Your Street Tree Questions Answered
Several of you had some great questions about street trees following this morning’s post about the ones that appear to be dying on Coney Island Avenue. Tara Kiernan from the Parks Department’s Office of Public Affairs was able to help us out with some answers.
Treegator Bags
We’re really lucky to have those green bags that you see on many of the trees, even if nobody told anyone what they are or how to use them.
“The green bags which some planting contractors choose to install on newly planted trees are slow-release watering bags which slowly and evenly deliver a high volume of water directly to the root system of a newly planted tree or shrub with no run-off or evaporation,” said Kiernan. “Using the bag is easy; just fill it up with about 15 gallons of water once a week.”
If a tree near you looks like it could use a drink but doesn’t have a bag, the city has tips online for how to efficiently water it.
2-Year Guarantee“All newly planted trees are under guarantee from our contractors for the first two years after planting, during which time they are obligated to water them and replace trees should they die,” she said, and as reader Thomas correctly noted.
Has anyone noticed any contractors around watering newly planted trees?
If you see any dead or dying trees, report them to 311, and let them know where the trees are located and whether they were planted within the last two years. Kiernan said foresters will inspect those trees and schedule replacement.