Trees in the parks, on the sidewalks and in the medians
are all cared for by Baltimore City Department of Recreation
and Parks’ Forestry Division. With over 100,000 street
trees and the large inventory of park trees, the Forestry
Division always has a busy day. Like any living and growing
thing, trees require water, air, sunlight and a little
TLC.
Part of a tree’s natural growth often causes branches to die or to grow in directions that get in the way of an urban environment. Branches have to be pruned and others have to be cared for through cables and braces. Trimming crews try to concentrate on one section of the city at time, minimizing wasted travel and set-up time.
Citizens should never try to deal with a public tree problem on their own even if it’s in front of their home! They should call 311 and report the problem. Trees on private property, however, are the responsibility of the homeowner.
There are many different tree species that grow throughout Baltimore City including Maple, Oak, Dogwood and Linden trees. It is critical that you choose the right tree and location to get the most from your tree. For an approved list of trees from the Forestry Division, click here.
Welcome to Baltimore City Department of Recreation and Parks’ Forestry Division’s general questions and answers section. We will continue to update the answers to reflect the latest changes in Forestry related topics. These questions and answers came from citizens like you. We hope that you find them helpful and informative.
Please let us know if you encounter any problems or have suggestions. To send comments, please e-mail them to: BCRPGenInfo1@baltimorecity.gov. Please use the word FAQ (Forestry) in the subject line.
Many people have the misconception that tree roots can damage sewer lines. Tree roots will only invade sewer lines that have already cracked because of aging/drying joints or the earth settling. Most old sewage lines in Baltimore are made of deteriorative terra-cotta lines. When a sewer line breaks or leaks, a tree will thrive in the newly found water and nutrients.
Unfortunately, the only real solution to a tree invasion on a sewer line is to replace the lines with watertight PVC or cast iron lines. Postponing fixes include the use of inexpensive drain cleaning products containing copper sulfate or periodic routing in the spring and fall when roots are the most active. Removing the tree will not solve the problem.
Many people incur the unnecessary expense of removing trees around their property only to find that the problem still exists. Tree removal permits are issued only if doing so is required to repair a leaking sewer.
Contact 311 and request that the Footways Division come out and repair the sidewalk. We will NOT remove a tree because it conflicts with a sidewalk. The city of Baltimore has invested much time and energy into allowing a tree to grow to full maturity. Large trees provide many benefits to the citizens of Baltimore. Some examples of these benefits are absorbing storm water, cleaning the air of pollutants, shading the streets, providing a buffer to cars, increasing real estate values and lowering utility bills. There are many new approaches to incorporating large trees with pedestrian walkways and they still provide a safe experience.
Complete the Tree
Planting Request form and mail it to the Forestry
Division.
Baltimore City Department of Recreation and Parks’ Forestry Division maintains the city’s street trees with four in-house crews and nine contract crews. There are approximately 200,000 street trees in Baltimore City. Regular maintenance includes pruning, watering, mulching and removal when a tree is dead.
Citizens can assist with this effort by watering and mulching the trees in front of their houses. This will enable the Forestry Division to focus more on trees in the medians and commercial areas of the city.
Citizens can assist the Forestry Division by keeping street trees watered during dry periods and mulching them as well. Water street trees with at least five gallons of water in order to make sure that the water does not run off. Mulch includes a variety of products: wood chips, grass clippings, or shredded bark.
Never put mulch directly on the tree’s trunk. This can cause damage to the bark and allow insects and disease to enter. Edging around street trees such as brick and wood ties is strongly discouraged. It makes it impossible for us to grind stumps outs if the tree dies. When you add soil around the trunk, you also prohibit feeder roots from obtaining oxygen. If you want to decorate around a tree pit, try using decorative fencing, which is something that can be removed easily.
This year, Baltimore City Department of Recreation and Parks’ Forestry Division will be instituting a new program to prune young trees that have a dbh (diameter at breast height) of less than 8”. By pruning trees when they are young, we can prevent many of the problems that we have with older trees such as low hanging limbs.
A street tree is considered dead when ALL of its leaves have turned brown. One exception might be a recently planted tree. In some cases, a newly planted tree will lose all its leaves from the shock of being transplanted. It takes approximately six weeks for new leaves to grow.
Trees can have dieback on a few branches and still be alive and healthy. If more than one third of the tree has dead branches, it should be inspected by one of our inspectors. A small percentage of dieback is normal for a tree. Pruning is really not necessary unless the dead branches are large enough to cause damage if they drop. In order to report a dead tree, please contact 311.
Contact 311 to report a tree that needs pruning. Trees, unlike shrubs, only need to be pruned every five to seven years. Topping is very unhealthy for a tree. Pruning of city trees is usually done in order to elevate it high enough so that people can walk on the sidewalk. It is elevated so that trucks will not damage them. We also prune away from lights and stop signs. It’s a benefit to the homeowner when trees grow over their house because it will contribute to lower utility bills.
A tree or portion of a tree that is blocking a road or has fallen on private property such as a car or a house is considered an emergency. The Forestry Division will respond immediately. Trees that are blocking a sidewalk would not be considered an emergency, but should be called into 311. The Forestry Division will respond in a timely manner. Hanging limbs or dead limbs that have not broken off the tree do not constitute an emergency, but should be called into 311 as a pruning request.
For certified arborists in your area, please visit the Mid-Atlantic Chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture at www.goodtreecare.com
For horticultural advise on private property, please visit Maryland Cooperative Extension Office for Baltimore City at www.extension.umd.edu/local/baltimorecity
For the latest additions and hot news from the Maryland DNR Forest Service, please visit http://www.dnr.state.md.us/forests/