The Bullmoose Blog

I know you want a good video but we dont think you want the...

Thu, 24 May 2012 16:02:01 -0400

I know you want a good video but we dont think you want the damage… . . Hire us insted!

Tree Fail: "How NOT To Cut A Tree Down" by amateurs

Thu, 24 May 2012 14:22:03 -0400

you could always just hire us insted

....and thats why he joined us

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 14:47:00 -0400

#rocky #bullwinkle #trees #woodman

moral of the story…

Mysterious Tree Carvings in the UK

Sat, 03 Mar 2012 08:45:10 -0500

Mysterious Tree Carvings in the UK:

An elusive Banksy-style artist has been creating complex tree sculptures in a North Yorkshire wood.

Locals were stumped when these intricate carvings started appearing around Knaresborough.

The detailed designs stand between 10 and 20 feet high and include a kingfisher, a dragon and ghostly red Indian-like figure with a feathered headdress.

No one has ever seen when the guerrilla carpenter arrives or leaves as the stunning sculptures seemed to appear from nowhere around two months ago.

When to Plant Trees

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 14:51:40 -0500

I am often asked when to plant trees purchased from the nursery. The question has both a long and a short answer, and I’ll begin with the short version. Note that this article specifically addresses when to plant trees in areas with cold winters; if you live in a warm climate, then essentially any time of year except summer is a good time for planting (the summer heat presents too great a threat to young trees).

When to Plant Trees: The Short Version

In general, the best time for planting trees is late winter or early spring. If that doesn’t fit your schedule, then aim for autumn. Summer’s a bad choice, because the weather’s too hot and the actively growing plants too susceptible to damage. Weather also restricts your options in the winter (at least in the North), because the cold causes the ground to freeze. If you’ve had the foresight to do all your digging ahead of time (before the ground freezes), it’s not impossible to plant trees in winter. But unless you can water them sufficiently, early-to-mid winter is not the best planting time, either.

When to Plant Trees: The Long Version

For the long answer to the question of when to plant trees, we’ll remember what’s been said above — but then just expand on it a bit. To begin, I need to introduce some vocabulary items:

Planting trees when they’re dormant is advisable, since that’s when handling them is least disruptive to them. When do they go dormant? In the Northern Hemisphere, they begin to enter dormancy at some point in the autumn and begin to leave it at some point in the spring. Thus the short answer given above to the question of when to plant trees.

However, in the longer version, we need to be more precise by breaking the original question down into two parts: one for deciduous types, another for evergreens. For examples of both, click the photo on your right to access the mini-photo gallery.

When to Plant Trees That Are Deciduous

In a way, the best time to install deciduous types is more obvious. The dropping of their leaves in autumn signals that they are entering dormancy. The unfurling of buds in spring signals that they are leaving dormancy.

When to Plant Trees That Are Evergreen

You have more leeway in the matter of when to plant trees that are evergreen. You can undertake the operation earlier in the fall and later in the spring than their deciduous counterparts. However, you’ll still want to avoid planting them when it’s hot. If it’s still hot in your region in late September, hold off till later in the fall. Likewise, if early June brings hot weather to your neck of the woods, plant those evergreens earlier in the spring!

When to Plant Trees: A Follow-Up Consideration

Intense heat is a major enemy to newly planted saplings. But lack of water for their root systems is another. And although you may not think of winter as a dry time — what with all the snow — remember, the moisture from the snow can’t get to the roots until the snow melts and the ground thaws. Thus in cold climates, winter brings desert conditions of a sort. That’s why watering trees properly in fall is important — regardless of whether you’ve opted for planting in autumn or in late winter / early spring.

Now that you know when to plant trees, what about the how? Consult my tips for planting andtransplanting.

How to Care for Ice-Damaged Trees

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 10:33:00 -0500

This is a reposted article from: urbanext.illinois.edu

One cannot appreciate the damage ice causes to trees until they’ve experienced a heavy ice storm. Fortunately, major ice storms do not occur on a regular basis. The trees that normally take the brunt of the damage - Chinese and Siberian elms, poplars, silver maples, birches and willows - are the predictable victims. All of these species have brittle wood and are easily damaged by ice and wind storms.

