STREET TREE CARE TIPS
1. Water. Water. Water. Water. Water.
There really is no such thing as too much water for a young street tree. Make sure that your tree is getting 10-20 gallons of water every week. Watering is the SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT RESPONSIBILITY YOU HAVE WHEN CARING FOR YOUR STREET TREE. Trees stressed by lack of water will develop diseases and be suseptable to insect infestation. Trees that die from neglect are not replaced. 10-20 gallons of water can be measured many ways. Let your hose trickle for at least 30 minutes, or get two five-gallon buckets, drill several holes in the bottom, place buckets over your tree root area and fill with water. When the buckets are empy, you're done for the week. Keep watering weekly until the ground freezes. Start again in the spring (mid-may)
2. Mulch Madness! Keep a layer of mulch (pine bark nuggets, cocoa mulch, shavings, etc.) around your tree. This insulates the trees' roots, protecting them from heat waves and cold snaps and helps to retain moisture in the soil after watering (see above). In addition, a mulched bed gives the tree a "cared-for" appearance and discourages vandalism and the like. Use the donut technique: less than 1 inch of mulch at the trunk of the tree, 2-3 inches of mulch a few inches from the trunk and at least 4 inches of mulch around above the root ball all the way around the tree. Mulch should be changed at least 2-3 times a year.
3. Clean it up! Discourage vandals and encourage appreciation of your efforts to regreen your neighborhood by weeding your tree well, and removing litter and other nasty stuff. Weeds need to be removed because they rob the tree of that all important water (see above). Clean out all doogie doo--it is toxic to trees! In the spring, get rid of sucker growth at the base of the tree.
4. Protect and serve! Put up a tree guard, fencing, metal or wooden posts to keep your tree safe from the horrors of car doors, bike locks, wayward garbage cans, potent dogs, bumpers and more! Tree protection can be elaborate or simple, it just has to protect the tree. Remember, if you build it, trees will grow.
PNPP
8 Third Street
Providence, RI 02906
tel. 401-351-6440 x13
cell 401-368-5380
fax 401-351-0118
street_trees at pnpp.org