HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-STAC-2017-09-13CITY OF ITHACA SHADE TREE ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES
September 13, 2017
Present: Nina Bassuk, Laurene Gilbert, Jeanne Grace, Beverly Hillman, Debra Statton, Keith Vanderhye, Kevin
Vorstadt
Forester’s Report: Nothing so far with easement. Jeanne will pursue.
The remaining trees still haven’t been replaced in the Staples parking lot. Jeanne is due to call owner back on
another question and will suggest appropriate trees.
The tree crew is doing the last round of removals before stump grinding in preparation for fall planting. The
department is hiring new tree trimmers.
DEC grant looks like it’s going to happen at the end of October. (Nina still hasn’t heard on her grant proposal.)
Kevin on the trees treated with iron chelate: it helped green up the oaks but not the maples. The treated prinus
oaks greened up 65% as opposed to 12% for the untreated trees. All are still greening up. The Quercus coccinea
greened up 30% vs 6% untreated. “Chelate” keeps iron in suspension, doesn’t let it precipitate out
(chelate=claw, holds iron in claws).
The maples’ problem is manganese deficiency. Can try Epson salts on the maples to lower the pH,
doesn’t affect manganese.
Nina’s class is going a week from Thursday to Schichtels to select the 15 crabapples donated by the Garden Club
for the Inlet planting, and the class will plant them on November 9. The crabs are Purple Prince, Red Jewel, and
Royal Raindrops. Jeanne will let Beverly know the cost of putting up fences around them.
The committee will send a letter to the Journal, Ithaca Times, Tompkins Weekly, and Ithaca Voice, with copies to
the chairs of the other advisory committees, asking for publicity on the restructuring of the advisory
committees prior to the referendum in November.
Should the restructuring pass, we need a list to send to the commission of what we see coming up, with
each of us to take a blurb.
Jeanne will pre-screen Lisa’s Planning Board agendas for us and alert us to issues we need to comment on.
Tree Order for the fall: 85 trees, includes 15 crabs for the Inlet, 25 big and 45 small, underwire trees.
Suggestions: Bicolor oak Beacon is upright. City Sprite Zelkova is oval, underwire. Since we’re concerned about
planting these bare root, reserve some for spring planting. Hackberries –need space where no cars will be
parked under them. Yellowwood. Cornus mas as standards underwire. Aesculus arnoldiana Autumn Splendor is
smallish and has red fall color. Plantanus exofolia Exclamation is columnar. Crab zumi calocarpa. Catalpas are
easy, instant, no transplant shock. Gleditsia Streetkeeper is narrower. Sorbus hybrida oakleaf is underwire,
easy. Frangilus alnus. Viburnum sielboldiana needs constant water. Tilia mongolica. Miyabei maple. Cherry
sargentii.
p.s. of the 5 osage oranges they planted bareroot last year, 1 didn’t make it, of the 2 at GIAC, one is okay, one
not. On East Hill, one made it.
Next meeting Wednesday October 11, 2017 at 4 pm, Cooperative Extension.