From the Daily News:An entrepreneur and a journalist have teamed to bring the Newtown Pippin apple - a Colonial-era delicacy - back to its Queens roots.
But David Kistner of Bayside and Eric Baard of Long Island City need a little help from Elmhurst residents.
...Kistner and Baard have thus far fallen short of their goal of rooting a Newtown Pippin in its historical home turf.
"That would be a thrill for us," said Baard, who now works for Kistner's company.
Baard thinks the "most wonderful location" would be at the new Elmhurst Park - site of the former Elmhurst Gas Tanks.
But the Parks Department generally avoids placing "fruit-bearing trees in public parks because they require a specific kind of care and maintenance," said agency spokeswoman Cristina DeLuca.
So Kistner and Baard are hoping someone in Elmhurst can suggest a suitable plot.
23 comments:
What does an entrepreneur and a journalist know about apple trees?
First off:
1- You just can’t plant Newtons (see below) or select a spot...Its more like the "spot" selects you !
2- You will need at least two different varieties, not just two different trees. Cross-pollination is needed for the fruit
They could start with taking PH, type and nutrient tests of the soil at different depts.
Forget about parks keeping fungus at bay let alone PH correct on landfill
For starters
Apple tree need six or more hours of full direct summer sun daily. Preferably a North- or East-facing slope.
Well-drained soil, not too wet. Soil needs to contain air decompose organic nutrients.
Unlike 200 years ago you have to spray them for bugs and fungus especially in NYC
Full size Apple trees are a lot of work.
Thats why all the sons and son inlaws working the parks dept ran like hell
To add
That former Elmhurst Gas Tank sight is likley all sandy and concrete junk lime ridden landfill.
Thats poison to apple trees
They need to dig out and backfill rich soil, straw, manure 3X the rootball size.
However when the tree gets older its roots are gonna will hit the bad soil.
Tank Park is as good as any epecially since the soil was completely dug out and replaced. Specialty care by the Parks Dept neccessary? Hogwash - the tree can survive on it's own without their help if the tree is somewhat protected.
Beside - Tank park will be overun by neigborhood folks whom will be ripping out everything to bring home to eat. The Parkies will be non-exisisting and crime will be rampant. Did you think our Mayor will provide a dime for it's upkeep? Come on now - this is Elmhurst!!
Apple trees have fruit that falls to the ground making a mess if you walk through it.
The fruit brings in rats, mice, squirrils, bees, wasps, etc.
When the fruit comes in, overloaded branches fall to the ground. Like Newton reminds us, you do not want to sit under an apple tree loaded with fruit.
The branches a low and the tree begs to be climbed.
Not a street or park tree, but something for private property.
Yet another example that our green friends don't understand the topic, but, like suggesting a garden for the LI Savings Bank at Queens Plaza as a realistic substitute for a 'nice' building (can't knock the cult of development you know), its a precious suggestion that makes no sense.
The project is explained at:
http://www.newtownpippin.org
Precise care instructions are given and regular care emails will be sent.
Every single Newtown Pippin donated for planting comes as part of a set, with another tree variety with synchronous blooming. A few of the pollinators include
Orchard professionals, Slow Food NYC, GreenThumb, and other expert partners are part of the team.
Nearly all plantings are in schools, community gardens, historic houses, museums, urban farms, etc.
And finally, Parks does want Newtown Pippins. It's just struggling to find a suitable place in Elmhurst itself. The headline was misleading in order to bait arguments, as usual.
Whoops, current pollinators:
Honeycrisp
Winter Banana
Pomme d'Apis
Esopus Spitzenberg
Elstar
St. Edmunds Russet
That's part of the beauty of the project: even as we promote the Newtown Pippin, we bring a greater apple diversity to NYC than has been seen in generations.
Also, it's actually easier to grow apple trees in NYC for the same reason it's easier to grow American Elm trees. Our asphalt and concrete isolation inhibits disease spread as insect and wind-borne vectors must cross greater distances between trees. Also, there are many more human eyes on the trees to spot problems early.
"And finally, Parks does want Newtown Pippins. It's just struggling to find a suitable place in Elmhurst itself. The headline was misleading in order to bait arguments, as usual."
But the Parks Department generally avoids placing "fruit-bearing trees in public parks because they require a specific kind of care and maintenance," said agency spokeswoman Cristina DeLuca.They don't want them in their parks. They want someone else to take care of them.
