The Midtown Community Benefits District offers a wide range of services to Bolton Hill. Here are some things they do to help care for street trees and the general upkeep of the neighborhood.
Tree Wells: Midtown staff are responsible for routinely weeding and removing trash or debris from the tree wells along their assigned routes.
Plantings: Midtown staff can assist community groups in their tree planting efforts by picking up trees, ordering tools and picking them up from the ToolBank, ordering mulch and compost from Home Depot, and providing staff and resources when available during planting days.
Watering: Midtown staff will water all newly planted trees for up to two years after being planted. Watering takes place on a daily basis during watering season (May–October).
Pruning: Midtown staff coordinates with community tree stewards to schedule tree pruning events in the neighborhood. For more immediate or emergency pruning, please contact 311.
Tips on pruning and other information on street trees is available on the Baltimore City Forestry Department’s website. Here are a few of their pruning service guidelines:
Who should I call if my tree needs pruning?
Contact 311. Trees, unlike shrubs, only need to be pruned every five to seven years. Be aware that topping is very unhealthy for a tree. Pruning of city trees is usually done in order to elevate the lower limbs high enough so that people can walk on the sidewalk, and to remove limbs so that trucks will not damage them. We also prune away from lights and stop signs.
Rather than being a concern, homeowners benefit when trees grow over their houses because they provide shade to buildings in the summer which can reduce the cost of air conditioning.
What is considered a pruning emergency?
If a tree or portion of a tree is blocking a road or has fallen on private property, such as a car or a house, the Forestry Division will respond immediately.
Trees that are blocking a sidewalk are not considered emergencies, but should be called in to 311. Hanging limbs or dead limbs that have not broken off the tree do not constitute emergencies, but should still be called in to 311 for a pruning request.
For additional information or if you have questions, please contact Midtown Baltimore at 410-528-1512 or green@midtowncommunity.org.
Download PDF