The shortage is something that Christmas tree growers have been warning people about for several months now. The Christmas Tree Association, which includes more than 700 Christmas tree farms from across the nation, realized there would be a shortage a promptly issued a warning to consumers. Unfortunately, however, most people were still too busy enjoying… Read more »
Fortunately, there might be a solution for this issue on the way. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency just provided a $600,000 grant that will be devoted to efforts to eradicate the HWA in Michigan. The EPA gave the grant to the West Michigan Shoreline Regional Development Commission, an organization that will assemble a team of… Read more »
A company called BioCarbon Engineering, founded by NASA and Lockheed Martin engineer Lauren Fletcher, wants to use drones to replant trees in deforested regions throughout the world. At first glance the idea might sound a bit too ambitious, but Fletcher believes the drones could serve as invaluable tools in the fight against deforestation. BioCarbon Engineering’s… Read more »
Right on track While there were early predictions that Michigan’s tree leaves would be changing color sooner than usual this year, the recent stretch of warmer weather has put things back on track! Residents of the Upper Peninsula can expect peak fall colors in early October. Areas in the northern Lower Peninsula are likely to… Read more »
Rather than wait for the wind to bring moisture from the ocean, it turns out trees in the Amazon are capable of generating their own miniature weather systems as well. As the trees undergo photosynthesis, they release water vapor from their leaves in a process called transpiration. This water vapor condenses in clouds above the… Read more »
Asian longhorned beetles are known for feeding on a variety of different hardwood trees. They have been found in birch, poplar, horse chestnut, sycamore and willow trees in the past, but they’re particularly fond of maple trees. With more than 1 billion maple trees in Michigan, the impact of an Asian longhorned beetle infestation could… Read more »
Last month, researchers at the University of Stirling and Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture (SASA) finally put the long-running debate regarding the origins of the beech trees to rest. The team reviewed the DNA of more than 800 beech trees in Great Britain, comparing 42 regional locations with other trees found on mainland Europe. The… Read more »
Scientists can tell a lot about a plant by taking a closer look at its leaves. For years, researchers have been studying the unique features of these leaves to learn more about trends in different plant species. For example, scientists have found that trees that grow in colder environments and get plenty of access to… Read more »
Native to Japan, the hemlock woolly adelgid has been problematic in eastern states for decades, but the destructive insects have only recently raised serious concerns in Michigan. Some experts have attributed the sudden outbreak to a pair of back-to-back mild winters that allowed the adelgids to reproduce freely and spread to new areas. As their… Read more »
Originally from New Caledonia, a tropical archipelago in the southwest Pacific Ocean, Cook pines were first classified during Captain James Cook’s second mission to circumnavigate the globe. The trees grow up to 197 feet tall and have a characteristic narrow appearance due to their short branches. The other identifying characteristic of Cook pines is the… Read more »
Soil contains a rich mix of living entities that aid trees in the process of extracting nutrients and water from the soil. Some are microscopic while others, such as earthworms, are visible with the naked eye. Other living things like protozoa, fungi and bacteria are all invaluable to the soil ecosystem as well. A recent… Read more »
If you’ve been waiting all winter to get back into the garden, then you’ve come to the right place. As you start planning out your plantscapes and what to place in your garden, it’s always good to know what’s hot for the season. Let’s take a look at what’s trending with tending your garden and… Read more »
