New Canaan Advertiser
May 7, 2018 By Grace Duffield
A young swamp white oak tree has been planted on the west side of Waveny House — where a row of trees once stood and only a few remain. The tree was planted on Thursday April 26, on the eve of Arbor Day.
“We got a swamp white oak that will be a happy tree here for 200 years,” said Chris Schipper of the Waveny Park Conservancy at the planting. This type of oak tree has been described as a hardy tree suited for this environment by several supporters of this project.
Waveny Park Conservancy member Brock Saxe, also at the planting, said, “We plan to replace a tree every year and hope that the community will join in this effort.”
Back on March 1, the Parks and Recreation Commission voted unanimously to accept the gift of the tree from Almstead Tree Co., after a presentation was made to the commission.
Planting tips
Under a cool blue sky, Almstead Tree Co. workers Chan Yvon and Erik Valenzuela placed the dirt bulb into the hole they had just dug. Isaac Taylor, also of the Almstead, gave tips for aspiring planters. He said when people plant a tree they need to have the root collar exposed. The root collar is where the trunk flairs at the bottom and the roots go out from the tree.
Often a planter needs to “excavate to find the root collar,” explained Taylor. He also said one has to be very careful about any roots that seem to circle the tree and sometimes they need to be cut to avoid the root strangling the tree. There was a root one half-inch in diameter surrounding the root collar, which he considered cutting or waiting to allow the tree to settle in first.
“You plant for the next generation,” said Saxe.