Go Green!

Recycling

E-waste recycling:
Don’t throw that computer in the trash! Or that cell phone, battery or jammed printer. All these and much more can be recycled so that toxic components do not enter our landfill.  Several times each year, the West 102nd & 103rd Streets Block Association holds e-waste recycling events so you can drop off all the stuff you’ve replaced or that has broken down. Volunteers then load their cars to take the donations to the Lower East Side Ecology Center. Your help at these events is welcome. We’ll let you know when the next one is coming up.  But check our Annual Yard Sale for information about your yearly chance to drop off unwanted e-waste right here.

Other recycling opportunities
GrowNYC has textile droff-off points at the W. 97th Street greenmarket.  And re-FashioNYC is the city's program that provides bins to buildings that qualify, so that individual buildings can recycle textiles efficiently.

GrowNYC has a great list of recycling resources here for anything from food to hazardous waste.

Packing peanuts, whether biodegradable or Styrofoam, can be donated for reuse to the UPS store or the several copy shops in our neighborhood. They must be clean and free of other refuse.  

Planting Day

The Block Association sponsors an annual Spring Planting Day on a weekend in late April or early May. Residents are invited to help clean up tree beds, replenish tired soil, and plant summer flowers. We provide flowers, soil, mulch, garden tools and gloves, and short demonstrations. Experienced gardeners are on hand to help. First-time gardeners and kids are very welcome!

The event is funded by  Block Association dues and donations. To donate online, please click here:
The Block Association also sponsors an annual Fall Mulching Day. Volunteers rake out old mulch and spread a fresh, thick layer in tree beds. This protects the trees from salt runoff during the winter and keeps the tree beds looking nice when there are no flowers. During the dormant season, you may also wish to decorate your tree beds with evergreen branches. 

Keep your eye on the home page for our Spring Planting Day and Fall Mulching Day when we clean up tree wells and get our hands dirty!

For more information, contact the Green Committee at trees@w102-103blockassn.org. 

Volunteers are always welcome!

Street Trees

The city owns all street trees, but their care is the responsibility of the residents.

Here are some tips on how to improve and maintain your tree’s health.

Our blocks have 89 street trees. Block Association Tree Map

Basic Tree Care:

  • Lack of water is by far a street tree's worst problem.
  • Keep winter salt and dog waste out of the tree bed.
  • Use the right kind of salt.
  • Mulch in spring and fall.
  • Enlarge the tree bed.
  • Install a tree guard.
  • Do not let soil pile up around the trunk.
  • Do not cover the tree bed with an enclosed flower box, wall, or pavers. The bigger the tree bed, the better. The more open the soil, the better.
NYC Tree Care Handbook
This excellent handbook has all the information you need to care for your street trees. The Block Association also has printed copies. Contact trees@w102-103blockassn.org to request one.

For more information, or to take a free city workshop on tree care, visit MillionTreesNYC.

Replacing a dead or missing street tree:

The city will do this for free, but it can take more than a year, and you can’t choose the species you prefer. The city permits individuals and building owners to replace a tree. To request a free tree or for instructions on planting one yourself, go here.
(Note: this is a bureaucratic process; it is mostly designed for building owners.)

Removing plastic bags from trees:

A member of the Green Committee has a bag-snagger tool. Contact the committee to request bag removal trees@w102-103blockassn.org. (This is done by a volunteer, so your patience is appreciated.)

Green Roof and White Roof

If your building is considering roof repair or renovation, now is a good time to explore the benefits of a green or white roof.

There are many types of green roof, from modest to elaborate. Basic information and more links are at NYC CoolRoofs. 

A white roof is simple and inexpensive and lowers cooling costs. If your current roof is a dark color—paint, tar paper, or any material—paint it white. A Do-It-Yourself packet is available at White Roof Project.

Water

Trees need 15 to 20 gallons of water per week during the growing season (April through October). Water your street tree once a week from April to October, unless there was at least 1 inch of rain. Hose the tree at moderate pressure (so water seeps into the ground) for at least 15 minutes.

