Tree Removal and Planting Plans

Tree Removal

Yesterday two of my friends came over and helped me cut down a tree from our front yard. We used to have two trees like the one on the right (you can see the stumps on the left), but the one we cut down had a couple of dead spots, and I needed room for my cherry tree.

Cutting the tree down went well overall. On the up side, our roof is intact, no one was hurt and the tree is gone. On the down side, the tree didn’t fall the way we were trying to make it fall so the roof being OK is partly luck. We were trying to make it fall towards where I took this picture from — about a 45 degree angle south, away from the house. Instead it decided it wanted to fall at a 45 degree angle north. Still away from the house, but not in the direction we had notched the trunk. My two friends were even pulling the tree with ropes and it still went the wrong way.  All’s well that ends well, I suppose.

Our house with just one tree

There was one trunk, and one foot-high stump when we started. At the end we cut both of those as close to the ground as we could with the chainsaw.  We plan on just letting them rot out naturally.

Two birch stumps

We preserved three lengths of trunk to make these firepit benches. The two smaller ones we propped up on logs with V notches cut in them. We had a fire tonight so we could test them out. They’re a nice addition to the yard.

Firepit benches

The rest of the wood went back to our woodpile. Well, almost to our woodpile. We still need to stack it. We’ll let it sit at least for the summer, and maybe over winter too before we burn it. When we cut into the trunk there was so much sap it pretty much just poured out.

Birch logs for burning

I’m not 100% sure what we’ll do with the branches shown in the first picture. We may take them to the Bunker Hills Composting Site, which costs just $6.00/cubic yard or we may chop them up ourselves and burn them as they dry out.

Planting Plans

The soil temperature has finally reached 50 degrees, and so even though we’re not quite to May 21st average last frost date, I’m going to start planting tomorrow. Spinach, peas, corn and lettuce are going in for sure. Maybe more if I have time.

52 degree soil temperature at 6 inches

I bought this thermometer at Target for about $8. It’s 6 inches long and is very quick at reaching the temperature. It’s a meat thermometer, and was back in the kitchen utensils area. I checked at Home Depot and Bachmans and couldn’t find any soil thermometers at all. There were plenty of PH and nutrient testers, and even moisture testers, but not a single thermometer I could find.

Meat thermometer for the garden

Happy Gardening!