Friday, June 20, 2014

Follow Up on the Trees

I have since trimmed much of the dead wood from the other two trees shown in the previous posting. I cut away most of the dead branches and other material from the trees. I then fed each of them with three tablespoons of Miracle Grow. In addition to that I spread four tablespoons of granular rose bush fertilizer around the base of each tree. I used rose bush fertilizer because I have it. I couldn't find any information as to what percentages of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium to use with these trees, so rose bush fertilizer it is.

This is the small tree with most of the dead material removed.

This shows the small tree, in the foreground after pruning it. The middle tree just to the left, in this picture, has yet to be pruned.

This is the middle tree after pruning.

This is a closer view of the middle tree

If you compare these photographs with the ones in the previous posting I think you will agree that the trees look better now. It remains to be seen how they continue to fare. I'll be monitoring them and I plan on continuing to fertilize them.

Tuesday, June 17, 2014

The Black Spruce Tree

This is the tree behind my place.


I don't have any before pictures. I have pruned this tree extensively and fertilized it. Then I took these pictures. There are two other trees like it that I haven't touched yet, so you can get some idea of the condition this one was in before I did some work on it.




In the three above pictures you and see all three trees. Some closer looks follow. I referenced my National Geographic Field Guide to the Trees of North America to identify what species these trees are. After checking all the evergreen trees listed and then going back through a process of elimination I identified them as black spruce.

Black spruce are a species of tree that can grow in climatic region 1. Ottawa is in region 3. I did some further research that confirmed my identification. This species of tree can grow to a height of about 20 meters. The tallest one here is about 4 meters tall. These trees grow very slowly.

This is the smallest of the three trees. You can see it has a considerable number of dead branches. This is not exactly on the property attached to my place but I'm going to attempt to do a pruning job on it and feed it. I think and I hope the neighbours won't mind.

This and the next three pictures give a closer look at the middle tree.


In this and the next picture you can see a fair number of dead limbs, especially in the lower reaches of the tree.


Back to the tree just behind my place. This picture starts a series where I get a closer look. You will see that I haven't yet removed much of the dead wood. There is a lot more to do here.


I can't reach the upper branches without a ladder, but they seem to be doing alright.

Here's a closer look at the trunk. You can see quite a bit of moss there. I hope that's normal and doesn't negatively affect the tree. I think that's the case.

Another view of the trunk closer to the ground, and you can see there is still quite a bit of dead wood to be removed.

There is stands. It remains to be seen how it will do as I give it some more attention.

Sunday, June 08, 2014

The Richmond Fire Station

The Richmond Fire Station, 82, is on Perth Street in Richmond. As you'll see from the photographs it is a very nice fire station.












Saturday, June 07, 2014

The North Gower Fire Station

The North Gower Fire Station, 83, is on Roger Stevens Drive, near 4 Line Road in North Gower.







Wednesday, June 04, 2014

The Manotick Fire Station

The Manotick Fire Station, 94, is on Manotick Main Street in Manotick. The station is also a paramedic post and a community police centre. On the grounds there is a memorial oak.











The memorial oak tree can be seen to the left with its plaque beside it.

This Red Oak Tree was planted
on April 15, 2000 by the members of the
Manotick Volunteer Firefighters Association
in memory of Chief Wayne Martin
and Lieutenant Brian Brady.

May the fond memories of our colleagues
live on through the beauty of this magnificent tree.

CHIEF
WAYNE MARTIN
1974 - 1988

LIEUTENANT
BRIAN BRADY
1973 - 1993