Northern weather

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Getting nothing but some rain here in VA.

[Mitch]

We had nearly 5 inches of heavy wet snow piled up here this AM.

[robert.]

Not so much weather related. Today i got a call from my mother. She had a few guys walking around her yard. She was worried about what they were doing or why they were there.
I run over to she what's up. They knocked she didn't hear them.so the went about their business.Turns out these guys work for the public utility commission and city planning. If you have an Ash tree near a roadway or utility it will be removed. They will remove it for free. If you have one on your property they will remove it for a reduced rate ($150) No stump grinding. You can choose to have it treated. If an Arborist says it treatable. 2 yearly injections for 4 years. With no guarantee. Then if it needs to come down you will still get a reduced rate of removal. My mother's property is Ash tree free. These guys are pushing for elimination of ash trees.
It's cheaper for a utility company to remove them before they fall. Safer also. Apparently they're getting state grants to do this.

[MurphOnMillerAve]

A number of heavy, wet snowfalls this past Winter and alleged "Spring" have done considerable damage to foliage throughout a lot of NJ, eastern PA , and southeastern NY, from what I have seen and understand. Low foliage. Trees.
(And I am sure the deer (the sumbichez) will take care of what manages to survive the weather around here. They already are. )

[Rufus T. Firefly]

If you have an Ash tree near a roadway or utility it will be removed. They will remove it for free. If you have one on your property they will remove it for a reduced rate ($150) No stump grinding. You can choose to have it treated. If an Arborist says it treatable. 2 yearly injections for 4 years. With no guarantee. Then if it needs to come down you will still get a reduced rate of removal. My mother's property is Ash tree free. These guys are pushing for elimination of ash trees.
It's cheaper for a utility company to remove them before they fall. Safer also. Apparently they're getting state grants to do this.

That's a very good deal! All of mine in PA are dead and while most have been cut down, I know I have many more to take down.

[healey36]

Nearly three inches of rain overnight...had to dump out the rain gauge this morning. Crazy weather...

[E7]

Giving serious consideration to commencing on the "ark project". Let me know if you need a lift Healey!

[rogruth]

What is the problem with the ash trees?

[robert.]

Ash trees http://www.dcnr.pa.gov/Conservation/For ... fault.aspx

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Nearly three inches of rain overnight...had to dump out the rain gauge this morning. Crazy weather...

Yes; wife's phones all went off in the night on a flash flood alert.

[healey36]

TREE REMOVAL
Harvesting ash trees reduces the amount of phloem (innermost layer of the bark) available to developing emerald ash borer larvae, which in term slows their population growth and spread.

I realize this must be a policy applicable to localized infestations, but when I first read through this it seemed counter-productive, i.e. let's cut down all of the Ash trees to starve the beetle-larva and save the trees.

I used to see these sky-blue traps set up in trees along the roadside, presumably by DNR. I wonder if those traps are intended to determine if there is an infestation, or do they target beetles with the intent of killing them and reducing the population?

If the Ash dies out, what will they make baseball bats out of (not that the local Baltimore Orioles have any use for bats at this time, lol)?

[healey36]

Giving serious consideration to commencing on the "ark project". Let me know if you need a lift Healey!

Perhaps a worthwhile endeavor. A month ago the large reservoir (Liberty) down the road from me was nearly dry at the upper end. When I drove over the 140 bridge yesterday it appeared to be largely refilled...that's a lot of water coming down the north branch of the Patapsco (and it hadn't started last night's rain yet).

[Rufus T. Firefly]

If the Ash dies out, what will they make baseball bats out of (not that the local Baltimore Orioles have any use for bats at this time, lol)?

They started last year trying to use maple - apparently more broken bats last year as maple tends to be a bit brittle as compared to ash.

[robert.]

2 decades ago Barry Bonds used a maple bat. He started in 1998. In 2007 125 major league players used maple bats sold by Sam's bats

[Rufus T. Firefly]

2 decades ago Barry Bonds used a maple bat. He started in 1998. In 2007 125 major league players used maple bats sold by Sam's bats

Well, they won't be using bats made out of ash much longer.

I have an old one made of hickory; not all that big but heavy.
Got another one that my grandfather made out of willow; huge, but amazingly light.

I always wanted to make one out of black locust, but I figured it would be ridiculously heavy.