"Also, it's actually easier to grow apple trees in NYC for the same reason it's easier to grow American Elm trees. Our asphalt and concrete isolation inhibits disease spread as insect and wind-borne vectors must cross greater distances between trees. Also, there are many more human eyes on the trees to spot problems early."
This is one of the funniest comments posted on this site.
Our streets are lined with dead trees and there are few elm trees in NYC because they were all wiped out by disease.
You need to keep these trees away from the general public because they will steal the apples. We don't want fistfights in our parks.
Be thankful that Parks is rejecting the offer. They are poor tree stewards and they would end up making a mockery of this project as they do with their street tree program.
lmao, stealing the apples thats too funny.. my neighbor across from me used to have a beautiful fruit tree and i used to see the chinese walk in and pick them...
i don't think i would want to eat an apple from tank park, even though they had new soil put in. the park is too close to the site where they want to put a HS in maspeth and the soil is contaminated so it may creep over there and god knows when they start venting the shit out it may contaminate the trees....
The NYC Department of Parks and Recreation is our key partner on this project. Community gardens are cared for by GreenThumb, a division of Parks. Bronx Park, for example, includes the NY Botanical Garden, which has planted the trees as well (one Newtown Pippin and one Honeycrisp). The Greenbelt Native Plant Center is caring for saplings awaiting September planting, which is invaluable.
In short, Parks has been an amazing friend of this effort and I won't quibble over delays in a small part of it. Our priority is access for kids through schools, houses of worship, gardens, and yes, suitable parks. We'll get there by partnering (with Parks and caretaker neighborhood groups), talking, and planning.
As a side note about American Elm trees, NYC was hit hard but the rest of the continent was hit harder. Our city has the largest remaining stands of American Elm trees in the world. That's because of both isolation and human care. Do your homework.
This is a great, positive, cost-effective, and fun project. Why try to make a battle out of it? That path of life most assuredly leads to "crap."
Make good things.
Most of the recipients of these trees are not-for-profit orgs that work with parks in taking care of their trees. Since there are none of these operating in Elmhurst, they won't be planting any there. You need to understand what is really going on here rather than make wild accusations about non-existent "battles" and other nonsense.
Parks will put a tree in front of your house and then charge you with taking care of it.
We'll get Newtown Pippins into Elmhurst. Imagine how much more positive your role in that could have been.
Calling attention to the issue online is positive. The rest of the work is up to you.
Imagine how much more successful you'd be if you instead expressed gratitude to people for helping you spread the word.
Do it on your own or have the tweeds lobby for it.
Forget parks, the mayor wants all nice space in Elmhurst blockbusted & Cityfied. Their is no more tweed "rents" below 125street Manhatten.
The Democrats need a those voters to stay in power forever.
Problem is tweeds are huge eater'$, and more important then trees to these scumbags.
Northern Queens is to be the new feeding ground for Bloombergs new generation of voters.
Forgedaboutit !!
Heritage & trees = Out
Sec 8 & Cunga's = In
How about a few in the Queens Botanical garden, a logical home for them. Also, how about the Queens Farm museum?
There are some good hilly natural mounds between Corona Park and Woodside off the LIRR Port Washington tracks.
Some are already gardens with fruit trees.
You can see them from the train, Im sure those people would let you plant Pippins.
Im pretty sure those tracks only saw Steam and electric trains the soil is good and natural.
You can still find Matencock Indian arrow heads all the way to the Manhasset Woods & Port Washington Knolls if you look carefully.
Nearly all plantings are in schools, community gardens, historic houses, museums, urban farms, etc.
-------
Eric, the gesture always trumps substance, eh?
These places do not exist in Elmhurst. And increasingly, in other communities as well.
Its a shame, but it seems as if our Green friends (on the water and on bikes) really don't do a hell of of lot to make these things happen or fight for these things.
But they never seem to have trouble talking to Blumturd or develpers.
What a pip of a topic.
Queens lies there after decades...still bleeding from the many loses of its historic sites (like St. Saviour's, etc.) and we pause to speak of historic apples...not even Newton's!
Pack some powder and ball and ramrod
it up the asses of those crooked pols who aided the destruction and put a match to them!
These are actual apple trees going to actual places where actual people will care for them:
http://newtownpippin.org/whos-planted/
All those trees planted and only 6 in Queens. That's kind of sad. Maybe Elmhurst Hospital will want one.
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