The basic method of staking a young tree is to plant long stakes into the ground on either side of the tree and tie the tree to the stakes with a tie or cord. The cords should not be tied too firmly so as to allow the trunk to expand and sway in the wind. Although many people only use one stake, using 1 stake may be less flexible than 2 or more stakes, and result in damage to the tree.

Staking should only be carried out if you believe that the rootball/rootplate is unstable. In general, it is better not to stake a newly planted tree. Only stake when the root plate appears to be somewhat unstable, because wind movement prevents the roots from establishing themselves properly, and is highly detrimental to the young tree. But remember, a tree that doesn’t need staking would be harmed by the staking. Staking should only be considered as a last resort.

Staking a small tree is not difficult at all. 2 or 3 wooden poles are staked into the ground near the tree about a foot away from the trunk. A brace or crossbar can be added between the stakes, close to the ground to reinforce them. The tree is then tied to the stakes with a rope, cord or tree tie. A tether can also be used to prevent rope burn on the tree bark, caused by the friction. Make sure not to tie the tree up too tightly; allow it to move with the wind. The ties are best positioned before the branches begin; not too high up or too low.

Normal tree staking durations can last a 1-2 years; or until the tree is strong enough to stand on its own. It depends also on the soil in your area and the strength of the winds. Areas with poor, friable soil and frequent strong winds may need a longer staking period.

Staking is something that needs good judgment before you proceed. If necessary, you should get the advice of a tree expert to look at your tree first. Trees that do not need staking will be harmed by it, while trees that do need it may topple or keel over if not staked. The best compromise is not to stake too tightly, and allow ample room for the tree to sway.

• Maintains foliage late into the year
• As pest resistant as possible
• Adaptable to different soil types and climate
• Drought resistant
• Winter and frost hardy

Some trees are classified as tall shrubs, but these shrub-trees can be ideal for planting anywhere, and thrive easily in a tangle or in a planned group. The advantage of small trees that never attain large size is that their blooms are more conspicuous and readily observed.

Crab apple trees are highly suited for the purpose of providing a brilliant bouquet for weeks in spring. Crab apples refer to most of the wild and hardy apple species’; with their small colorful fruit and flowers, they make excellent decoration for the garden. A hardy species is the Bechtel’s Crab (Malus ioensis). A beautiful crab apple would be the Japanese Crab, with beautiful white blossoms.

Dogwoods (Cornaceae) have beautiful pink or white blossoms and in autumn, they produce striking reddish or colored berries. Dogwoods grow rapidly, and they are able to bloom when they are just around 6 feet in height.

Some trees become favorites due to one reason or another. Weeping willow are popular but relatively short lived trees that announce the arrival of spring by turning their boughs gold; sassafras because they have scented wood and a golden autumn hue; and plum blossom (ume) because of their beautiful flowers in winter and spring which symbolize renewal.

In fact, the Japanese have a much beloved tree called the cherry blossom or Sakura, that provides a brilliant showcase in early spring. Sakura trees are best planted in groves to attain their spectacular visual effect, and need well drained soils, with moderate climate.

The shadbush (amelanchier) announces spring with its delicate blossoms amidst its gray and hardy twigs, and lends a hand in balancing your garden composition with an austere touch. They have irregular crowns, and thrive in the company of other more verdant and showy species, along a wall, or where you will.

A good addition to the garden is the Redbud (cercis) group of species, which can readily thrive in the Midwest regions. They are quite unique for bearing their pinkish-red flowers on their trunk or on leafless shoots. Redbud trees are able to thrive as far north as Connecticut, but most of them prefer warm-temperate climates. The North Carolina mountains are home to the Eastern Redbud, which has prominent lavender colored flowers borne on the branches and trunk in spring.

A common favorite in many gardens is the sturdy Silverbell or Snowdrop Tree. This tree is often found in the wild alongside the sugar maple trees in dense forests. It produces snowy bell shaped flowers in late spring, around May, and the flowering display is a luxuriant one. They have unusually shaped fruits, akin to two ovals of brown paper intersecting at right angles.

