Trees And The Environment Sunday, May 27th 2007 Trees and the Environment "The very air we breathe is improved by the presence of trees." A book by Dr. Read More Planting Trees- General Guidelines Wednesday, May 23rd 2007 When to Plant Trees Climate plays a deciding role when determining the appropriate planting time. Newly planted trees do best when exposed to moderate temperature and rainfall and they need time to root and acclimatize before the onset of intense heat and dryness of summer or the freezing temperatures of winter. Read More Planting balled & burlapped trees. Wednesday, May 23rd 2007 Planting Balled and Burlapped Trees Balled and burlapped (B & B) trees, although best planted as soon as possible, can be stored for some time after purchase as long as the ball is kept moist and the tree stored in a shady area. B & B trees should always be lifted by the ball, never by the trunk. Read More Planting container trees. Wednesday, May 23rd 2007 Planting Container Trees Container trees (though subject to greater heat and drying conditions than B and B) can also be stored for a brief period of time after purchase as long as the soil in the container is kept moist and the tree stored in a shady spot. The procedure for planting container trees is similar to that for B & B trees. Read More Previous 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Next		Get into the Holiday Spirit with Fragrant Firewood Saturday, December 15th 2007 Get into the Holiday Spirit with Fragrant Firewood By Jeff Hansen, President of Hansen??s Tree Service Nothing sets the mood for a holiday gathering like a brightly burning fire. With each gentle flicker of the flame, a fire warms your home as it rejuvenates your soul. But that??s not all: firewood scents your home with fragrances found only in nature. Let??s Get it Started In order to get the most scent out of your fragrant firewood, you must know how to start a steady fire. You should only use seasoned firewood, or wood that has dried for six to twelve months, since it catches fire more easily than freshly-cut wood. Then, in a stove or fireplace, place firestarters or a few crumpled balls of newspaper on the fireplace floor or stove grate. Next, crisscross small, dry kindling on top of the starter or newspaper without packing it too tightly. Begin placing larger pieces of wood on top of the kindling, and the pieces should get bigger as you go up. When filling the fireplace or stove, you might want to combine both softwoods, which easily ignite, and hardwoods, which can burn for a long time. Stop filling the fireplace or stove with wood when it is over two-thirds full. Next, light the starter. If the fire is in a stove, keep the damper and draft control completely open at first. You might even want to keep the stove door slightly open until the wood catches fire. After there is a steady fire, keep it going by making sure that there is always a flame and by adding more wood if the fire starts to weaken. Now that you understand how to start a good fire, let??s discuss the scents of different types of firewood. Not All Scents are Created Equal Firewood is like fine wine: every variety is different, yet some are more pleasing than others. Here are some olfactory-pleasing varieties of firewood: ?X Many people enjoy the scent of apple wood and other fruit trees, such as cherry and pear, since they emanate delicate and fruity odors. ?X Juniper and cedar have more of a pungent note. ?X White oak has a pleasing, rich scent. ?X Black walnut gives off a nutty aroma. Although fir, spruce and pine smell like freshly-cut Christmas trees, it is best to avoid these woods since they contain a lot of resin, which can build up inside chimneys and produce fires. To give off a pine smell, you can always place a couple of natural pine cones in a fire. Bring on the Heat This holiday season, you want firewood that not only smells good, but that gives off a decent amount of heat, too. The good news is that some of the best scented firewood also have high heat values. Apple wood and white oak both generate lots of warmth, whereas black cherry wood and black walnut give off moderate amounts of heat. So this holiday season, kindle a glowing fire in your hearth and appreciate the natural fragrances that different varieties of firewood have to offer. There??s no better way to celebrate the holidays than in front of a warm, cozy hearth. Jeff Hansen is president of Hansen??s Tree Service, a full-service tree and lawn care company that performs diagnosis, treatment, pruning, tree removal, stump removal and lawn care. Hansen??s is fully accredited by TCIA and ISA, and serves residences and companies throughout the entire St. Louis metro area. With nine fully certified arborists on staff, Hansen??s educates the public on the values of proper tree and lawn care, its maintenance and the importance of environmental responsibility.