My late eco friendly input.

A bit late but better late then never.

I have always been a somewhat Earth Friendly activist. In the past I have donated and raised funds to save the amazon rainforest, save some temperate rain forest along the coast of British Columbia and someplaces closer to home. For what its worth I think the people on this giant spaceship we all share might be doomed but there is always hope, and hope can bring faith and change in people’s attitude.

Having planted several thousand trees over the last 20 years I’ve learned a few things. In my zone (5a) trees seem to prefer fall more then spring, once the tree goes dormant it doesnt get shocked. Almost all the trees I have planted in the fall survived where as many of the trees I plant in the spring died.

Tree roots and for that matter any plant roots do not like to see sunlight so I always plant my trees in the evening. Even a single minute of strong direct sunlight can damage the roots. I also dig the hole just deep enough so that the root ball touches the bottom. Digging the hole deeper and or tilling the soil under the rootball….........for me is a “NO NO”. Water collects there and the plant/tree can drown.

I water in the morning and the evening but sometimes I will water in the heat of the day should the plant be screaming for water.

Seeing how a lot of trees and bushes etc are expensive, the drive to get them, the drive back I have taken to propogating my own. From seed, acorn or nut I always make sure that the seedling get little if any direct sunlight. young plants in my zone do not like the sunshine, only filtered sunshine and/or indirect.

The little critters around here seem to love seedling trees, especially the hardwoods so I use a chicken wire frame to protect them from being dinner for a rabbit. Simply push the acorns, walnuts half way into the soil and keep the soil moist….........and bingo….......new trees. Timepermitting I will put a tray of seedlings into the fridge,then the freezer, then back into the fridge then back outside fooling the tree into having 2 falls/springs/winters a year…......speeds it up.

I bought the hollow cups from Lee Valley where you carefully cut away the bark from a branch, spead growth hormone over the spring wood and then fill the cup with virmiculite, clamp it around the branch and fill it with water…........keep it full and covered so no sunlight gets in and six weeks later I have a new plant/tree.

I use rain barrells.

I hope that by 2020 I am off the grid for day to day living and am almost self sufficient in food.

For a family of 7 we have taken our garbage from 3 bags a week to one. ..........sometimes none.

We do re-cycle but I find it difficult to understand how that saves our planet energy.

We have a laundry line and the clothes dryer, as well as our hot water, home heat, shop heat, comes from a state of the art wood fired indoor boiler that meets and exceeds emission standards set by the state of California and Vermont (highest standards in the world) and the wood comes from our own forest, generally fast growing poplar, aspen and dead or dying trees, selectively cut…..............and I always plant more then I use.

I am a joiner by trade (aka cabinet maker/carpenter) and 50% of my workis made from re-cycled lumber from old homes, churches, factories, sunken logs.

I find it that all the exotic woods being sold around the world,most consumed by first world nations, much of it by hobby woodworkers…..........IT SHOULD JUST BE BANNED. All the pen turnings, pipes, veneers tat come from the Congo, the Amazon, Thialand etc….........we are mowing this planet to the ground. I think they should charge a TAX on it, which is given back to the host country so that areas can be protected and logging can be done selectively instead of clear cutting.

My 2 cents

-- Central northish Ontario