Wood is one of those items that no synthetic will ever compare. Composite deck boards are great and last longer than wood but it's not as easy to install as lumber. They use metal studs in home building, but wood is still a much better product than metal. How about tooth pics, nothing finer than getting that nice mint toothpick in after a meal!
Maybe its nostalgia maybe it's cheaper, but at the end of the day nothing beats using wood where you can!!! This and many other reasons is why I think trees are great and need to be treated properly in the landscape!
cheers!
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
Tools of the trade
There are some tools most people have in their garage, these tools separate the doer's from the talkers! This is a nice list of tools that you should have and some that would be amazing to have, unless you're a landscaper or arborist, then you already have it!!!
Chainsaw and Pole saw
http://en.stihl.ca/STIHL-Products/0100/Chain-saws-and-pole-pruners.aspx
Safety equipment, ropes, harness, helmet, pants.
http://www.baileysonline.com/Arborist-Tree-Care/
Handsaw
http://www.silkysaws.com/
Chipper
http://www.vermeercanada.com/new-equipment/tree_care/brush_chippers
Stump Grinder
http://www.vermeercanada.com/new-equipment/landscaping/stump_cutters
With these toys and some know how and safety you can get through a lot of wood in a day!
But remember, the least dangerous tool here is a handsaw, so BE CAREFUL!!!!
Chainsaw and Pole saw
http://en.stihl.ca/STIHL-Products/0100/Chain-saws-and-pole-pruners.aspx
Safety equipment, ropes, harness, helmet, pants.
http://www.baileysonline.com/Arborist-Tree-Care/
Handsaw
http://www.silkysaws.com/
Chipper
http://www.vermeercanada.com/new-equipment/tree_care/brush_chippers
Stump Grinder
http://www.vermeercanada.com/new-equipment/landscaping/stump_cutters
With these toys and some know how and safety you can get through a lot of wood in a day!
But remember, the least dangerous tool here is a handsaw, so BE CAREFUL!!!!
Saturday, October 5, 2013
Tree Rings
Todays topic is tree rings, not just nice to look at, they serve a greater purpose!
There are a few reasons why you would add a tree ring to a landscape tree. To prevent mechanical damage from mowers and trimmers, the look nice and the area they cover have much less compaction when compared with the turf around them.
Lets face it, nothing looks worse than sparse turf and weeds under a nice tree, why not add a tree ring to it. Its much easier done when the tree is a new planting and should be done every time. Girdling is one of the leading killers of landscape trees, and it's cause but line trimmers and mowers ripping the bark and killing the cambium in a circle around a tree.
As you can see in the image above the tree ring is tiny and full of weeds. You want to have the ring to be as large as possible and my feeling on its size should be to the drip line. Drip line is where the longest branches extend out to. where the moisture is.
There are a few reasons why you would add a tree ring to a landscape tree. To prevent mechanical damage from mowers and trimmers, the look nice and the area they cover have much less compaction when compared with the turf around them.
Lets face it, nothing looks worse than sparse turf and weeds under a nice tree, why not add a tree ring to it. Its much easier done when the tree is a new planting and should be done every time. Girdling is one of the leading killers of landscape trees, and it's cause but line trimmers and mowers ripping the bark and killing the cambium in a circle around a tree.
As you can see in the image above the tree ring is tiny and full of weeds. You want to have the ring to be as large as possible and my feeling on its size should be to the drip line. Drip line is where the longest branches extend out to. where the moisture is.
Tree rings can also make a great place for planting spring bulbs. As long as it's a deciduous tree. And if it's a conifer it will protect your lawn from the acidic needles that they drop as they age.
You can see with the tree on the right how far away from the trunk you will be also there will be much less compaction! which is always a good thing.
You don't want the mulch on the trunk of the tree. That will cause trunk to be moist too much and may cause rot and lead to the failure of the tree. A nice smooth flat much job also looks and works the best.
Saying goodbye to a tree.
It's never fun when a tree has to go. It can be for many reasons, dying, disease or it's just getting way to big for the area its in. For whatever the reason there is more than one way to get it down and out of you yard.
The easiest way is to call an arbourist and have them come cut it down, chip it and remove the stump. This is quite costly and normal prices usually start around $1500/tree. It's the safest way aswell and normally they're in and out within a day. I would recommend this for someone who doesn't have extensive experience with a saw and knows about felling.
So now lets say you have lots of experience and the time has come to remove it.
1. Make sure your tools are sharp and ready for work.
2. Clear the area of anything that you don't want broken, felling is a messy ordeal.
If you have a lot of room and the tree won't hit a house fence or anything else you can skip this next step.
3. Climb on up and start cutting the branches off from the top down, make sure you don't cut your safety equipment or the branch you're standing on!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
4. Now that you're safely on the ground it's time to fell the bad boy. Its not very complicate and is safe if you are careful and know what you're doing.
5. It's laying on the ground safe and sound and everything is all good. Use a tractor to move it around or now cut it into manageable pieces to move and stack.
6. I would definitely say to get a professional in to grind or remove the stump. roots can be very deep and difficult to remove. A stump grinder takes skill to operate properly. You can rent them from the hardware/construction rental store, but I wouldn't.
Now that the tree mess is cleaned up and the stump and grindings are gone, add some top soil and sod and it's as good as new, or maybe you can plant another tree there so you can continue enjoying the beaty and shade they provide!
The easiest way is to call an arbourist and have them come cut it down, chip it and remove the stump. This is quite costly and normal prices usually start around $1500/tree. It's the safest way aswell and normally they're in and out within a day. I would recommend this for someone who doesn't have extensive experience with a saw and knows about felling.
So now lets say you have lots of experience and the time has come to remove it.
1. Make sure your tools are sharp and ready for work.
2. Clear the area of anything that you don't want broken, felling is a messy ordeal.
If you have a lot of room and the tree won't hit a house fence or anything else you can skip this next step.
3. Climb on up and start cutting the branches off from the top down, make sure you don't cut your safety equipment or the branch you're standing on!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
4. Now that you're safely on the ground it's time to fell the bad boy. Its not very complicate and is safe if you are careful and know what you're doing.
6. I would definitely say to get a professional in to grind or remove the stump. roots can be very deep and difficult to remove. A stump grinder takes skill to operate properly. You can rent them from the hardware/construction rental store, but I wouldn't.
Now that the tree mess is cleaned up and the stump and grindings are gone, add some top soil and sod and it's as good as new, or maybe you can plant another tree there so you can continue enjoying the beaty and shade they provide!
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