What's the Temp. outside?

2nd week of December

All you have to do to see how cold it is outside, is to look at your Rhododendrons.

-Leaves are curled (to prevent moisture loss from cold temp./wind) 20 degrees F.

- Leaves open due to warmer temperature. Pictures were taken only a day apart 58 degrees F.

WINTER 2009 Look Up !!

I love to look up in winter. The leaves are off of most of the trees. You can see things that are not readily apparent during the warmer growing season months. Examples are things like:

*Squirrel nests which appear as bunches of leaves stuck up in the tree tops. It's amazing to me that these "bunches" can stand up to the punishment of storm winds, driving rain, etc. Upon closer inspection the nests are also made of strips of bark, sticks, plastic, etc.

*Bee Hives are easy to spot also. I am often surprised to see a nest only 6'or 8' from the ground in small trees near peoples homes. Don't worry, they are usually high enough where people do not bother them.

*Tree Shape & Branch Structure really stands out in winter. This is a good time to prune many trees. You can see which branches are strong, or which ones are weakly attached/dead and should be removed.

George's Favorite Trees

These are pictures of some of my favorite local trees. I will be adding new pictures from time time time.

Birch - This tree is located along the street on Summit Road in Cheshire, CT. most people would think these branches would be weak, sticking out so much. The opposite is true. The branch/trunk union area is mostly solid wood and very strong. Branches that are closer and look like a "v" in this area are mostly bark against bark and will often break away from the tree when they are subject to heavy wind or snow loads. What a nice looking tree !

White Oak - What a beautiful tree ! That's a 30" ladder at the base. I've been taking care of this tree on Payne Drive in Cheshire, CT for years.

Penguin Plunge

PENGUIN PLUNGE !

My brother takes the plunge in Torrington, CT 2 February 2007. This event was held to raise money for the Special Olympics. It was a really good time. Lot's of people having fun and lots of warm cornbread, soup and chili afterwards. Who knows, maybe next year I'll do it!

My Flute Making

I guess I started getting interested in making flutes about 10 years ago. I was admiring some nice Native American Flutes at my friend Two feather's shop and decided to buy a couple. I experimented playing them. I never played a musical instrument in my life but I found that playing simple tunes of my own design was easier than I had thought it would be. I then started experimenting with crafting my own flutes. I carved by hand sometimes and other times I used my old woodworking machine called a Shopsmith. I used the original flutes I had purchased as a guide to making sure my flute sounded correctly. I have to admit though, I personally prefer the sound of the original native flutes better. They sound a bit more "airy and raspy". Refer to this informational website to hear an early recorded soundclip: http://www.flutetree.com/nature/Warble.html. I have made many flutes over the years and have given most away to family and friends.

Our Tipi

This Tipi was given to me by a good friend. Two Feathers owned a great little native american shop in Bethany CT until a couple of years ago. When she decided to close the business she gifted it to me. She really did some good things there. There were always troubled youths involved in keeping up the grounds and doing projects. It really gave them a sense of purpose and helped them immensly. I hope that someday she can help others again in the same way. It really made a difference. When she first ordered the canvas from Reese's Tipis I helped her and a group of friends removed the bark from the 24" cedar poles with draw knives. A local friend donated the poles. It's important when moving the poles not to damage the tops. They are about 1/2 diameter at the ends. They really give the top of the tipi a graceful look against the sky, as you can see from this picture. The tipi is now located at the RiverBound Farm bird sanctuary, located on Cheshire Road in Cheshire, CT. Feel free to go there anytime to see it and take a walk around around the trails. Pay attention to the design of the Tipi. The outside cover is about 6" off the ground to allow air to create a draft to pull smoke up and out the flaps on top. There is an inside canvas wall that extends to ground level and provides protection from the wind.

! TREE & SHRUB TOOLS

Three Tree Tools - is all you need for most tree and shrub pruning. Nowadays, when looking for a tool we are given so many choices, it's hard to make a decision as to which is the best tool for the money. I am often asked while taking care of peoples trees "Where did you get that............?". I've tried a lot of tools over the years, but I do have my favorites. You really only need three quality tools to prune trees. I am going to list them here for you and I'll also tell you where to get a good price on them.

1) Florian Ratchet cut pruner - A great tool for pruning shrubs and small ornamental trees. I've made hundreds of cuts in a day and the ratchet system really saves your hands. It's also a great tool for seniors too, since only a little pressure is needed to make a cut (costs about $45).

The Florian company is located in Plantsville, CT and they sell the pruners online (http://www.florianpruners.com/) . I used to drive to the plant and buy blems at a discount, but they stopped doing this now. They are a good tool and will last a lifetime for the average homeowner. (One tip: If the metal blade is not cutting on center after extended use, just clamp the blade in a vise and overbend it just a little to the side so it cuts on center again).

