Last month, we explored the challenges of watering plantings throughout NYC, a task that’s not for the faint of heart.
At The Hort, we take pride in our extensive plantings across 60 sites throughout all five boroughs—that’s hundreds of beds and planters, all needing regular watering. To meet the needs of our widely dispersed plantings, we rely on a mobile solution—our watering trucks. These two trucks provide thousands of gallons of water every week to keep our plants thriving.
Behind the scenes, the dedication of our watering truck operators, Caleb and Nick, is what keeps everything green. Caleb, in particular, is an expert at managing the intricate equipment on the watering truck, navigating all five boroughs, and accessing fire hydrants to keep our plantings hydrated. Each week, he collaborates with our horticulture teams to assess which sites are most in need, prioritizing them based on location, site-specific needs, and recent weather patterns.
On any given day, Caleb visits between 5 and 20 sites across different boroughs. Depending on the size and conditions at each location, watering a single site can take several hours. The process involves more than just turning on a hose. To access a fire hydrant, Caleb secures a permit for that specific hydrant and then uses specialized equipment to open the hydrant and fill the truck’s tank.
Timing is everything in our watering operations. Right after each new planting by our horticulture team, Caleb ensures the fresh additions get their first essential drink. During peak season, he refills the 300-gallon tank up to 10 times a day.
At the end of his workday, Caleb returns the truck to our lot in Brooklyn. In addition to managing daily watering operations, he also handles the maintenance of our specialized trucks.
Keeping all our plantings quenched is no small feat, but thanks to Caleb’s expertise, we can maintain planters across the five boroughs. Watering is core to our commitment to bringing the beauty of plants to every community and all the in-between spaces that we travel as part of daily life in the city. At The Hort, we believe everyone should have access to the benefits of horticulture.