Bob Rebuck is a congregant at the Himmel’s Church in Northumberland County in Central PA and a member of the Sierra Club. Over the years, he has planted over 100 trees and shrubs on his property, as well as helped maintain and replace trees at an Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay planting site through their Riparian Rangers program. Bob has been using the PA Plants Native! program since 2023, and has a wealth of knowledge to share on planting. Read on to learn what inspired Bob to plant, how he got started, the spiritual aspects of his planting, and some practical advice for the process of planting and maintaining trees!
How many trees did you plant and where did you plant them?
In the Fall of 2023, a fellow church member and I planted 21 trees (6 different species) in the Himmel’s Church grove to:
* Replace trees that had died from diseases.
* Fill in the gaps without trees along the trout stocked stream to hold the soil and add shade to cool the stream.
* Increase shade in our grove to keep it cooler.
* Sequester carbon.
What inspires/inspired you to plant native trees?
Native trees have evolved to grow here in this climate. They provide the best food and shelter for the native wildlife, because the wildlife has evolved here also.
How does planting native trees connect to your faith or spirituality (if it does)?
We are all caretakers of this planet and all of its inhabitants. We should all be committed to protecting and restoring the health of the planet. There is no planet “B” for those that come after us, which includes our children and descendants.
Please share some wisdom you gained from the practice of planting and tending to native trees!
PLANTING:
- Dig a hole so the tree will be planted at the same ground level as the ground level in the pot.
- As you fill in the ground around the tree, press the ground down to make it firm.
- To prevent deer browsing and antler rubbing, use a 5-foot tube with a stake. Position the stake so the tube can be centered around the tree. To keep out moles, nestle the tube into the ground.
- Use bird netting over the top of the tube to prevent birds from perishing in the tube.
- Water when planted, through August for Spring plantings, and until leaf drop for Fall plantings.
MAINTENANCE:
- For the first 5 years, do maintenance from March through November about every 6 weeks to:
- Remove bird netting if the tree leader is within 10 inches of the top or 18 inches during the Spring, as the tree will grow much more in the Spring. If the tree leader hits the netting it will put a detrimental “S” curve in the tree leader.
- Water during droughts.
- If the stake is not sturdy, pound it in further or do what’s needed to make it sturdy. This is especially critical on the last maintenance before winter.
- Remove weeds and debris from the tube as necessary by loosening zip ties and raising the tube only enough to remove the weeds/debris. Avoid entirely removing the tube, because when putting it back on, it usually damages branches.
- If deer are NOT a problem, the tube can be removed shortly after the tree is a few feet above the tube.
- If deer are a problem, the tube should be left on until the tree trunk is the size of the tube. The tube has a perforation line from top to bottom, which is the easiest place to cut it. Alternately, this perforation line is supposed to allow the tree to split open the tube. For this approach I would recommend at least cutting the perforation line at the bottom and top to aid the splitting, and then monitor its progress.
What advice would you give to people who are interested in planting trees?
Attend tree planting training or learn from an experienced tree planter. Attention to detail and maintenance will improve the chances of survival for your trees.
What are the unique benefits of this program? Would you recommend it to others?
I would recommend it to others. Not only are we doing important restoration to the environment and combating Climate Change, we are spreading the importance of these issues to others.
Planting through the PA Plants Native! program has been rewarding for Bob, not only because of his love for trees, but because of the people and community surrounding it. He plans to continue planting whenever he can.