’ve looked to find both my feet and professional niche. However, when the opportunity to participate in the NYC Civic Corps program presented itself, I immediately recognized the potential of the program and grabbed the opportunity with both hands.
Aside from helping to speed up my integration into my new home, the Civic Corps program – grounded as it is in public service – also allows me to interact and develop relationships with the residents of New York, many of whom I probably wouldn’t have otherwise met. I find this aspect of the program especially appealing as it enables me to interface with those who, like me, are seeking to reconcile their personal environmental values through social engagement and civic participation.
My academic background includes a bachelor’s degree in Business Information Systems from the University West of England, a Trinity College London, Cert. TESOL, and a Post Graduate Diploma in Environmental Decision Making from the UK’s Open University. While my academic goals are currently on hold, I plan to resume my studies upon completion of the Civic Corps program with a view to completing my Master’s degree in Urban Ecology. Additionally, my work with the Civic Corps program at with the Parks department at Central Forestry requires an understanding of urban forestry and, to develop my understanding of this area, I’ve am also studying to become ISA (International Society of Arborists) certified, something which I am sure will benefit my wider MillionTreesNYC community outreach work.
In the meantime, I remain both excited and committed to continuing and extending the outreach work of MillionTreesNYC. From my base at Queens Botanical Garden, my primary focus will be to extend the MillionTreesNYC message and help educate New Yorkers about the many benefits a healthy urban tree canopy can bring to the city. Additionally, my work will also involve hosting tree care workshops and teaching basic tree stewardship skills. Through this work, I hope to develop and sustain tree stewardship networks, so that individuals and groups can then share their skills and knowledge with others, so that New York’s street trees remain strong, healthy and prosper well into the future.
Filed under: family activities, MillionTrees NYC, Nature, Queens, Tree care | Tags: environment, family activities, gardening, MillionTreesNYC, New York, public garden, public gardens, Queens, trees
We’re so happy to welcome our new residents — lovely street trees thanks to MillionTreesNYC! Interested in helping your local greenery? Find out more about our tree care workshops – great fun for the whole family and neighborhood.
Filed under: gardening, MillionTrees NYC, Queens, Tree care | Tags: botanical, botanical garden, botanical gardens, environment, family activities, gardening, gardening tips, MillionTreesNYC, plants, public garden, public gardens, Queens, sustainability, trees, volunteer
Ever wonder how that beautiful, young, new street tree came to be planted on your street? Keep reading for an insider’s look on the MillionTreesNYC tree planting process by Chelsea Clarke, Queens MillionTreesNYC Stewardship Corps Outreach Coordinator!
As we transition from rainy April weather to warmer May temperatures, the planting season is well underway for the urban foresters working at the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation. Spring tree planting typically begins mid-March and continues until late May, or until all the trees are in the ground. But where do all these trees come from? Surely, they don’t just sprout from seed and grow to be 12 feet tall in a day! No, these trees are grown in nurseries for about 7 years, until their diameter at breast height (DBH) measures at least 2.5 inches, and they are deemed capable of surviving in the harsh urban environment of New York City.
In early March, carefully selected trees from nurseries in Maryland, Long Island, Buffalo and sometimes as far as Oregon arrive in New York City on semi-trucks. For easy handling during shipment and planting, a portion of the tree’s roots are removed, and then the remaining mass of roots and soil is wrapped up in burlap and contained by wire cages. This burlap package of roots at the base of the tree is called the root ball. The tree’s branches are tied up with string, much like a Christmas tree, in preparation to load it onto the truck. Trees from Maryland and Long Island are tied securely down onto the back bed of a large semi-truck. If the trees are travelling from as far as Oregon, they will be loaded onto a refrigerated truck.
Take note of the trees' root balls, and their tied branches.
Trees tied neatly and securely on the semi-truck.
Once the trees make the journey by truck to NYC, they are delivered to various storage yards all over the city. The pictures you see here were taken at a storage yard in East New York, Brooklyn. They trees are then unloaded from the truck using a special machine, grouped by species, and stored in the yard until their new sidewalk home is ready for them, usually just a couple weeks later.
This handy machine easily slides under the root ball of a tree and lifts it from the truck...
...to the ground, among trees of the same species, creating a forest of burlap and root balls.
Trees are marked with colorful ribbons to help workers identify the species before planting. Ribbons are removed after planting.
Keep a look out for new trees planted in your neighborhood this spring! Check for the orange bracelet that says SPRING 2011. Don’t see any trees in your neighborhood? Be sure to look for a white spray-painted “T” or the milliontreesnyc.org stencil on the sidewalk that indicate you might be receiving a tree this spring. To request trees for your neighborhood, call 311, and be sure to specify an address.