This is but a short list of trees with showy flowers, that are suitable for the average garden. Try to experiment with different combinations of species if you have a larger backyard to spare. A singular tree is also a draw for any garden, providing a backdrop and foundation from which you can add to over the years. Trees in blossom will often attract wildlife to the garden as well, and this is one of the side benefits of having a few blooming trees in your garden.

Going natural with a live Christmas tree.

As you might guess, Christmas trees face very heavy demand each Christmas. Christmas trees are usually of the Fir genus, although there is increasing demand for less conventional species’. It definitely seems like a waste for a tree to have grown for a number of years, only to be chopped, decorated, and then thrown away just a few weeks later. If you’re planning on getting a living Christmas tree, please buy them solely from plantations. Plantation trees have the advantage of being sheared. There are also organically grown Christmas trees (rather more expensive).

For the uninformed, a living Christmas tree is a tree for use in the home during the holidays, but instead of throwing it out after the festive seasons are done, you can plant it in your yard, where it will grow normally just any other tree. Now, you don’t have to feel bad that the tree will die after Christmas is over, and they’ll even serve as a commemoration of that year’s Christmas event.

Another definition of a living Christmas tree, is the outdoor Christmas tree growing in your garden right now. If you have a suitable coniferous tree growing in your yard, there’s no reason why you can’t decorate it with ornaments for Christmas as it is – in the yard. Now, that would be a real natural Christmas decorating idea.

Remember, living Christmas trees usually come in a container with their own soil, and need to be watered regularly while they are still sitting inside your home. Once Christmas is over, instead of planting them outside in the garden, you can also donate these living Christmas trees to public parks and charitable organizations.

You might even be inclined to organize a post-Christmas tree collection drive in your community, and collect any spare living Christmas trees to donate to others in the community. In today’s world where global forest cover is rapidly dwindling, any living tree planted is a step forward.

Some reasons to get an artificial Christmas tree.

Artificial Christmas trees may be convenient for the lazy types; certainly they don’t need any maintenance or watering, and you don’t have to worry about pine needles dropping on the floor. Unlike live trees, these artificial Christmas trees do not come with all the baggage but, they still look like the real thing. You don’t have to buy trees that are starting to fade in color, nor don’t look good anymore – artificial trees ALWAYS look great! And of course, you can reuse them year in, and year out.

The convenience also includes the decoration aspect. You can find some that come already lit, and that can ease some of the tedious decorating work. Hanging ornaments might be fun; hanging lights with twenty feet long wires are not.

Some reasons NOT to get an artificial Christmas tree…

The main drawback of these artificial trees is the PVC material which they are often made out of. These are difficult to dispose of, and contain high lead levels. Artificial Christmas trees are also “dead” things, and do not provide any carbon dioxide absorption benefits. Neither do they have the familiar pinewood smell.

So in conclusion, get an artificial Christmas tree if you are not into tree maintenance, but if you want a more authentic Christmas feel, and also do your bit for the environment, get a live, living Christmas tree. You won’t regret it.

Here’s how it reads:

“This is my account on how to remove tree stumps or dead trees. Or at least it worked well for me…

Last summer, I had a great time in my front yard. I kid you not. It was a workout worthy of Mr Olympia. You see, I was about to get one of the greatest physical challenges of my life. No, I wasn’t entering an “iron man” competition or joining the army. What was it about? Right in my own front yard….my date with destiny unfolded.

On her way out the door one fine morning, my wife looked over at me and said, “Can you dig up that tree today and just remove it? I don’t like it getting in the view. The thing must be dead too.”

I stared out the window at that big tree. Sure, it was dead… But it was still going to outlive me at that rate. How was that possible? It was going to take some brawn and endurance to get that entire baby out of the ground. I needed to know how to remove tree stump roots and all.

No problem, hon. I knew I could get the job done, way before she returned from work….

