Just One Thing: April is MillionTreesNYC in New York
Project is part of a 10-year campaign to plant a million trees in the city.
April 30, 2009 — -- If New Yorkers happen to notice a large greenhouse roaming the streets, they should not be alarmed. It's all part of MillionTreesNYC, a program to beautify the city and help the environment by planting 1 million trees in the city over 10 years.
The program, a partnership between New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg's PlaNYC initiative, the New York Department of Parks and Recreation and the New York Restoration Project, is utilizing the traveling greenhouse "to educate people around the city on the importance of frees and how they can benefit us in our daily lives," according to the MillionTreesNYC Web site.
The initiative planted more than 175,000 new trees in New York City last year alone.
But you do not have to live in the city to join in the tree-planting effort.
Best Tree-Planting Secrets
Dig the hole for your tree wider than you need. This way, you loosen up the soil around your new tree, making it easy for the roots to spread out.
Don't plant your tree too deep. When a tree is planted too far in the ground, the soil is too compact to absorb water so when you water your tree, it can drown. To get the depth just right, brush the dirt off the bottom of your brand new tree until you can see where the roots hang lowest. Plant your tree so those lowest-hanging roots are just near the surface.
Loosen the roots before you plant. If you bought your tree in a plastic planter or container, use your fingers to loosen the roots before you put the tree in the ground to help the roots spread out into the soil.
Water your tree. Don't let your new friend starve. Water with 15 to 20 gallons of water per week.
Put mulch over the base. After it's planted, add a 2-inch layer of mulch to your tree for insulation to help prevent weeds. Over-mulching can suffocate your tree over time. In this case, less is more.
For more details on exactly how to plant your tree, check out the MillionTreesNYC resource center by clicking here.
You can also join a group to plant trees in your area. Check out the Arbor Day Web site for more information on joining groups and find out how you can organize your own tree planting.