Homeowners often plant fast-growing species like the ones mentioned above for rapid shade. Fast-growing trees normally have brittle wood and develop weak, V-shaped crotches that easily split apart under added weight. Often, trees with extensive internal rot and decay that may not have been evident from the exterior receive severe damage.

Many times these trees overhang the house, driveway or power lines servicing the home. When large limbs or tree tops are broken in an ice storm, they can cause major damage and expense.

For homeowners with trees with major limb or top damage, two questions should be addressed. The first one is: “Does the condition of the tree warrant efforts to save it or should it be removed?” Major tree repair can be quite expensive and should only be attempted if a major portion of the tree is still intact and efforts can be made to maintain its attractiveness and value to the property. If the whole side or top is gone, it’s questionable whether it’s worth spending the time and money to salvage the tree. This is especially true if it’s one with brittle wood that lends itself to similar problems in the future. While no one wants to remove a large, mature tree, the prudent decision may be to replace it with a young tree possessing desirable qualities.

The second question to consider is: “Can you handle the damage repair yourself or should you seek professional help?” Small limbs can be removed easily with pruning shears or a pole-lopper provided they are within your reach. Do you feel comfortable climbing a ladder up into the tree? Power equipment should never be operated from a ladder or in the tree where firm footing is questionable. Removing hanging limbs should be left to professional tree services. Look for them under Tree Service in the Yellow Pages. Make sure they carry proper liability and workmen’s compensation insurance before allowing them to start the job.

What damage is repairable and what is not? Broken limbs should be removed. Generally, if the branch has not split away from the trunk, the broken segment should be removed back to the next major adjacent branch. Do not leave branch stubs. Stubs encourage rot and decay.

For trees with tops broken out, remove the snags to the next major interior branch. Generally, this will be a major fork. Avoid topping the tree to allow small side branches to grow out and continue the tree’s height growth. These branches will be weak and prone to breakage.

To avoid stripping the healthy bark from the trunk when a heavy, broken limb is removed the 3-step procedure should be used. The first cut is made on the underneath side of the branch about 18 inches out from the trunk. The cut should be approximately half-way through the branch or until its weight first starts to bind the saw. The next cut should be made on top of the branch about 1 to 2 inches in front (toward the end of the branch) of the bottom cut. Continue cutting until the branch drops free. The last cut removes the remaining branch stub from the trunk. The cut should be made from the top of the branch at the branch collar. The collar is the slight ridge where the branch attaches to the tree’s trunk or another major branch.

In certain situations, a damaged limb may strip healthy bark from the tree. To repair this type of damage, cut any ragged edges of torn bark away from the damaged area. Take care to limit the amount of healthy, tight bark removed. To speed the healing process, the repair cut made with a sharp knife into healthy bark should leave a wound shaped like an elongated football with the pointed ends of the cut running vertically along the trunk or limb or as near parallel to the initial damage as possible.

Trees with split trunks or major limb forks may possibly be salvaged if the split is not too extensive. Repairing this type of damage will involve a cable and brace technique that should be left to a professional tree service.

Some small to medium-sized trees may have been uprooted. It may be possible to straighten these trees and brace them with guy wires. Do not attempt this unless one-half to one-third of the tree’s original root system is still in the soil and the remaining exposed roots are relatively compact and undisturbed. Before straightening the tree, remove some of the soil from beneath the root mass so the roots will be placed below the existing grade level. Attach two to three guy wires to the trunk and anchor the wires 10 to 12 feet away from the tree.

Corrective pruning to help improve the shape of damaged trees is best done now. The tree will respond quickly this spring if it has not been severely damaged. Take care not to remove more than one-third of original branches. This will severely retard the tree’s growth in the spring and may damage it beyond recovery.

Treatment of the trunk and limb wounds with tree paint is not necessary. In fact, research shows that painted areas can lead to increased rot and decay due to trapped moisture in areas where the paint cracks open. You may want to fertilize your tree this spring with a good quality tree fertilizer. Check with a local nursery or garden center, or your county Extension office for recommended rates.

