Month: July 2013

Tree Care Made Simple

Beth Kwart Tree Care

Keep your trees happy this summer with these simple tree care steps:

1) Water: Newly planted street trees (10-15′ tall) need 20-30 gallons of water per week for the first two years they’re in the ground. Water should be applied slowly at the base of your tree using a hose, bucket, or gator bag (pictured below) during the spring, summer, and fall. When the ground freezes, you can stop watering. Remember: lack of water is the #1 reason a newly planted tree dies!

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2) Mulch: Mulch is the best thing you can do for your tree, and it’s inexpensive! Mulch retains moisture, helps prevent weed growth, adds microorganisms to the soil, and looks nice. Mulch should be applied to your entire tree bed, about 4″ thick, but not touching the base of your tree. Piling mulch against the base of your tree is known as a “mulch volcano” and can weaken the trunk of your tree. The NJ Tree Foundation recommends mulching your tree twice a year.

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3) Weed: Weeds compete with your tree for water and nutrients and also make your tree pit look unkept. Weeds can be removed by pulling the base of the plant upward and removing the plant, along with its roots.

Congratulations, Newark TreeKeepers!

Beth Kwart Just for Fun, Success Stories, Tree Care, Volunteers

This June, the NJ Tree Foundation successfully conducted our second round of annual Newark TreeKeepers workshops. This series of four sessions taught residents the proper tree-care and maintenance techniques needed to become effective tree stewards in their communities. Residents from all five wards of Newark were represented at these workshops, offered free of charge to nearly 70 participants. The Tree Foundation would like to extend our thanks to the Ironbound Community Corporation for hosting this summer’s sessions.

We’d like to congratulate those who attended all four workshops to become Certified Newark TreeKeepers!

IMG_2355Zubaida Carter
Leo Gonzalez
Murad Majied
Cynthia Mellon
Lito Miranda
Tatyana Polite
Tom Shenk
Nashid Siddeeq
Joni Wellness

The NJ Tree Foundation is proudly a member of the Alliance for Community Trees. These educational workshops were made possible through a partnership with TD Bank.

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Exceptional Spring 2013 Volunteers in Newark

Elena Lopez Uncategorized, Volunteers

Every season we meet new dedicated volunteers that make our plantings possible.  We cannot express our gratitude enough to these hard-working groups and individuals who spend their time planting trees with us. This spring, the Newark Renaissance Trees Program worked together with over 200 volunteers to plant 112 trees. While all of our volunteers were spectacular, there were 2 groups that stuck out for their hard work and enthusiasm: La Casa de Don Pedro, and Whole Foods Milburn-Union.

IMG_2132La Casa de Don Pedro   is an organization dedicated to community development in Newark. Their profound passion for making Newark a better place was immediately evident when they arrived at our plantings. Elsa Cipriani, La Casa’s Health Services Manager, described volunteering as an “opportunity to give back to our Newark community, beautifying public spaces, and also learning about community plantings.”  La Casa brought a group of lively volunteers to three of our plantings this spring.

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Liz Dugan, a member of the Whole Foods Market Green Mission Team, described the experience with the Tree Foundation as a “perfect fit.” The Whole Foods team came out to volunteer and enhance the community; they enjoyed the experience so much they came back to another planting. Their entire group, reaching upwards of 10 volunteers, arrived with energy, eager to learn and work. Another Green mission member, Le’Nisha Rogers stated, “We really felt involved and that we weren’t just planting trees, but we were showing those around us that by planting just one tree, we can make a difference.”

Thank you again to all of our spectacular Spring 2013 volunteers, we hope to see you again in the fall!