(Guilford, IN) – Nineteen East Central High School Landscape and Turf Management students recently planted 10 trees at the North Dearborn Community Park, which sits on the site of the former North Dearborn Elementary School.
Twelve trees were previously planted at the park by the students in December 2024.
They worked with Brenda Wheat with the North Dearborn Community Park to select planting locations.
Plants and mulch were ordered from a nursery in Mason, Ohio.
Dollars used to purchase and plant the trees came from fundraising efforts the East Central Ag Department generates through its annual plant sale as well as selling various shop-built projects throughout the year.
Students removed grass from the planting areas and dug planting holes one-and-a-half to two times the width of the root ball and depth was level with each tree’s root flare.
Each tree’s roots were inspected for circling roots, and if needed a box cut of those roots was performed to encourage future root growth to do so horizontally.
Students backfilled the holes with soil making sure trees were straight. Trees were mulched inside a four-foot diameter tree ring, and watered to thoroughly soak the roots and surrounding soil.
Post planting, the students will continue monitoring how the trees are doing, and provide mulch each year as well as any corrective pruning each tree may need.
