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Take Advantage of Winter

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,…
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Cold, Cold Winter

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…
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Maine Wood Heat is Good Heat

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…
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South Wind Disaster

It wasn’t a forecast I wanted to hear. The weatherman said, “strong south and southeast wind Sunday night into Monday”. And, here I was, preparing for a 1-week Disney vacation with my wife, youngest daughter and two grand kids. Plans had been made months in advance and could not be cancelled. We were to fly out on Sunday morning.  I thought to myself, “whatever Mother Nature throws at us, my team can handle it without me”. Strong winds from the south and southeast are rare in these parts. Over the years, trees adapt to their environment. They grow a strong…
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American Chestnut Trees

I recently read an interesting article, in the Portland paper, about the return of the American Chestnut Tree. This reminded me of the time, a few years ago, when I took a ride with a local (Bridgton) member of the American Chestnut Foundation, so I could show him any remaining American Chestnut Trees I had found. When we took off, he was concerned that I may be taking him to see Horse Chestnut Trees (aka Buckeye Trees), but he was pleasantly surprised when he realized that I did indeed know the difference. We visited numerous locations around the area, and…
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