On the first weekend of May, for the second year, a group of intrepid planters will be working to plant a blight-resistant variety of chestnut trees around Middletown. And volunteers are needed.
From Jane Harris:
Volunteers are needed to help plant about 190 chestnut trees on Saturday, May 1st., from 9 am to 1 pm. The Middletown Urban Forestry Commission and the Middletown Garden Club are collaborating with the CT Chapter of the American Chestnut Foundation to build an experimental orchard of hybrid, blight-resistant American chestnut trees on city land near the Higby Reservoir.
The work is not heavy, but it would be helpful to have a dozen or so volunteers who can fill previously dug holes with growing medium and sprouted chestnuts. A few small trees from last year's test planting need to be relocated also.
If you can help, please email treefanatic@gmail.com or call 860-306-2709. Please plan to bring a kneeling pad, gloves and a trowel. There may be some poison ivy, although I have not seen any this year. Directions will be emailed to anyone who can join us. Note: because of the fragile nature of the nuts, children under 12 should not attend the planting.
2 comments:
Hint: Don't plant the trees under the power lines!
Just a short clarification -- the chestnuts we are planting on Saturday are part of an exprimental research orchard, and will all be planted in one site, where they can be monitored. Unfortunately, we do not yet have trees ready for prime time; these nuts that we are planting must be nurtured for the production of even more blight-resistant stock.
Later this season, the Urban Forestry Commission plans to set out seedling trees at the same site, and these will be dedicated to future street tree plantings, after they have had a chance to grow large enough to survive as street trees.
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