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All About Maples

Tree Nursery Challenges – Sourcing Native Ontario Tree Seed, Why it’s important and how consumers can make a difference

Written and researched by Caitlin Ayling, MLF Nursery Liaison In early February, I had the privilege to speak at the Landscape Ontario’s annual Nursery Grower’s Short Course, on the topic of Ontario Seed. Although this may seem like a broad subject, I was specifically speaking to the challenges and opportunities surrounding the procurement of native tree seed as it relates… READ MORE »Tree Nursery Challenges – Sourcing Native Ontario Tree Seed, Why it’s important and how consumers can make a difference

The History of Roadside Tree Planting in Ontario – Part 3

Maple Leaves Forever is proud to present the third in a series of posts detailing the history of roadside tree planting in Ontario, researched and written by Terry Schwan, R.P.F. The full essay is now available for download in PDF : DOWNLOAD NOW Changing Regimes and the Ontario Tree Planting Act of 1896. Following the death of Phipps in early 1894 the… READ MORE »The History of Roadside Tree Planting in Ontario – Part 3

Managing the invasive Norway Maple problem

The Ontario Invasive Plant Council, in conjunction with the City of Toronto and York Region, has developed this very informative document about best management practices for Norway Maple. The resource can be downloaded through their website at the following link: www.ontarioinvasiveplants.ca/invasive-plants/species/norway-maple/ Excerpts: “In recent years, awareness of its invasive potential has increased, and many municipalities and some nurseries no longer… READ MORE »Managing the invasive Norway Maple problem

The history of roadside tree planting in Ontario – Part 1

Maple Leaves Forever is proud to present this series of posts detailing the history of roadside tree planting in Ontario, researched and written by Terry Schwan, R.P.F. The full essay will be released in its entirety in Fall 2021. Terry Schwan is a semi-retired forest consultant. Born in Hanover, he served as District Forester in Guelph for the Ministry of… READ MORE »The history of roadside tree planting in Ontario – Part 1

Spring is Spongy Moth (formerly Gypsy Moth) caterpillar season

The Invasive Species Centre has a wealth of informative fact sheets and papers on their website at https://invasivespeciescentre.ca/invasive-species/invasive-species-resources/ We wanted to share these fact sheets about the Spongy Moth (Lymantria dispar dispar/LDD moth, formerly known as European Gypsy Moth) and management practices, since May and June are when we see those spongy moth caterpillars on maples and other trees. Species… READ MORE »Spring is Spongy Moth (formerly Gypsy Moth) caterpillar season

Sweet Spring – Maple tapping and syrup production

A Spring Message from our Executive Director, Deb Pella Keen This spring’s cooler start is keeping maple syrup flowing through sugar bushes and keeping producers across Ontario happy.  The colder nights and warmer days have created the perfect conditions for making maple syrup – welcome news following last spring’s unusually warm temperatures, which impacted overall production.   This time of year… READ MORE »Sweet Spring – Maple tapping and syrup production

Spongy moth (formerly known as Gypsy Moth) Update – Collecting Egg Masses

This year has seen a rise in the number of Spongy Moths (Lymantria dispar dispar / LDD / European Gypsy Moths) and caterpillars, which affect Native Maple trees as well as other species. In areas with severe outbreaks, “trees and shrubs are completely defoliated over large areas; despite the trees’ ability to produce a new crop of leaves over the… READ MORE »Spongy moth (formerly known as Gypsy Moth) Update – Collecting Egg Masses

Fall colour driving tours in Ontario

Native Maples – the Monarchs of Colour! Are you a ‘leaf peeper’ (vs. royal watcher?)   If you drive many kilometres to witness the magnificent fall foliage displays in Southern Ontario, you can be proud to be a leaf peeper!  Driving tours are a great way to spend a fall day appreciating the landscape of Southern Ontario when it is ablaze… READ MORE »Fall colour driving tours in Ontario

Caterpillar and Moth pests – update Summer 2020

This article is a follow up to Carl Mansfield, tree consultant for MLF farm visit on September 7, 2019.  On June 22, 2020,  Deb Pella Keen, Executive Director, MLF visited the MLF farm with Ken Jewett, founder of MLF.   We again observed the Lymantria dispar dispar or LDD moth (also known as European Gypsy Moth) larvae feeding on several trees,… READ MORE »Caterpillar and Moth pests – update Summer 2020

Fall-Winter tree care PSA – protect from animal damage

In the later fall and winter, when other food sources are scarce, voles, mice and rabbits eat the bark and underlying tissue of young trees. Voles frequently girdle a tree by removing a continuous strip of bark and cambium around the circumference of the tree, usually within 30 cm of the base of the tree. Trees do not recover from… READ MORE »Fall-Winter tree care PSA – protect from animal damage