Friday, March 30, 2012

This Weekend's Yard Work

Plenty of people are wondering what kind of work they can do in their yards during the upcoming weekend. Tree Trust's Landscape Services Department has a few tips.

Water
There has been some rain lately, but we had a dry fall and winter. Lawns shouldn't need to be watered unless they are newly seeded or sodded. On the other hand, trees and shrubs are using immense amounts of energy at this time of year to produce new leaves and flowers and they may need water.

Check soil moisture by digging 3-6 inches deep in a few locations. If the soil is dry your trees or shrubs need water. One inch of water per week is a general guideline, but there is no substitute for digging in the soil and checking moisture content. If we are receiving steady rain, there is no need to water.

Bed Maintenance
Clean out planting beds! Remove leaves or debris around plants and cut back any spent perennial plant material left from last season to make room for new growth.

Mulch
Feel free to mulch trees and shrubs. At Tree Trust we prefer shredded mulch over wood chips. When mulching, remember: doughnuts, not volcanoes! The mulch should be a doughnut shape around the trunk and should not touch the trunk.

Plant
Plant trees and shrubs, but steer clear of other plants that have lower frost resistance. Learn how to plant your tree correctly.
 
Don't Prune!
Now is not the time to do any formative pruning of trees or shrubs. Trees are using tons of energy to produce new leaves and flowers. You don't want to divert the energy being used to leaf and flower to healing a pruning wound – unless it needs to be done due to storm damage.

Particularly avoid pruning oak, ash, and elm trees because of oak wilt, emerald ash borer, and Dutch elm disease. When a tree is healing a wound from pruning, it puts out pheromones that the elm bark beetle and the emerald ash borer are drawn to. Additionally, the tree is using a lot of energy to grow and you don't want to add to the stress level of the tree.

There is a lot that you can do to clean up your yard this weekend while enjoying the beautiful weather, just don't be too aggressive. No need to tear up the turf with raking if your yard is still spongey, and no need to plant anything that might be killed by frost. There is plenty of time yet this spring to get everything done.

Monday, March 19, 2012

Tree Trust needs host employers for youth

Are you interested in hosting a work experience for a Tree Trust participant? Tree Trust's Youth Development Services Program and our Summer Youth Employment Program provide services to young people ages 14-21 who are low-income or have varied needs. Program participants may be placed in internships in the community as part of a real world work experience.

Tree Trust partners with as many private businesses, nonprofits, schools, and governmental agencies as we can to provide a variety of employment experiences for our youth participants. We match up participants with employers based on the type of work the employer provides and the abilities and interests of the participant.

Some of the work that our participants have done includes childcare, adult care assistance, administrative, retail, janitorial, customer service, and others. Youth work up to 20 hours per week, depending on abilities. Participants earn minimum wage ($7.25/hour) to start, which is paid by Tree Trust, and may have opportunities for merit increases.

Tree Trust provides an orientation to each partner organization and trains host site supervisors. Participants complete an orientation to the program prior to being placed in a position. Host sites are given the opportunity to interview youth prior to accepting them in order to provide a real-world work experience and ensure a good fit. Youth and employers are supported throughout their placement by Tree Trust staff, and employers are expected to provide a supportive work environment for youth. 

If you are interested in hosting a work experience for a local youth, please contact Paula Van Avery at paulav@treetrust.org or 952-767-3883. Invest in our youth and our Twin Cities community by hosting a Tree Trust youth this year!

Friday, March 16, 2012

Tree Sales Update

Tree Trust offers municipal tree distributions every year in order to increase the tree canopy in the Twin Cities. Planting a tree is the easiest way to improve property values, reduce energy needs, and improve our air and water quality. 

This is Tree Trust's sixth year offering the Minneapolis City Trees program in partnership with City of Minneapolis, and the third year of a partnership with the City of St Louis Park to provide the tree sale to city residents. It is the second year of a partnership with State Farm Insurance to provide trees to residents affected by the May 22nd, 2011 tornado. Thanks to the Cities of Minneapolis and St Louis Park, and State Farm Insurance for making these programs possible, and thanks to all the people who purchased trees to help green our community.

St Louis Park Tree Sale

The St Louis Park Tree Sale has not sold out yet! We have just under 100 trees still available to residents of St Louis Park. Prairifire Crabapple trees have sold out and some varieties are limited. Order soon to make sure that you can get a tree this year!

If you ordered a tree, you MUST pick it up Sat, May 5 from 8AM-12 noon or on Mon, May 7 from 5-7 PM at Tree Trust's office at 2231 Edgewood Ave S, St Louis Park.

North Minneapolis ReForest Project

Thanks to State Farm Insurance, Tree Trust is providing free trees to North Minneapolis residents who live in the tornado-affected zone. Many trees were lost in the tornado, and this tree distribution is part of Tree Trust's efforts to replace the tree canopy through the North Minneapolis ReForest Project. There were 400 trees available and approximately half of those have sold. Order soon to make sure that you can get a tree!

If you ordered a tree, you MUST pick it up on May 12th, 7AM-3PM; May 13th, 8AM-4PM; or May 14th 3PM-7PM at the Minneapolis Impound Lot at 51 Colfax Ave N. If you are unable to pick up your tree, you may have someone else pick it up for you. The morning of the 12th will be the busiest day with the longest wait times.

Minneapolis City Trees

This program has risen in popularity over the years and this year we sold out of trees faster than any ever! 1,500 trees went on sale at 8 AM on Monday and they were all gone by Thursday. 

If you ordered a tree, you MUST pick it up on May 12th, 7AM-3PM; May 13th, 8AM-4PM; or May 14th 3PM-7PM at the Minneapolis Impound Lot at 51 Colfax Ave N. If you are unable to pick up your tree, you may have someone else pick it up for you. The morning of the 12th will be the busiest day with the longest wait times.

Friday, March 09, 2012

New Cohorts Starting for YB and YACC

Tree Trust's YouthBuild (YB) and Young Adult Conservation Corps (YACC) programs started new cohorts on Monday, March 5th. Young people will work hard on crews of five learning landscaping and basic construction skills in these two programs.

YouthBuild

YouthBuild crews attend school and work in alternating weeks. This provides them with an opportunity to work towards completion of their high school diploma while learning employment skills and earning a paycheck. They learn basic construction skills through rehabbing and rebuilding home and apartment buildings, primarily in North Minneapolis. Learn more about YouthBuild here.

Young Adult Conservation Corps

Participants of the Young Adult Conservation Corps program are not in school. They work a 39 hour week, four hours of which are spent in Tree Trust's classroom learning a variety of employment soft skills. Their work consists of basic construction on outdoor projects such as boardwalks, bridges, and retaining walls; property maintenance at foreclosed properties; planting and maintenance of trees; and invasive species removal. Learn more about YACC here.

New YACCers and YouthBuilders have gotten to know one another and Tree Trust program staff this week. Participants will be assigned to crews and crew leaders today. Young people in both programs will learn employment soft skills and hard skills while earning a paycheck. They will improve their employability, improve their skill set, build stronger connections with their peers and their community, and increase their confidence in their own abilities during their time at Tree Trust.