Each MillionTreesNYC tree has a colorful bracelet that identifies the year it was planted. Check the young trees on your block to see when they were planted!
MillionTreesNYC.org Stencil spray-painted using water-based marking chalk.
About the Author: Hi, my name is Chelsea Clarke, and I am an AmeriCorps member working as the Queens MillionTreesNYC Stewardship Corps Outreach Coordinator at Queens Botanical Garden. I work to set-up Street Tree Care Workshops at the Garden and in Queens neighborhoods where MillionTreesNYC has planted new street trees. Along with the NYC Compost Project in Queens and the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation (NYCDPR), we teach these workshops to inform New York City residents (people like you) how to properly care for your new street trees to ensure that they grow tall and strong to provide you and your community with all the benefits that trees can! Not only do I offer these workshops, but I also work with the NYCDPR at the Central Forestry office to gain insight into the entire tree planting process. Stay tuned for more blog posts from me in the next couple months about tree care and street tree planting processes, from tree procurement to stump removal.
Filed under: Events, MillionTrees NYC, Nature, Queens, Tree care, Turf grass care | Tags: botanical, botanical garden, botanical gardens, compost, composting, environment, gardening, grass, MillionTreesNYC, native plants, New York, public, public garden, Queens, trees
Project Leaf Drop in association with the Western Queens Compost Initiative welcomes the community to bring their bagged leaves without branches, trash, or wet yard waste, to participating sites on specific dates in October and November.
Project LeafDrop (nycleaves.org) is a coalition of community and botanical gardens, environmental groups, City agencies and community partners dedicated to directing fallen leaves from the trash bin to the compost bin, giving New Yorkers the chance to recycle residential leaves into compost and keep them out of our waste stream. Bagged leaves left curbside are sent to the landfill along with everyday garbage. Making a difference starts with you!
For More information including dropoff sites and dates visit http://nycleaves.org/
Filed under: Events, gardening, Nature, Queens, Tree care, volunteer | Tags: botanical, botanical garden, botanical gardens, compost, composting, environment, family activities, flowers, gardening, gardening tips, grass, herb gardening, New York, NYC Civic Corps, plants, public, public garden, trees, turf grass, vegetables, volunteer
It’s never too early to start planning — and fundraising — for your spring projects. If you have a local environmental project that needs financial or volunteer support, apply to post your project on ioby today. ioby stands for ‘in our backyards’ and connects people to environmental projects in their own neighborhoods so they can support them with donations or volunteer time. Anyone can post a project that meets our criteria. Got questions about how it works? Call 917-464-4515 or email info@ioby.org to talk to Erin or Brandon about your idea for neighborhood change.
Read some success stories to find out how ioby’s community can support work just like yours. Or join us at our benefit event on November 11th to meet 2010 Heroes In Our Backyards.
Filed under: family activities, gardening, Nature, Tree care, Turf grass care
Time to celebrate Mother Earth and do your part to protect our natural resources. Click on the link below for some helpful guides on Sustainable Gardening and Reducing Your Carbon Footprint.
QBG Family Guide to Sustainable Gardening
QBG Family Guide Reduce Your Carbon Footprint
Filed under: family activities, gardening, Nature, Tree care | Tags: botanical, botanical garden, botanical gardens, environment, family activities, gardening, gardening tips, plants, public garden, public gardens, sustainability, trees
Even though trees and shrubs may be dormant, they still need care. Here are a few great tips from Organic Plant Health’s December Newsletter:
- Keep beds and plant bases clear of debris.
- Don’t let mulch build up in beds and around plants – a 2” layer of mulch is sufficient (too much mulch reduces air flow in the soil and inhibits water uptake.
- If trees haven’t been fertilized yet, apply Urban Tree Care™ to improve soil fertility, while providing plant nutrients and rooting hormones. It’s an excellent option for urban trees. Click here to see our post on Tree Planting and using Urban Tree Care™.
Filed under: family activities, gardening, Nature, Tree care | Tags: botanical, botanical garden, botanical gardens, compost, environment, family activities, gardening, gardening tips, plants, public garden, public gardens, trees
Still a little time left to plant trees and shrubs before the ground freezes. We joined Marianne and Karl of QBG’s Horticulture Department to get their tips as they planted a container-grown European beech tree in the arboretum.
