Make Fresh Mulch One of the easiest and most effective ways to reuse a Christmas tree is to rent a wood chipper and turn the tree into mulch for your garden. Fresh mulch can help to prevent weed growth in the spring, and over time it will decompose and create nutrient-rich fertilizer for your plants…. Read more »
In total, Michigan is home to about 20 million acres of forest which cover more than 50 percent of the state. This is the largest volume of forested land Michigan has had in the past few decades. In general, these forests are growing older, with high concentrations of mature, large-diameter trees. There are an estimated… Read more »
Researchers at the University of Exeter’s medical school recently published a study which found that lining urban streets with trees can effectively reduce the occurrence of asthma attacks in surrounding areas. This is because trees absorb toxic airborne pollutants, thereby preventing them from having an effect on people with asthma. According to the study’s findings,… Read more »
Every holiday season, the state government estimates Michigan’s tree farmers sell more than $41 million in Christmas trees. Some of the most popular Christmas tree varieties in Michigan include the Scotch pine, white pine, blue spruce and balsam fir. Some Christmas tree farms offer families the opportunity to cut down their own trees, while others… Read more »
With these benefits of urban forestry in mind, Detroit city officials have launched a “10,000 Up” program which aims to plant 10,000 trees throughout the city over the next three years. This ambitious initiative is part of a larger 10-point plan for revitalizing Detroit neighborhoods that’s being spearheaded by Mayor Mike Duggan’s administration. The city… Read more »
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 »