2) Pole Saw with Blade and Pruner - I prefer wood pole saws, instead of fiberglass. They are lighter, but the downside is that they are not electrically insulated. You should not be near wires anyways !. When walking around with a polessaw, make sure it is horizontal and not up in the air. You do not want the saw to hit a wire while you are walking. Wood is a lot lighter than fiberglass and you will notice the difference on your shoulders after cutting a couple of limbs. The wood pole saw sections, blade and pruner head are available from http://www.karlkuemmerling.com/ . Order the following:

-No. 20 head & blade assembled to 3 - 6' octogon wood poles with ferrules (about $95)

(easier to hold than round)

-Marvin PH-4R pruner head (about $45)

(a good medium pruner, others to small or to heavy for most use)

3) Silky "Gomtaro" 12" handsaw w/sheath (about $45)

(small enough to cut larger shrub branches, large enough to cut large tree limbs, very sharp, always wear gloves !)

-You might notice I did not include loppers, the large handled branch pruners. These are good to use if you have them, but not really needed. If a branch is to big to cut with your hand pruners, cut it with the saw. You can walk around your property with just the hand saw and hand pruners to do most of your pruning. The tools above will probably be the only ones you will ever need. They are built for heavy commercial use and should last a homeowner a lifetime.

A tip: the pole saw blade will become dull over time. We used to have them sharpened years ago, but they came down in price so much we just buy new blades as we need them now. If you know a person who sharpens things you could get it sharpened. Also, I now use a pole blade made by Stihl (the chainsaw company). It bolts right onto the pole head to replace the original blade that it comes with. It is tri-edge sharpened like the Gomtaro hand saw, makes cutting with a polesaw much easier and will last a long time, but it is a bit expensive (about $50). You can find it at any Stihl chainsaw dealer in your area.

Good Luck and Happy Pruning!

! WHICH CHAINSAW TO CHOOSE?

Chainsaws are dangerous. My father was a tree worker and never let me use a chainsaw and for good reason. Despite this they can be used safely. Just don't ever get to comfortable with one. It's good to be a little scared. Unless you are cutting huge amounts of wood I recommend buying an Echo chainsaw with a 12" or 14" bar (about $200 at Home Depot).
This is a good starter chainsaw and I still use one while climbing trees. They have a nice narrow shape which is easy to handle, are lightweight, reliable, and inexpensive compared to other "professional saws". The best point about this saw is that it is not to powerful. Because of this it will not "kick back", as much as the other more powerfull saws, making it a bit safer for someone that does not use a chain saw every day.

Remember :

1) Never let the tip of a chainsaw touch the log as you start to cut it. This will cause kickback and can be very dangerous.

2) Always hold the saw to your right side a bit while cutting. In the event the bar does kick up, it will not contact your face.

3) With the hand that holds the top handle on your chainsaw, make sure you wrap your thumb under the handle, to ensure your hand can not slip off the handle in case of "kick back".

Tree Swings are for Everyone !

Tree swings really are for everyone. I enjoy swinging on swings too!. What a great way to just think and enjoy life. I think it's just as much fun to watch the kids enjoy the swing. I have installed many tree swings for people over the years. I often tie a rope around the main trunk of the tree high up in the canopy and then drape the rope over a far reaching limb before lowering it to the ground. I have found this method usefull in trees that don't have any suitable limbs closer to the ground.

I buy my swings from a great website called "Breezy Swings". They make nicely painted custom swings with thick ropes to give that old fashioned look and feel to the swing.

My Wigwam Shelter

A few years ago I decided to try and build a native american style wigwam. Through a bit of trial and error I did it. I got the original layout from W.Ben Hunt's "The Complete Book of Indian Craft". It is an older book copyrited in 1973, but it still available. I recommend it for anyone interested in making old style native crafts and projects with basic hand tools. I've referred back to it many times over the years. The wigwam came out nice. I found a local firewood guy that also milled logs. He had a pile of tulip trees that I was able to peel the bark off in pieces the size of large shingles. These were probably a bit smaller than native peoples originally used, but I did not want to peel the bark off of living trees to get bigger pieces. As you can see from the photos the shelter came out fine. My children really enjoyed helping to collect the bark and building it.

Cast Iron Pans & Dutch Ovens

Real Dutch Ovens are heavy, stand on three legs and have a lid that is recessed to allow coals to remain on top for outdoor cooking. I encourage you to use your dutch oven often to keep the black, naturally occurring non-stick coating that builds up from frequent use.

