by Carol Newill Thinking about applying mulch at the base of your trees? Mature trees do not need mulch, except to keep lawn mowers and weed wackers away from the trunk. Younger trees will appreciate mulch, to keep the soil cooler and more moist, so they can grow! Follow the Rule of Threes to avoid damage from over-mulching: Keep mulch at least 3 inches away from the bark, so the bark does not rot or allow pathogens to attack the tree. Mulch should NEVER touch the bark. Apply mulch no deeper than 1 to 3 […]
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Kentucky Coffee Tree
by Carl Gold During a late fall or winter hike have you ever heard a rattling sound without being able to tell the source? Maybe for a minute your primordial brain thought it was a rattlesnake until your rational brain reminded you that there are no rattlesnakes in the Baltimore Metropolitan area (there are timber rattlesnakes in Maryland but they are found mostly in Maryland’s four western counties – Frederick, Washington, Allegany, and Garrett). If you were lucky enough to be caught in the rain when the rattling increased maybe you thought of a long-lost […]
Continue readingQuestions About Tree Care? You’re Not Alone
By Margaret Roach, New York TimesAug. 4, 2021 The biggest plants in our gardens often get the smallest share of our attention. And it’s not because trees don’t need or want attention — or because we intend to neglect them. Maybe it’s because they look so strong, holding most of their foliage overhead and not making their needs known near ground level, where we are busy paying attention to everyone else. Or maybe we just don’t have much tree-care confidence. At The Morton Arboretum in Lisle, Ill., Julie Janoski and her Plant Clinic colleagues respond to gardeners’ and green-industry professionals’ […]
Continue readingMid-Atlantic Native Trees
Canopy Trees AMERICAN HOLLY 40-50’ high, 18-40’ spread, Pyramidal shape This evergreen has captivated plant lovers since the days of the Pilgrims with its lovely red berries. It is a slow grower with spiky leaves and creamy grey bark. It has a low to medium growth rate adding less than 12-24 inches per year. Full sun or partial shade is best for this tree and it is drought tolerant. Birds love to eat the red berries in winter, but multiple plants are needed to produce the berries. This tree is great planted in your yard. […]
Continue readingDon’t Mulch That Tree! And Other Tips
Shade Trees Help Make Towson A Desirable Neighborhood Trees increase property values, clean air pollution, control water run-off, provide shade which cools the whole neighborhood, and help create a lovely, vibrant community. So why do people hurt trees? Sometimes people are trying to do the right thing but do not know they are actually causing disease, die-back, and early death of trees. Tree Health Damaged By Mulch Please stop mulching around trees. That is the advice of horticulturalists who are observing many young trees’ failure to thrive, with infections at the base of trees where […]
Continue readingHow to Start a Tree Planting Program
Becoming your neighborhood tree steward can be a very rewarding experience. Increasing or preserving the tree canopy improves the health and beauty of your community. If you live in an older community, many of the established trees are nearing the end of their lives. With a typical 40 years to maturity, now is the time to plant the mature canopy of the future. PLANTING TREES Blue Water Baltimore (BWB) has established a community tree planting program for street and yard trees in the following watersheds: Jones Falls, Gwynn Falls, Baltimore Harbor and Herring Run. They […]
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