The Town of Rosendale is located about half an hour south of our headquarters on Route 9W in Saugerties. While it’s a small town by population, it’s very big in terms of how much the residents love and care for their trees. According to a Natural Resources Inventory conducted by the town, it is home to close to a dozen unique forests, woodlands, thickets and swamps, all with different characteristics, soil and topography.
In this blog post, we’re going to go over some of Rosendale, NY’s most common trees, and some of the recommended maintenance best practices to keep them alive and well.
Sometimes, due to deferred maintenance, disease, or weather events, trees are too far gone to be saved, and it’s important to consult a professional tree removal service. Give us a call at (845) 331-6782 to schedule a free consultation.
White Pine
White pine has historically been a major building block of forests in the Northeast. However, recent timing of cool and moist weather has led to a considerable decline in Eastern White Pine. We often see needle diseases and other ailments (like caliciopsis cankers) weakening white pines. They do the best in moist, well-drained and acidic soil, and they don’t do well with salt spray near roads.
Chestnut Oak
Chestnut oak stepped up in the early 1900s to replace regular chestnut trees, which were decimated by blight caused by invasive species. Today, chestnut oaks stand tall in Rosendale, with their primary enemy being our recent spongy moth outbreaks. Chestnut oaks like to be watered, fertilized, pruned, and to have the area around their base mowed.
Beech
Rosendale’s beech tree population can be impacted by beech bark disease, as well as the newly discovered beech leaf disease. Another threat is deer, which can decimate the understories of beech trees. Beech trees grow very slowly, and they really benefit from deep, well-drained soil. They don’t do well next to sidewalks and driveways.
Pitch pine
Pitch pine is relatively uncommon in New York. Their sap was once heavily used to seal up ships, and today pitch pines often get wiped out by forest fires. Like the chestnut oak, pitch pines are also getting hit hard by spongy moth outbreaks, as well as southern pine beetles. They benefit from pruning of dead branches, fertilizing, mulching, and fire prevention.
Hemlock
It’s claimed by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation that hemlocks are the fourth-most common trees in New York’s forests. They are threatened by the hemlock woolly adelgid, which block water and nutrients from getting to the buds of the trees. Insecticides work well against the wooly adelgid, and otherwise, they should be watered, fertilized and set back from the road if possible to protect from salt spray.
Red Maple
Red maples are very common in New York State. They love the full sun, and need to be watered early on. They don’t really need to be pruned or fertilized unless you really want to.