Red Maple Trees are Beautiful Fast Growing Shade Trees

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 10:23:00 -0500

Red Maple Trees are Beautiful Fast Growing Shade Trees:

This is a reposted article from: southern-gardening.com.

I love trees. I think I have mentioned before that my ideal landscape would be full of trees and quite shady. While our home sits on 18 acres of land, the previous owner situated the house in a place that has only a few pine trees nearby. I have planted several trees since we have lived here one of them the tree that is pictured here, which is an “October Glory” red maple tree.

Red maple trees (Acer rubrum) are native to the swampy areas in the south hence, another common name, swamp maple. Don’t let that scare you away from choosing to plant a red maple in your landscape. Because they are adaptable to many growing conditions and do quite well in drier locations. They are a fast growing tree to around sixty feet tall with a spread of around forty feet. Unlike some trees that grow quickly, red maples don’t sacrifice strength while producing that fast growth.

Read the full post on southern-gardening.com.

Angel Oak: The Oldest Tree in the Southeast

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 10:17:35 -0500

Angel Oak (John’s Island, South Carolina)

Reportedly the oldest thing — living or man-made — east of the Rockies, Angel Oak is a live oak tree aged approximately 1,500 years. Some locals simply call it The Tree. It stands in a wooded area along Bohicket Road of John’s Island outside Charleston, South Carolina. You won’t find a lot of stuff like tee shirt shacks around there, because basically the attraction is a single tree standing in a park. So keep an eye out for signs and drive slowly. — Duane Spurlock

Angel Oak is a live oak. It is native to the low country and is not very tall but has a wide spread canopy. Lumber from the live oak forests in the sea islands was highly valued for shipbuilding in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Angel Oak stands on part of Abraham Waight’s 1717 land grant. Mr. Waight owned several plantations. The City of Charleston now owns Angel Oak. There is no charge to view the tree and is a must see when visiting Charleston, South Carolina.

For tourists who haven’t visited Angel Oak, you should know that it is this state’s most imposing work of nature, more impressive even than a plate of shrimp and grits. The Tree (one instinctively capitalizes the word when talking about this colossal vegetable) stands in an obscure wooded area of John’s Island, some 12 miles beyond the Ashley River. The Tree is huge, and it is ancient. Estimates of its age run as high as 1,500 years.

Towering over 65 feet high, the Angel Oak has shaded John’s Island, South Carolina, for over 1400 years, and would have sprouted 1000 years before Columbus’ arrival in the New World. Recorded history traces the ownership of the live oak and surrounding land, back to the year 1717 when Abraham Waight received it as part of a small land grant. The tree stayed in the Waight family for four generations, and was part of a Marriage Settlement to Justus Angel and Martha Waight Tucker Angel. In modern times, the Angel Oak has become the focal point of a public park. Today the live oak has a diameter of spread reaching 160 feet, a circumference of nearly 25 feet, and covers 17,100 square feet of ground. www.historictrees.org

The Angel Oak is thought to be one of the oldest living things east of the Mississippi River. Acorns from the Angel Oak have grown to produce authentic direct-offspring trees.. Live oaks generally grow out and not up, but the Angel Oak has had plenty of time to do both, standing 65 ft high and with a canopy providing 17,000 square feet of shade. Its limbs, the size of tree trunks themselves, are so large and heavy that some of them rest on the ground (some even drop underground for a few feet and then come back up), a feature common to only the very oldest live oaks. It has survived countless hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, and human interference, so there’s a good chance it will still be there waiting for you.

In the spring and summer there are numerous artistic events, including the “Evening Under the Angel Oak” series, which feature music, dramatic presentations, and various other activities, especially during the Spoleto Festival in May/June. Keep an eye out for these, as they present an especially rewarding opportunity to visit this majestic figure.Jill Bahr, the choreographer of this particular “Rite,” told me she was amazed to find that the entire Charleston Ballet company, 19 dancers, could hide behind the trunk of The Tree.

Angel Oak was damaged severely during Hurricane Hugo but has since recovered and grows on John’s Island near Charleston, South Carolina.

Getting to know your chainsaw. Topics include safety, kick-back...

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 10:04:52 -0500

Getting to know your chainsaw. Topics include safety, kick-back prevention, chainsaw maintenance and working with trees.