Advice from A Year Round Tree Expert

So it looks like we’re having a white Christmas after all! All of the snowfall that we’ve had this weekend got us thinking about last minute preparations we can make for the holiday season as well as the weather when it blows in storms like the one we just had:

If you haven’t purchased your Christmas tree yet, you’d better get moving. In case your curious as to the difference between the types of trees available for purchase, here is a quick guide. The Douglas Fir has soft-thin-green needles that don’t shed and smells wonderful. The Nobel Fir has a good shape, blue-green needles and spacing between branches (good for hanging ornaments!) . The Fraser Fir is the most popular because of the space between its branches and is always chosen by the White House.

If you need a shovel or any other home improvement tool, or if your still looking for a great gift idea, take a look at the Sears Coupons our neighboring blog, One Project Closer, has put together for the holidays. There are Holiday Gift Card Specials, tools, appliances and more!

Sources:

http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/features/gardening/2009/12/the_perfect_tree.html

http://www.oneprojectcloser.com/

Trees can be pruned in the winter:

Now that the leaves have dropped and the winter storms are moving in, you should definitely start thinking of weather-proofing your yard to avoid major damage to your home, property and electrical outages. “The second winter storm in four days smacked the tri-state area Tuesday night with several inches of snow topped with a thin coat of sleet and freezing rain,” said the Cumberland Times News of Maryland.

Winter is a good time to remove deadwood and hanging branches and stabilize the tree for both the weight of snow and ice and high winds. It is also a good time to remove that precarious or dead tree to avoid property damages, in case the tree falls due to the weather. “Good pruning is something of an art, as with a good haircut,” wrote the Naples News in an article written about pruning done badly. You can be sure that here at AYRTE your tree pruning and tree removal, even the most dangerous, are in good hands. We also handle all aspects of communicating with your utility company, if necessary, and will safely care for your tree and have your services restored the same day.

“Conifers are able to ignore snow, ice, and harsh cold because their leaves, or needles, have a small surface area and the cells contain an antifreeze,” said Jeffrey A. Simmons, an environmental scientist at Mount St. Mary’s University in Emmitsburg, Maryland. “Maples, oaks, birches, hickories, and such, on the other hand, have broad leaves that would be severely frost-damaged by repeated freezing and thawing.”

Sources:

A Year Round Tree Expert Company (Maryland Tree Expert Lic# 000197) – http://www.baltimoresbesttreeservice.com

http://audubonmagazine.org/features0909/greenDesign-FallFoliage.html

http://www.times-news.com/local/local_story_344003449.html

http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2009/nov/19/never-give-your-tree-crew-cut-and-other-words-warn/

Local: Maryland’s State Highway Admin. has begun planting approximately 15,000 trees on the Eastern Shore. And don’t forget the prizes that Gov. Martin O’Malley is giving away for planting your own tree as part of the state’s Tree Initiative.

Local: Politicians want to protect Loch Raven Reservoir water supply and nature lovers trying to protect the right to enjoy the public area. Most recently a law against mountain bikers and hikers has been created on creating illegal trails and rangers have been patrolling and ticketing those ignoring the warnings.

Local: Md Dept. of Agriculture has put out a Maryland Christmas Tree Fact Sheet! Did you know it can take as many as 15 years to grow a tree of typical height (6 – 7 feet) or as little as 4
years, but the average growing time is 7 years?

Sources:

http://www.wbaltv.com/news/21402149/detail.html

http://your4state.com/content/fulltext/?cid=81091

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/outdoors/bal-sp.thomson13dec13,0,1181092.story

http://www.mda.state.md.us/pdf/christmastreefacts.pdf

It’s a familiar icon, the Christmas tree. And whether you celebrate the holidays with a tree of your own or not, it can’t be denied that this American symbol has come to mean a lot to many people right here in Maryland.

In fact, the Maryland State Fairground in Timonium is hosting the annual Festival of Trees, one of the largest holiday events on the East Coast! There are more than 500 trees showcased this year all decorated with a variety of themes. The Festival of Trees is a main staple for Maryland and has been ongoing for more than two decades. It has raised more than $12 million for Baltimore’s Kennedy Krieger Center, a hospital that helps children with disabilities.

The Christmas tree also causes quite a stir for people that are die-hard “real tree” versus “fake tree” fans. Each group has their own reasons for choosing real versus fake during the holiday season, whether economic or environmental.

Maryland’s governor Martin O’Malley is a real-tree supporter and has emphasized how buying real trees contributes to local farmers and the economy. There are aproximately 200 Christmas tree farmers in Maryland but O’Malley has stated that as more families have opted for fake trees over the years that it is hurting the tree farming industry.

Fake-tree supporters argue that they aren’t taking a tree away from its natural enviroment and that it saves their family money in the long run to use the same tree every year and not have to buy a new one. Real-tree supporters respond that plastic trees are not biodegradable and toxic to produce. Real-tree supporters also point out that people can buy a potted live tree and then replant or donate it to replant. Cut trees can also be recycled at the end of the season to remulch and like other crops they clean the air.

We’re not going to argue either way here at AYRTE, we’re just good old-fashioned tree lovers. The only thing we will say is that we love any season that glorifies trees!

Sources:

Photo courtesy of WJZ.com

http://your4state.com/content/fulltext/?cid=90882

http://www.sustainabilityninja.com/eco-news/real-or-fake-which-christmas-tree-is-more-eco-friendly-88529/

http://wjz.com/local/festival.of.trees.2.1337249.html