From the Fairhaven Tree Department
Greetings from the Tree Department. Another spring has come and gone and our trees are leafed out. We managed to plant another 66 trees this April and it’s time to start planning our fall planting in November. We hope to plant 50 to 60 then and will try to engage several groups to both help out and honor with these plantings. The big goal is 100 trees a year. This will ensure a good tree canopy without having too many trees the same age.
The two Eastern Red Buds we planted in front of the High School led by a biology class was what I hope is the start of engaging new stewards of the town’s tree canopy.
If you have an organization, a business or are an individual who would like of be a part of building a greener future please reach out to me at 508-922-1222. We are looking for help in findings planting sites, donations, planting and caring help. It’s all very easy and very rewarding to see these trees grow.
Speaking of caring, planting is not a “set and forget” endeavor. Small trees need watering from June through September for their first three years if they don’t get it from rain. About five gallons once per week normally and twice a week under dry conditions. This amounts to less money than a decent bottle of wine to your water bill annually. Studies have shown it is a fact that healthy trees add value to your property.
Young trees are very delicate believe it or not. Their bark is very thin and easily damaged for the first six years or so depending on species. String trimmers will maim and damage the bark of a young tree if you get too close. Remove the bark and a tree cannot replace it leading to decline in health and sometimes death. Putting ornamental rings of stones or other things around tree trunks is bad for trees in most cases. It is very important the tapered flare of the tree base is not covered. Any age tree should not look like a telephone pole where it exits the ground.
Over mulching seems to be a chronic practice done by so called professional landscapers. Mulch should be thin and not piled against a tree trunk. Volcano mulching is very bad for the long term health of a tree.
There are very specific guidelines for pruning trees. If getting a private tree pruned make sure the outfit you hire knows what they are doing. I hope to put together a list of companies I would recommend in the future based on the work I have seen them do.
Never prune or ask anyone other than the Town Tree Department to prune a town tree. It is illegal to do so even if it is overhanging your property. See MGL Chapter 87. I hope to cover that law’s history and reasoning in the future.
Til then, be well and be green,
Don C. Collasius, Town of Fairhaven Tree Warden
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