Rainwater is vital to tree health. Do not cover your tree bed with pavers or enclosed boxes. Lack of water will stunt growth, kill off branches, increase the chance of disease or insect infestation, and shorten your tree’s life. 

A Treegator bag is an excellent tool for younger trees and saplings. You do not need permission to install a treegator bag. Fill the bag with water once a week. (Water the whole tree bed as well.) Treegator bags may be purchased online.  

How to Enlarge a Tree Bed

The bigger the tree bed, the healthier the tree. Larger tree beds also assist water conservation and reduce stress on the sewer system by reducing runoff. The city now strongly encourages larger tree beds—up to 4 or 5 x 10 feet, depending on sidewalk space and other factors. The city states:

“Tree pits [beds] should always be as large as possible. The larger the soil volume the larger the tree size will be at maturity and the better chance it has for long-term survival.

Optimal tree pit size would be 4 feet by 10 feet or 5 feet by 10 feet. The overall width of a sidewalk can limit the size of a tree pit.” 

You may enlarge a tree bed by pulling up old pavers or bricks. The cement pavement may also be cut away to make a bigger site. This should be done by an expert so as not to damage tree roots, and to conform with city guidelines. (We hope to post some resources for cement cutters here in future.) 

Detailed information on cutting a larger tree bed is available from the city’s online Tree Planting Standards (downloadable PDF).

Winter Salt

Sidewalk salt harms trees. Telltale signs of a poisoned tree are scorched, brown edges to leaves in summer or clusters of leafless twigs.

Use CMA. There are several types of chemical de-icers. CMA (calcium magnesium acetate) is biodegradable, noncorrosive, and safe for pets—unlike standard salt (calcium chloride).

Brands include Arctic ECO Green  and Green Ice Melt.

If you own your building, please use CMA rather than road or rock salt. If you rent or live in a coop, ask your super or landlord to use CMA.

Keep salt away from trees beds. Do not spread salt right near tree beds, or immediately uphill from them.

Use coarse sand near tree beds instead.

Spread mulch in fall. When the trees go dormant in about mid-October, spread a thick layer (2 or 3 inches) of mulch over the entire tree bed. This will act as a barrier to keep some salt from leaching into the soil. Decorative evergreen boughs such as cuttings from discarded Christmas trees, also help.  

Tree Guards

A tree guard protects the tree and flower plantings from dog waste, bicycles, cars, and other damage. But the wrong kind of tree guard provides a haven for rats! 

Although the city will plant trees for free and cut new tree beds, it does not have the money to install tree guards.

You can build a simple tree guard yourself. Here are some basic guidelines:

  • Tree guards should be no more than about 18 inches high.
  • Sides must be open—wooden slats or iron frames -- never solid or closed walls or boxes.
  • No sharp corners or pointy tops.
  • No cement wall or raised lip. If you add decorative pavers, place them flush with the pavement and outside the circumference of the tree bed, so that the bed is as large as possible.
(continued next column)
Curb Allure, a firm based on the Upper West Side, makes and installs tree guards that conform to all city guidelines. They come in a variety of styles and prices, including some with attached flower boxes.


Mulch

Mulch is a light, organic material made of peat, shredded bark, and the like. It fertilizes soil and protects it from dog waste, winter salt, and refuse. (Do not use inorganic or rubber mulch.) Mulch comes in big bags, either 2 or 3 cubic yards. Depending on the size of your tree bed, one bag should be enough for one bed. A typical price is between $3 and $6 per bag. Although large, a bag of mulch is not too heavy, and can be transported in a shopping cart.

Mulch can be purchased locally:


Spring mulch. Replace old mulch with a fresh layer in spring, when you plant annuals or refresh the topsoil.

Fall mulch. When the trees go dormant in about mid-October, spread a thick layer (2 or 3 inches) of mulch over the entire tree bed. This will act as a barrier to keep some salt from leaching into the soil. Decorative evergreen boughs such as cuttings from discarded Christmas trees, also help. It’s best to remove the old spring mulch first.