Tree Facts and Tree Care

Brockport Tree Facts
Fun Facts about Trees
Tree Planting and Care—Useful Facts
These can Kill a Tree

Brockport Tree Facts

From an inventory of our trees done in the summer of 2006
by Urban Forestry LLC

	As of September 2006, there are 1472 trees lining Brockport’s streets
	They represent 48 different species
	77% of Brockport’s trees are maples
	58% of the maples are Norway maple cultivars
	Honeylocust are the second most populous tree (10%)
	39 % of our trees are in good or very good condition
	94% of our trees need pruning; 6% need to be removed in the near future
	There are 782 vacant spaces on our village streets where trees could be planted

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Fun Facts about Trees

	There are over 20,000 different kinds of trees in the world
	The ginkgo tree is a "living fossil." Unlike most other kinds of trees living today, the ginkgo was around during the days of the dinosaurs.
	The pull of gravity or the force of the wind can cause a tree to grow more on one side than on the other.
	America’s national tree is the Oak. In November 2004 Congress passed legislation designating this. Runners-up included the redwood, dogwood, maple, and pine.
	Roots can extend up to three times the height of the tree. The notion that the root of a tree mirrors its crown is more artistic than accurate. The shape of a tree actually resembles a wine glass set on a plate.
	The cambium, a thin layer of growing cells just under the bark, is the only part of a tree trunk that is alive.
	Bark can be very thin or very thick. The bark of a birch tree may be only 1/4 inch thick, while the bark of a giant sequoia can be as much as 2 feet thick.
	The Black Walnut produces a substance called juglone that is toxic or "allelopathic" to other plants. Tomatoes and coniferous trees are especially sensitive. This mild toxin helps the tree keep other vegetation from competing for valuable nutrients and moisture.
	The horse chestnut, or buckeye, yields a fine-grained lightweight wood, which once made it an ideal source for artificial limbs.

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Tree Planting and Care—Useful Facts

Planting -	When planting a tree with the roots balled and burlapped (B&B), remove the burlap and locate the root collar. The root collar (where the trunk and roots meet) should be even with the final grade. Roots collars are frequently 4-6" below the top of the soil ball in a B&B tree.
Mulching -	Mulching around the tree's base reduces soil moisture loss, improves water and air penetration, and keeps soil temperatures more stable. These conditions are helpful for root growth and improve tree vigor. Wood chips, shredded bark, dried grass clippings or pine needles all can be used for mulch. Cover the area with mulch about 3 to 4 inches deep. Avoid mounding mulch next to the tree trunk.
Watering -	Most trees and shrubs cannot be considered completely established for two growing seasons after they are planted. Until they are, watering is a tricky problem. Roots from balled and burlapped or container grown plants may not grow out of the soil ball and into the surrounding backfill soil for several months. Until they do, the plant must depend on moisture in the original soil ball. Water will generally not move from the backfill into the soil ball, so the soil ball must be supplied frequently with small amounts of water. Too much or too little moisture can be equally fatal.
	The best way to water a tree for the first year is to use some form of drip irrigation that will wet the soil ball itself. (The Village of Brockport puts slow drip ooze tubes around new street trees) The simplest way to meet these needs is to poke a few nail holes in the sides of a 5-gallon bucket near the bottom, set the bucket next to the trunk and fill it with water every few days. Water a new tree from spring into fall.

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These can kill a tree:

	Overwatering
	Underwatering
	Overfertilizing
	Planting too deep or too shallow
	Compacting the soil around it (the roots need oxygen)
	Changing the soil grade as little as two inches. Some trees are more tolerant of grade changes than others.
	Severely pruning it. Do not “top it.” Remove only hazardous limbs or branches such as split limbs or a branch in a pedestrian path of travel.
	Banging a lawnmower into it
	Cutting through the bark with a weed whacker
	Staking so securely that the tree does not move in the wind. If a tree can stand on its own before you plant it, it does not need to be staked.

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