Additional Tree Work

As mentioned in a previous blog post and in several local media outlets, crews from David Allen's tree service removed two branches from the large redbud tree by 200 East Main street on August 15th, 2006. While the most notable work on the tree is the limb removal the Village also authorized the tree service to implement several measures to mitigate the cut's impact on the tree. Crews cleaned out a hollow internal cavity in the base of the tree that held some litter (empty bottles, styrofoam plates, foil bags, cigarette butts, etc.) placed there by passerbys. The service then removed some of the rotting wood from the inside of this cavity before filling the space with expansion foam. The foam will help stabilize the tree, keep moisture out of the cavity, and prevent any future passerbys from littering in the base again. Since the two limbs removed were cabled off two of the remaining limbs were cabled off to reproduce the stabilizing effect. David Allen's team then spread both some light chemical fertilizer (7-4-7) and a biological mix of beneficial soil bacteria and fungi.
On Saturday August 19th, MSP volunteers John Ullberg and Ben Guthrie built a small retaining wall around of the tree trunk out of architectural bricks. Their wall was built by hand, in accordance with a request from both the MSP and the Village that any work around the tree be done without power/heavy equipment. Hence, unless absolutely necessary, the final pour of the sidewalk by the redbud tree will bed done/completed by hand. Economy Paving's sidewalk sub-contractor left for another job on August 14th so that stretch by the redbud will not be filled in with sidewalk concrete until early September. Once that segment is filled the new sidewalk will be complete.