Indoor and Outdoor Cooking with cast iron is great !

If you have a Gas Stove:

You can often remove the metal grate covering your burner and stand the Dutch Oven in the recessed area where the grate was. This brings the bottom of the pan closer to the flame. All ovens are different, so be careful the pot sits above/not on the flames, and is level/secure.
(Do this at your own risk)


If you have an Electric Stove:

You won't be able to cook on a real Dutch Oven, because of the flat surface that has to come in contact with the pan. This is Ok, you can still enjoy cast iron cooking, just get a large cast iron skillet instead.

Use your iron often, keep it on the stove all the time, even if it's just to cook some onions in oil. It will get better each time you use it.

When you do decide to get a dutch oven, be sure to use it outside with charcoal. Even if you do not go camping, make a peach cobbler with moist yellow cake mix and canned peaches. The recipe and cooking with charcoal instructions can be found on the internet, and just about everyone will ask for more peach cobbler!.

You can buy your cast iron pans or a Dutch Oven new, but I have found mine at tag sales and flea markets for a fair price. Once you clean it up, it will look like new.

This is how to care for (season) a rusty Dutch Oven (w/lid) or iron pan:

-Scrape the rust off with steel wool (bare steel wool w/o cleaner added)
-Towel dry it, then put it in the oven at 350 degrees F for about a half hour
This will dry it completely and open the pours in the metal
-Take it out, wipe any rust off with a dry towel
-Coat all surfaces generously (but not so it's dripping)with Olive oil
-Put it back in the oven for an hour, flipping it over once (so you do not get grate marks)
-Your done!

Do this any time the iron gets excessive rust from not being used. Better yet use it often and you will never have to do this again.

! The 100 Mile Stare

As people learn about trees they tend to look above more than they ever did in the past. Myself and some others refer to this as the 100 mile stare. Once you start to learn about the differences between healthy and unhealthy/unsafe trees you pay more attention to the tree tops. You might think "That is a strong tree, it's a survivor" or "That branch is defective, it's ready to fall off". So if you find yourself looking up more, it's OK it's not just you doing it.

! QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Please enter any tree and shrub care questions here as a "post comment" and I will reply in this post.

1) The way to rejuvenate shrubs depends on what type of shrubs you want to save. Typically, if a shrub produces new growth shoots at the base of it after the top is cut, then it can be "renovated". This is the process where you cut the older main limbs out in stages over about three years. By taking a third of the plant the first year, the shrub will want to push out new growth. By the time you are done over a couple of years it will have all newer growth and will be more compact than the overgrown shrub you started with.
-Good shrubs to renovate are liliac, holly, rhododendron, etc.
-Shrubs that do not respond well are junipers, muhgo pine, etc.
-Yews do not push out new growth shoots from the ground at their base, but they do respond well to heavy cutting back.

*Don't forget to cut back to side limbs, up to 1/3 (maximum) the size of the tip you are removing. This will ensure quick healing.

Tree Care Pictures

! TREE & SHRUB CARE TIPS

Winter and early spring are good times to prune for many trees (don't make to many large cuts on maples because of increased sap flow) to ensure they are safe and strong as they get larger. The structure and branch patterns on deciduous (leaves fall off) trees are easier to see, and it's a good excuse to get some fresh air and appreciate nature even if it is cold!.

Look for branches that are -rubbing (decay can set in)
-dead /dying (have no buds like live branches do)
-mushrooms /fungus (not green lichens)
-Weakly attached limbs (attached to tree in"v"shape)
-Interfering limbs (close to service wires, house, etc.)
Do not cut near wires-call your arborist!

Then take notes if you decide not to prune the trees now. If the trees are large and require a professional to prune, call your arborist. Winter is often a slow time for many tree care businesses and you can get the work done quickly at a reduced rate.

Antique Power Axe/Kindling Machine

I came across this old machine advertised in a local paper as a "kindling machine". I did not end up buying the machine, but I thought it was interesting, so I took some pictures and a video of it in use. The owners were a woman and her husband who ran a firewood business in North Haven CT. She said they used it to produce kindling for many years and recently had all the timber framing replaced. Although it did not seem to be the safest machine, it sure was productive!.
I did some research and found out that this machine was called a "Power Axe" and it is about a hundred years old. It's patent said it was produced in various sizes. A very long leather belt went around the large wheel on the top and was connected to a large electric motor providing the power. There is another moving axe on the other side of the machine, so two people can split wood at once.

George

Wisdom

Some interesting quotes and thoughts:

Religion Creates Division, Spirituality Creates Unity

When we show respect for other living things, They respond with respect for us.
-Arapaho Proverb