Many of the chestnut trees planted in May of 2010 are nearly five feet tall – started from seed.
This year’s planting went in May 1st, and several of those trees are 15 inches tall already.So far this month, rainfall is just about double the DEP’s average prediction for all of June. Twelve out of the first 24 days produced measurable rainfall, and more is in the forecast.
While my trees planted in rocky clay have thrived, other trees are looking pretty stressed. Around
Sadly, many of the trees at
Hope springs eternal, however, and this past week, the Middletown Urban Forestry Commission began planting a nursery for future street trees. Approximately 150 native trees were potted up and heeled into a long trench, where they will grow for about two years. At least one more increase in pot size will be needed before these trees become large enough to survive as urban trees.
Because street trees have so many stresses – salt, limited root space, lack of water, careless drivers and thoughtless passers-by – the new trend for urban tree planting is something called “set-back planting.” These are trees planted by the municipality on residential property, rather than in what some call the “hell strip” between sidewalk and street. An agreement between the city and the homeowner states that the homeowner will make sure the tree or trees are watered and protected. In return, the city agrees to maintain the tree as needed, with the knowledge that these trees will likely have a much better future than they would if planted in the “hell strip.”
The Urban Forestry Commission received a grant in 2010 to plant a group of sugar maples to replace many maples that had been removed in recent years. With luck and favorable weather, many more will be planted in coming years.
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