Trees and Weather Weather effects our trees in many ways.  Some good, some not so good.  Consider the types of weather conditions a tree must endure. Wind, rain, flood, frost, snow, sleet, hail, ice, freezing temperatures, heat, sun, lightning, and drought, to name a few. Not only does the weather effect trees directly, but also indirectly by effecting factors such as invasive insects, populations and types of browsing animals and even human behaviors such as logging practices and opportunities. Freeze and thaw temperature swings in February and March bring us maple syrup, but also have the ability to crack or…

Take Advantage of Winter You may have noticed that trees around the edge of your yard often grow inwards, towards the light and open space.  Trees along the roadways also tend to grow inward, toward the street, causing poor visibility and safety hazards.  Often, they also take on a natural lean, which is never ideal for any tree.  Later, when the tree dies, it naturally falls toward the street.  We’ve all pulled up to an intersection at some point, only to find that you can’t clearly see oncoming traffic due to trees and brush.  In the summer, deciduous tree limbs,…

Winter is a fact of life in Maine. Some people enjoy it, while others simply endure it. There has been no lack of ice, cold and snow this winter. The bad news is that our heating costs have been high and some people are having trouble getting fuel deliveries. This may be a good time to consider adding a supplemental heat source. There is a some good news though. Extended periods of extreme cold are exactly what is needed to help kill off invasive insects. We are faced with an ever increasing list of invasive insects that are threatening the…

I recently attended a meeting of the Maine Pellet Fuels Association in Augusta. Being a “tree guy”, I was voted onto the board of directors the previous year, so I could help the group promote wood pellet heating in the state. I was eager to help, knowing that Maine, being one of the most forested states in the nation, has potential to become the “Saudi Arabia of Biomass Heat”. The economic benefits of converting Maine residential, commercial and municipal buildings over to home-grown biomass heat, would be huge. One year later, I find that Maine is still heavily dependent on…