Trees

[from Carol Herwig]

A plea to all who have had new trees planted on your block within the past year or two. Water them. New trees need 10-20 gallons of water a week. Ideally, it should be done slowly, once a week.

Comments

[Susan]

Casey Trees wrote me back saying they would be glad to help organize a tree planting in Petworth. They see Ward 4 as a high priority, but have not had as much input from the community here as in other places. The good news is that they are soliciting applications right now for fall tree plantings. They request 2 volunteers per tree planted. Please write me if you'd be willing to volunteer for a tree planting this fall - the application is due June 15. Thanks!

[carol herwig]

DDOT can remove a tree that you plant yourself in the tree boxes between the street and sidewalk. If it’s healthy and a good size they probably won’t, but there is a city plan -- the type of tree is based on the type of street (side street, main thoroughfare, etc.). Upshur st. was a linden street, but is diversifying with hedge maples and thundercloud plums. New Hampshireused to be locust street has switched to oaks and plums. 7th street was Norway and silver maple, but is switching to plane trees and red maples, etc… I violated it years ago by planting a non-approved tree back in the days when no trees were being planted (pax m. barry) and pleaded my case successfully to Bill Beck, then the boss/guru of DC trees. (The tree was healthy, more than 25 feet tall, was a tree historically found in the neighborhood, didn’t threaten the power lines, etc.). The city has planted a lot of dogwoods (on north Capitol street) and cherries (thundercloud plums) recently, especially in areas where there are overhead power lines. But the life expectancy is short, short. Hedge maple (acer campestre) is a better choice. Also the chinese elm and the ginko. These are hardier. The maple and elm are smaller, too. Finally, generally, if you call 727-1000, you’ll should a tree within 6 months to a year, depending when you call. Earl Eutsler is our Ward 4 DDOT arborist and can be reached at [email protected].

Also: if you live on a diagonal “state” street, such as Illinois or Kansas, casey trees will do an elm planting.

And yes, plantings are generally done in fall and spring. Not in summer. The key to all successful plantings is water. 10-20 gallons a week in a slow percolation.

Good luck

[Jean]

I have been trying to get the City to trim the trees on the 700 block of Shepherd St. with little success. They came out once and trimmed two trees. Shortly after a huge tree snapped in two and fell in the middle of the street right at about peak hour one evening. There are others that need to be trimmed. Any ideas on how to get this done successfully?

[Jean]

I have been trying to get the City to trim the trees on the 700 block of Shepherd St. with little success. They came out once and trimmed two trees. Shortly after a huge tree snapped in two and fell in the middle of the street right at about peak hour one evening. Luckily nobody was hurt. There are others that need to be trimmed or assessed to see if they are rotted. Any ideas on how to get this done successfully?

[Susan]

If you're having problems getting a tree planted I would contact Casey Trees, http://www.caseytrees.org/. They work with the city to maintain street trees and are a lot simpler to get in touch with - they could advise on the process to get a tree planted. They have an Urban Forester program where you can get trained on how to plant trees & they organize volunteer teams to do planting (I've done part of the training and volunteered on a street tree survey with them a few years ago). In any case, it's likely too hot now to plant a tree - fall would be much better. I think it would be possible also to get a group in Petworth interested in planting trees and coordinate with them to have a tree planting event in Petworth this fall. (they've planted hundreds of trees across DC this way) We wouldn't have to buy the trees, but instead organize a group of people willing to help plant them. I'm glad to help out on this if others are interested.

[Amy J]

I successfully (so far) planted a weeping cherry tree in my front yard this weekend which I bought at the Home Depot. For those that live on the Eastern side of Petworth I would recommend a trip to Denchfield Landscaping in Hyattsville--its a lot closer than VA and they have a huge selection of plants and trees. Their website is http://www.dlandscaping.com/about.html

[Chris]

My unprofessional advice: Generally, tree planting is supposed to happen in the fall or the spring, and it's ... um ... feeling a little less spring-like out there. I've actually had better luck planting in the fall, to be honest. I suspect, however, that if you do it quickly, it might not be too late, so long as you take proper care to allow the poor guy to drink lots of water a couple of times a week. I would think a fruit tree, which are generally smaller, would be best for a smaller yard. A redbud would work too, though you definitely need to be sure to pay lots of attention to them (at least in the first year).

[David]

Is it too late to plant a tree this summer? And does anyone have a suggested type for in a small front yard?

[Chris]

Thanks for all the advice -- I'll let you know how and if it works out.

[Garrett]

Drop a line to Liz Tylander at [email protected]. Or you could call Urban Forestry directly - talk to Ranjit. Make sure you already have a reference number from the City-wide Call Center first. Good luck! It took over six months for us to get a dead tree removed and replaced in front of our house.

[Taylor]

I have been trying to get tree boxes added to my side of the street for years with no luck. If you already have a tree box, I would suggest planting your own tree. The city would not remove it, the biggest concern would be people walking by and messing with the tree.

I remember last year when DC planted new trees and I saw a teenager pulling on the branches of one of the new trees until it almost touched the ground.

By planting your own tree you can atleast pick the type. I would suggest going to Merrifield Garden center in Virginia. Their selection is excellent. I got a Kwanzan Cherry and a White Dogwood from there.

[Chris]

Speaking of which, I have tried to get the city to plant trees in the green strip in front of my building. I was told last Fall that it was going to happen during the "2005-2006 planting season," but it didn't happen in the fall and I'm thinking, at this point, it's not going to happen in the spring. I did the request on the DC government service center online, which I've had good luck with in the past, but as of several months ago, that request simply disappeared. I've tried writing Councilmember Fenty's office numerous times, but can't get a response on that front [insert cynical comment here]. Any ideas anybody? I'm tempted to just plant a tree myself, except I wouldn't put it past the government for them come and take it out....!