Kingfield Neighborhood Association

Tree Pruning for Fruit Production

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A hands-on workshop with the U of M Department of Urban & Community Forestry and the MPLS Park & Rec Forestry Department

October 10, 1-4 PM

Space is limited to 15 attendees. A commitment to caring for and maintaining our urban community orchard in MLK Park throughout 2022 is required and this work is expected to take about 20 hours per person.

Register here!

Spend an afternoon with Eric North, Assistant Professor of Urban and Community Forestry at the U of M and in partnership with the Minneapolis Park Board Forestry Department, learning how to prune a variety of fruit trees to increase production. The goal of this workshop is to form and educate a team of Kingfield neighbors in the planting, maintenance, harvesting, and decisions involved in caring for and nurturing our urban orchard which currently includes 4 pear, 3 sour cherry, 3 plum, 6 apple, and a handful of service berry trees (and more planned to be added next spring!) [Read more…]

Water Restrictions Continue in MPLS but Trees still need 1 inch of water every week

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trees

During our drought, remember that trees – especially young trees – need watering any time it doesn’t rain an inch in a week. Under the sprinkling restrictions, tree watering is allowed with a dripping hose, bucket or tree watering bag as needed.

Minneapolis yard and boulevard trees need an inch of water every week all through the summer-fall season. Lack of water can make trees vulnerable to insects and disease and cause permanent damage to young and old trees alike. Trees up to five years old are especially susceptible. The Park Board plants and mulches boulevard trees but relies on residents or businesses nearby to water them.

An effective way to water a tree is to turn on a slow stream of water (just so the hose is weeping) for a few hours. Watering in the evening is most effective since it minimizes evaporation, and trees tend to take most of their water during the night. Watering one tree weekly costs only about $3 for 23 weeks – the entire summer-fall season. For people who lose track of when they last watered a tree, a good way to remember is to water trees on the same day trash is picked up.

Taking care of our trees means protecting our Minneapolis quality of life. Healthy trees are beautiful, increase property values, help improve air quality, reduce greenhouse gases by absorbing carbon dioxide, save energy, keep the city cooler, provide homes for wildlife and help manage stormwater. If you have space in your yard to plant a tree, consider getting one going so it can get a start on providing shade and making a better quality of life in your neighborhood. The larger the tree, the larger the benefits.

Share this video and spread the word about helping our urban forest

Healthy trees are an important part of our quality of life in Minneapolis, but they need our help. Share this short video about some of the benefits of our urban forest and how we can help.

For information on tree care and the urban forest, call the Park Board’s Forestry Department at 612-313-7710, email or visit www.minneapolisparks.org/trees.

Minneapolis Water Restrictions Start Wednesday 7/21

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Minneapolis is now under a drought warning per the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Citywide water sprinkling restrictions go into effect Wednesday, July 21, until further notice.

The Mississippi River has reliably provided the City of Minneapolis with drinking water for over 150 years. Public Works is confident in its continued ability to produce sufficient quantities of high-quality water for Minneapolis residents. The restrictions outlined below are consistent with other metro cities and will help reduce demand on the Mississippi River during this ongoing drought. You can also find details on watering restrictions here.

water-restrictions

Know the Restrictions

  • Sprinkling lawns is NOT allowed from noon to 6 p.m. on any day.
  • On calendar days that are even numbers (examples: July 26 or Aug. 18), the even side of the street CAN sprinkle lawns outside of the noon to 6 p.m. time window. Examples: 1238 Oak St. or 2574 Cedar Ave.
  • On calendar days that are odd numbers (examples: July 27 or Aug. 19), the odd side of the street CAN sprinkle lawns. Examples: 1247 Maple St. or 2561 18th Ave.

Know the Exceptions

  • Bushes and flowers may be watered with a hand-held hose as needed.
  • Vegetable gardens and new sod (first two weeks from placement) may be watered on any day but not during the prohibited afternoon hours of noon to 6 p.m.
  • Trees may be watered with a dripping hose, bucket or tree watering bag as needed.

Other Tips for Using Water Responsibly

The City also encourages residents and business owners to follow other responsible water conservation practices whenever possible. Here are some suggestions:

  • Water during the coolest part of the day to avoid evaporation.
  • Water grass only when it needs it. Most lawns only need an inch of water a week.
  • Install low flow shower heads and faucet aerators.
  • Take shorter showers using low flow showerheads instead of baths.
  • Turn the faucet off while you shave or brush your teeth.
  • Load dishes into the dishwasher without rinsing them.
  • Run the dishwasher only when it’s fully loaded.
  • Fill the sink to wash dishes by hand instead of letting the water run.
  • Use a large pan to clean vegetables rather than letting the water run.
  • Only wash full loads of laundry.

Captivating Calm Garden Tour Wrap-Up!

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It was a beautiful evening for neighbors to gather in each other’s gardens. Thank you to our hosts and our organizing team which this year was comprised of Kingfield neighbors Julie, Laura, and Aimee! We couldn’t do this event without our steadfast volunteers!

If you attended a garden, as we know that hundreds of people did!, we ask that you consider making a donation to KFNA to support our work organizing projects like this that build community in our neighborhood. Suggested donation is $3 if you visited one garden and $10 + if you visited more than 1 site. Donations can be made via Venmo @kingfield_kfna or at this link through GiveMN.

If you are interested in being part of the leadership team next year please contact and KFNA will be in touch with you in the spring. You can also send a message if you are potentially interested in being a garden host location!

Captivating Calm: the 13th Annual Kingfield 2021 Garden Tour

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Thursday, July 15th, 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM / 27 Gardens throughout Kingfield!

This year’s tour includes a Minneapolis Heritage Tree site – a yellow buckeye, Mom’s donated hostas, and Asian Python Beans. Be inspired by productive vegetable planting, blooming boulevards or shady backyard patios guarded by gnomes.

Curious? Check the map or watch for signs saying “Garden Tour Here on Thursday” to pop up later this week and plan your route. Stop by one or stop by all 27 yards to see what your neighborhood gardeners have been planting during the pandemic.

Visit 1 or visit all of the 27 varied and intimate spaces! The tour is free and open to all, although donations will be accepted to support the education garden and orchard at MLK Park growing produce donations for The Aliveness Project. Suggested donation is $3 if you visit 1 garden;$10 if you visit more than one. Donate via Venmo at @kingfield_kfna or via text “Garden Tour” to 44321.