1. First, consider is the plant’s sun, soil, drainage requirements. Some plants need shady locations with moist soil, others need full sun and drier soils – and everything in between! The key for a healthy plant is to read up on its requirements, and carefully choose an appropriate location.
2. When the location has been chosen, grab a shovel and start digging a hole for the plant, discarding any stones that may be dislodged. The hole should be wide enough to fit the plant’s roots and allow for root growth. A good rule of thumb is 12” wider than the root ball on all sides.
The hole should be deep enough to accommodate our container-grown plant but not too deep – the trunk base should not be covered by soil. Look at the soil level of the container as a guide for depth – the flare of the roots at the tree’s base should be visible.
3. Loosen the container by tapping it, and pull the plant out. Tease out roots from the soil; if roots are compacted and in the shape of the container, carefully slice length-wise with a knife to loosen.
4. Place the root ball into the center of the hole, again making sure that the trunk base isn’t too deep. Refill the hole with a mixture of backfill soil and compost. QBG’s gardeners also mix in Organic Plant Health’s Urban Tree Care to help the plant get established.
5. When the hole is filled, gently step around the perimeter to tamp down the soil and remove any air pockets. The soil around the root ball should be firm, but not compacted. Fill any depressions in the soil so that the area is even.
6. Add a layer of mulch around the hole, creating a berm or saucer. Mulch helps hold in moisture and insulates roots from cold temperatures. Do not form mulch into “volcanoes” around tree trunks, which can impair the plant’s health – keep the trunk clear of mulch and concentrate on the root area.
7. Finally, to help establish the roots, irrigate thoroughly but avoid waterlogging the soil.
Several books provide additional details on tree and shrub planting, including ball-and-burlapped and bare root plants. Karl particularly enjoys Horticulture: Principles and Practices by George Acquaah, which provides excellent guidance.
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- 1. Digging hole for tree
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- 2. Checking depth of hole
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- 3. Removing tree from container
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- 4. Loosening roots around root ball
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- 5. Placing tree in hole
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- 6. Filling in soil and compost
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- 7. Adding Organic Plant Health’s Urban Tree Care
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- 8. Tamping down soil
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- 9. Creating the mulch berm
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- 10. Finishing the berm
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- 11. Finished berm
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- 12. Happy tree = happy gardeners! Thanks Karl and Marianne
Filed under: gardening, Tree care, Uncategorized | Tags: botanical gardens, environment, gardening, gardening tips, MillionTreesNYC, NYC Civic Corps, public gardens, trees, volunteer
Photo Credit: Ellen Arnstein
Trees offer shade and beautiful fall color, but remember that they need care to look their best. The MillionTreesNYC Stewardship Corps offer these fall tips to prepare trees for winter:
• Remove stakes and ties from street trees that have been in the ground for more than two years. Many of the newly planted street trees around the city are growing out of their ties! If you see a too-tight-tie on a tree, please cut it off. The stakes need to be removed from the bed along with the ties and discarded.
• Water young evergreen trees before the ground freezes
• Plant bulbs in the tree bed. Plantings should be 1 foot away from the base of the tree. Some good choices for bulbs in street tree beds include:
Crocus species
Hyacinthoides hispanica (bluebells)—best in shade
Chionodoxa species (glory-of-the-snow)
Convallaria majalis (lily-of-the-valley)
Narcissus species (daffodil)
Muscari species (grape hyacinth)
Eranthis hyemalis (winter aconite)
Species (as opposed to hybrid) tulips
Galanthus nivalis (snowdrop)
For more tips on planting bulbs check out these earlier articles on our blog and remember that by ordering bulbs at www.bloominbucks.com, and clicking on Queens Botanical Garden from the drop-down menu, you can help QBG!
• Refresh mulch ring around the base of your trees. Mulch should be made up of organic materials which may include wood chips, pine needles, hardwood and softwood bark or chopped leaves. The decomposition of these materials benefits the soil structure and helps to insulate and protect the roots during the winter season. Apply mulch in a doughnut shape covering the entire root system of a tree out to the edge where the canopy stops, also known as the drip line. Depth of mulch should 2-4 inches. Be sure to keep mulch at least 6 inches from the base of the tree trunk to prevent moisture from getting trapped by the trunk and causing it to rot.
• Remove pet waste from the tree bed.
• Call 311 to report dead street trees. For a number of reasons, a percentage of street trees die. Taking care of them can prevent this from happening. For those that haven’t made it, please report them to 311. New trees are under warranty from the contractor for the first two years and will be replaced at no cost to the city. Thank you for your help in supporting MillionTreesNYC!