You may be wondering how to remove tree stump. Well, this is how I went about it. The first thing I did was give the old hunk of wood a once-over. It was about 8 inches wide. Not pretty large, but pretty hefty. I sat down and tried to figure out if I should just call the stump removal guys, or DIY it, there and then. I decided on the latter.

Now, I needed a few tools.

What did I need? Ok, I already gotten me an axe, an all-purpose pry-bar, and a good ole spade for digging. Nothing I left out, right?

I was raring and ready to go...

I whacked the tree at the base with my trusty axe until it came down. There wasn’t much on it as far as branches and leaves went at this point. Once this task was complete, it was time to think about how to remove tree stump.

I grabbed the garden hose and saturated all the dirt surrounding the tree, two feet around the base. I then worked on digging a good sized mote around the tree stump. This allowed me to see how deep it went, and how large those roots were…cool!

The pain comes in…

WOW, it was slow and a real pain in the butt. Nevertheless, I did it slow and steady with the digging spade and my sharp pry-bar. Every once in a while, I would stop cutting and start prying up the stump with the six foot pry-bar. Two hours passed. I was determined to get this stump out at any cost. Harrowing stuff, I tell ya.

Finally, it happened! I lugged that sucker out of the hole and tossed it to the curb with the garbage. After that, it was a cinch to refill the hole with the extra dirt. Now, nobody will know there was even a tree there.

What does it take to get that stump out? It boils down to having only a few basic tools and a whole bunch of energy. If the tree has already been cut down, you don’t even need an axe!

Was I satisfied in the end, having removed that stump? You bet.“

The whole story is basically a primer on how to remove a tree stump, and spend half a weekend doing it. Funny

Normally, the issues and difficulties involving tree removal are directly connected to the size of the trees involved, as well as the overall property plan. But why plan for such an arduous task in the first place? Well, the plan should always be to remove as few trees as possible, and if you can, you should try to build around them instead.

Common reasons to remove the tree in your yard.

Before you remove any trees, bear in mind that having a piece of property with a lot of intact trees actually increases its value. The trees increase privacy, beautify and cool the surroundings, and provide welcome shade even on the hottest of days.

But the trees also become hazards, especially when they are old or sickly. In hurricane or storm prone areas, having lots of trees actually increases the danger to property and life, should the trees become uprooted during storms. If you have a tree close to your home that is dead or dying, you would want to see that tree removed before it causes real damage to your house or power lines.

The best methods of removing trees.
You can take one of several approaches to tree removal. The easiest method is simply taking a chainsaw and cutting the tree down, and then removing the stump afterwards. This is probably the most common DIY way to remove a small tree but it could get tricky with bigger trees, unless you know what you’re doing. You don’t want to end up with damage to your home or your car.

I spotted a funny short video clip of how NOT to cut down a tree. His tree removal concept is right, cutting up a tall tree bit by bit, but the execution shows just how tricky it can get.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Here’s a better example of tree removal done right.

Click here to view the embedded video.

There is a kind of tree removal machine that can dig down into the ground and scoop out the entire tree – whole. Of course, it only works for smaller trees. If you want to save the tree, and then plant it elsewhere, while not making a mess, you could opt for one of the professional tree removal services out there.

Removing the the stump.

Once the tree is cut down, the next phase is removing the leftover stump. Sometimes, you may want to keep the stumps on for decoration purposes, but if you want to remove the stump, the best tree stump removal method is grinding the stump using a stump grinder machine. You can rent a stump grinder machine for about $100 a day.

You need to first clear the ground surrounding the stump of stones or rocks, using a shovel and hoe. You might want to setup a small wall surrounding the stump to prevent debris from flying around. Also, it’s a good idea to remove the part of stump that is above the ground as much as possible with a chainsaw. Saw away all parts of the stump that can be sawn off, so that when you use the stump grinder, it’ll be easier and faster to grind all that is left of the stump.

Here’s a rather boring but comprehensive video of the tree stump removal process.

Click here to view the embedded video.