Tree Board News
 | Author:
Patrick Plantenberg, Tree Board Chair
Townsend Tree Board Chair, Townsend Rotary Club |
Patrick Plantenberg
Tree Board Chair
NEXT TREE BOARD MEETING:
April 18th Noon-1pm at City Hall.
TREE BOARD SPRING UPDATE:
The Townsend Tree Board is in the process of hiring Teri Blahnik, the Watering Queen, to water City trees again this year and she will be starting as soon as possible (See separate article on Water Trees Now!).
The Tree Board will be receiving its shipment of about 200 trees within the next three weeks. Townsend Hardware and Town and Ranch True Value will also be receiving their shipments soon. So, get ready for planting season!
Linda Southall is actively preparing for the Tree Board’s annual Arbor Day/Weekend celebration which will be held May 2-5. The Tree Board is meeting on April 18th from 12-1pm at City Hall to continue planning Arbor Day/Weekend activities. Please come if you are interested. This year the Tree Board is receiving a Graymont Western US Carbon Reduction Fund Grant to help us purchase trees and Graymont employees and Broadwater County 4H students funded by Graymont will be helping us plant city trees.
Patrick Plantenberg, Tree Board Chair will also be working with Jemma Loughery’s Broadwater County High School Horticulture class students in April and May teaching them some basics of tree pruning, tree planting, landscaping, etc. in case any of the students may be interested in working at garden centers, nurseries, or starting their own landscaping or arborist business.
WATER TREES NOW!
The Townsend Tree Board is asking you to please water your trees. The soil is extremely dry. The good moisture we received last fall is gone. Spring drought for trees is much worse than late summer and fall drought.
The trees are actively taking up large quantities of moisture preparing for bud break and leaf emergence. The Townsend Tree Board has observed the birch and maple trees it pruned this winter are bleeding profusely now.
So even though it is too early to turn on the sprinkler system, drag out that hose and water your trees, especially any young trees, to the drip line.
TREE BOARD NEEDS FENCE POSTS:
The Townsend Tree Board will be receiving its 2024 shipment of trees in April. For each tree planted they use 3 5-6.5-foot tall steel fence posts to stake the newly planted trees.
They will be receiving about 200 trees and will need up to 500 fence posts. New fenceposts are running about $10 each. If any of you Broadwater County ranchers have used fence posts that you think you will not need in the future the Tree Board could sure use them and would consider some payment for purchasing the fence posts.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Please contact Patrick Plantenberg, Townsend Tree Board Chair at 406-431-4615 if you have any questions.
Article Images
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PhotoCredit: Patrick Plantenberg
Image 1 Caption: Water Your Trees and Bushes
Photo Contributed by Patrick Plantenberg
