Southwest Center City Tree Planters

Pop quiz time! If you have a young tree, that had its roots cut off for transplantation, is it a good or a bad idea to rest trash bags or other heavy items on its trunk?

If you have a young tree that has been in the ground for a year or more, now is the time to remove its ties (otherwise the tree won't grow strong stabilizing buttress roots). It is fine to leave the stake(s), which will continue to protect the tree from car doors. Also, if the tree has a water bag, please remove it for the rest of the winter to avoid basal trunk/root rot (or permanently if the tree has been in the ground for two years or longer). Pro tip: If you don't have a place to stow the bag, you can simply slide it onto a stake, if one or both are still in the pit.

Last call for street trees, for the April 2021 PHS planting cycle! Property owners, fill out this quick digital application by 1 p.m. Monday November 30th for a greener tomorrow!

Please consider supporting Richard's thoughtful and generous birthday fundraiser, on behalf of our tree planting and care activities in the neighborhood!

Do you want a new street tree to front your home or business? Apply by the end of November to be considered for an April 2021 planting! Let's green the neighborhood!

1st tree in the ground of about 23 in the neighborhood this weekend! While we didn't aggressively recruit for volunteers this cycle, due to COVID-19, we are hopefully going to be able to ramp up our ability in Spring 2021 and beyond! See comments for the tree application link!

If in reach, applying pressure to egg masses will kill the eggs. No need to get a bag, fill with disininfectant, etc

On this lovely day, we uplimbed and excavated the root flare of a beautiful red maple, for our final pruning session of 2020. In the process, we removed girdling (encircling) roots, created firewood and smashed a lot of spotted lanternflies, who feed on maple sap. #southwestcentercitytreeplanters #sosnagreen #phstreetenders #freefirewood @ Southwest Center City, Philadelphia

Want to learn even more about trees and become a better tree advocate? Join our friends at PHS : Pennsylvania Horticultural Society for the Advanced Tree Tender...s Training! Here is some more info: Have you already attended a Tree Tenders Basic Training? Are you interested in learning even more about urban and community forestry and neighborhood greening? If yes, then please SAVE THE DATE! This 6-part advanced series will consist of 2-hour sessions offered once a week on Wednesdays, October 7 to November 11. Class times are 6:30pm to 8:30pm each week. Topics covered include: selecting trees for a changing climate barriers to planting trees invasive insects and disease green stormwater infrastructure advance pruning tree equity Sessions will be offered live on Zoom and recorded to watch later, if requested. Registration, cost, and scholarship details will be shared as soon as they are available.

What to watch tonight? Hmn, the Phillies have the evening off and you've already streamed your favorite show's entire run twice. . . . How about attending Tree Tenders Training via zoom!? Become certified in tree planting and care in four weeks to help us grow a vigorous tree canopy in the neighborhood!

As you know, we strive to expand the tree canopy here in our neighborhood. Happily, we are joined by other PHS Tree Tender Groups across the city and the region. This Grid Magazine article features various Tree Tender group leaders weighing in on the importance expanding our canopy and how preserving the trees that we have is foundational to that growth. Please consider taking the PHS Tree Tender Course offered beginning Wednesday September 9th via Zoom! (see link to the course in the comments)

The city is giving away free wood chips and truckloads of mulch for $35

We pruned trees on the 1800 block of Christian Street this morning. In addition to the "limbing up" that we normally do on most of the trees, we had the opportunity to make tough decision between two competing leaders on a willow oak planted about five years ago. We opted to remove the leader (left) that was slightly less dominant and was poised towards the south/building side and decided to retain the leader that was favoring the north (right), away from the facade and towards the street.

Hi folks, please do not plant non-native and highly invasive English Ivy in your tree pits (or anywhere, for that matter). What starts out as seemingly innocent ground cover (left) becomes a strangulating web of vines (right) that will hamper the growth of your tree or kill it outright. Instead, please consider a bed of natural mulch (best) or native groundcover that, unlike English Ivy, supports our native fauna. Photos taken from oustide the 'hood, so as to not shame our neighbors ;)

It is hot out there! Did you know that a tree lined street can reduce ground level air temperatures by 20 or more, and that they also reduce air conditioning costs? Request your free street tree today for an April 2021 planting, in advance of next summer's heat waves! P.S. If you have a young tree (transplanted in the last 2-3 years) please water it today!

Please consider donating to this fundraiser, to advance our street tree planting and aftercare efforts at Carpenter Green, throughout our neighborhood and in Point Breeze to the south!

For those who have received transplanted trees over the past 2-3 years, please be sure to water them. If you have gator bags, please fill them with water (they don't fill themselves). It has been hot and dry as of late and next week looks like more of the same. Your tree is still repairing its root system and needs an assist, especially during these harsh weather conditions. Please also tend to your tree pit. Till it to aerate the soil, so that water and oxygen can drain to t...he roots. Pull the weeds and add a layer of nutritive and cooling natural mulch (but don't bury the root flare!-keep mulch at least 3" away from the flare. Remember: A mulch donut is good, while a mulch volcano is bad!). Besides, who doesn't like curb appeal? Wishing a healthy and happy 4th to you and your young .