SPA for trees in Gdańsk – this is an action organised by the residents themselves, which will be carried out thanks to the Gdańsk Civic Budget. The Gdańsk Roads and Greenery Management will take care of the growth conditions and welfare of nearly 130 trees growing on Łąkowa and Wróblej Streets. The treatments include the formation of planting bowls, mycorrhizal inoculations and tending cuts along with the removal of root suckers.The treatment will not only strengthen the trees, but also improve the biological activity of the soil in which they grow
The treatments involving 117 older and nine young rowan trees growing in the city centre are a continuation of one of last year’s Citizens’ Budget projects. Residents decided to allocate funds for the care of old trees and for new plantings in the district
As a result, last year the Gdansk Roads and Greenery Management Board planted nine flour rowan trees, which this summer, together with 117 20-year-old Swedish rowan trees, will undergo tree care
Tree spa in Gdansk – step by step
To begin with, the planting bowls around the older trees are formed. This will make water absorption and retention more efficient. Mycorrhisation is the next step in improving the conditions of inner-city rowan trees. The treatment consists of an intrinsic application of live mycelium as close as possible to the root systems of the trees. The mycorrhizal inoculation consists of mycorrhizal bacteria that support the trees’ immunity, beneficial fungi that control pests, and nitrogenous bacteria that will provide the trees with the element they need for proper development. The mycelium will increase the absorptive surface of the roots, facilitate the acquisition of valuable nutrients and also help mitigate the effects of drought
The next step will be to thoroughly spray all trees with humic acids. This will improve soil fertility – the spray will enrich the soil with valuable trace elements and nutrients. Next, mulch the area around the older trees. We manually weed the planting basins (over 180 m² in total) and fill them with an approx. 5-7 cm layer of mulch. The mulch will fertilise and loosen the soil, which will improve air circulation in the area of maximum root activity and make water and nutrients more easily available
Older trees also need pruning. This is necessary for the healthy development of healthy crowns with the characteristic habit of the species. We will carry out both formative and sanitary pruning, i.e. the removal of shoots, dry branches and stem and root suckers. Throughout the summer, the old-growth forest will also be irrigated – Swedish rowans will be watered ten times by 30 September
The maintenance work will be staggered due to its nature. We will start with weeding, bowl formation, mycorrhization and spraying. We will carry out watering and crown pruning successively until the end of September. The comprehensive treatment will not only take care of the health of the trees, but also improve the biological activity of the soil in which they grow, which will have a positive impact on the further development of the rowan trees
source: UM Gdańsk(https://www.gdansk.pl/) / text: Konrad Marciński / photos: GZDiZ(https://gzdiz.gda.pl)
Read also: Gdańsk | Curiosities | Forest | Ecology | whiteMAD on Instagram
