Category: trees

Lady Bird Johnson would be pleased

RT 20 south looking toward I-64
The trees in the foreground were planted by CATS and the Tree Commission December 2015. Saturday November 5 volunteers converged on this section of highway to do it again, but larger… 73 trees
holes were predrilled
Tree planting basics, a tree, a hole, water, mulch. Holes were predrilled by Windridge Landscaping of Afton.
A challenging place to work, 15,000+ vehicles per day in 2012. One of the worst places in CHO to bicycle.
A challenging place to work, 15,000+ vehicles per day in 2012. One of the worst places in CHO to bicycle.
tulip trees
Charlottesville Area Tree Stewards planting liriodendron tulipfera
tree #1
Tree Commission chair Paul Josey
bare root
Bare root, the way to go.
CATS workers
Many hands speed the work. Everyone involved.
The National Guard arrives.
The National Guard arrives. Planting bare root trees not an Army MOS (Military Occupational Speciality)
Guard members get a quick tutorial.
Guard members get a quick tutorial.
Bremo Trees was the source of the bare root stock.
Bremo Trees was the source of the bare root stock, Swamp White Oaks, Tulip trees, Kentucky Coffee trees and American Elms
Paul Josey giving pointers on the bare root procedure. Critical that trees not be planted too deep.
Paul Josey giving pointers on the bare root procedure. Critical that trees not be planted too deep.
Cooperative effort, many players, Ballyshannon Fund, CATS, Thomas Jefferson Foundation, Charlottesville Tree Commission, National Guard, Bremo Trees
Cooperative effort, many players, Ballyshannon Fund, CATS, Thomas Jefferson Foundation, Charlottesville Tree Commission, National Guard, Bremo Trees, Virginia Department of Forestry, Journey Through Hallowed Ground
Planting a tree instead of a flag. Charlottesville tomorrow has the story.
Planting a tree instead of a flag. Charlottesville tomorrow has the story.(It turns out that was a need for five additional holes. The Guard dug those!)

weather change

tree in fog
I’ve spent days this summer watering 398 whips, little trees, in the Tidewater.

weatherunderground
I made a moveable drip irrigation rig. Watered every two weeks. Nature is doing the work for me this week. Graph courtesy wunderground

taking no chances

public bathroom Portland OR

(Oregon. Public bathroom. An abundance of TP. Someone is planning ahead.)

“Making toilet paper from the trees
Manufacturers don’t use all types of trees to make paper. Toilet paper is generally made from “virgin” paper, using a combination of softwood and hardwood trees (a combination of approximately 70% hardwood and 30% softwood).”–Toiletpaperhistory.net

cow in the shade

cow in shade
Is it good for dairy and beef cattle to have shade? Farmers actually debate this question.

thermo
The farmers are looking at the bottom line, a totally anthropocentric point of view. Does a hot cow gain as much weight/produce as much milk as a cool cow?

Lets chain some farmers in the full sun, see if that helps them answer the question.
Lets chain some farmers in the full sun, see if that helps them answer the question.

Anura

tree tube frog
Tree tubes offer protection from the herbivores, insects and an extended growing season for saplings. I do wonder what the environment has to offer for a frog? How did he/she gain access?

Maladera castanea

picking them off by hand
Maladera castanea (the asiatic garden beetle) flies and eats at night.
AGBs belong to the order Coleoptera. The order contains more species than any other order, constituting almost 25% of all known life-forms.
I am having a yearly run in with these insects. They function like a self reproducing electric utility. They top trees, preferentially feeding on new growth at the top of trees: “the terminal leader”.
The AGB is a major drag on my afforestation effort. The establishment of a forest or stand of trees in an area where there hasn’t been forest for centuries is a challenge. All the complexity has been removed, roots, biomass, beneficial fungi, and that has created a zone that is remarkably hostile to young trees, a fragile system.
Complexity is good in natural systems. When people farm, the complex system is removed. The dirt remains, to be used as a media for the desired plant making chemicals to promote growth and chemicals to control insects necessary.