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Forests Ontario Conference – We the Forest!

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  • 1 min read

Maple Leaves Forever participated in Forests Ontario’s annual conference held on February 14th at the Nottawasaga Inn and Convention Centre in Alliston, Ontario.  More than two hundred and fifty forestry professionals, woodlot owners and educators and college students from across Ontario took in the day-long event. Our Executive Director Deb Pella Keen and Arboreal Consultant Carl Mansfield provide information on… READ MORE »Forests Ontario Conference – We the Forest!

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

Watering our young maples – Tree care on the MLF farm Part 2

Newly planted trees (those planted within the past three years) require regular watering and care throughout the annual growing season. The first few years are the most critical to their long term survival and growth. A 200-250 cm sugar maple sapling that was planted as a bare root tree in mid-May 2018. Note the hardwood mulch placed around the base… READ MORE »Watering our young maples – Tree care on the MLF farm Part 2

Pruning & Spongy moths (LDD/Gypsy Moths) – Tree care at the Maple Leaves Forever farm Part 1

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  • 5 min read

Carl Mansfield, MLF’s Arboreal Consultant, spent a morning recently with Woodlot Manager Mike Fisher at the MLF farm. Carl writes: We checked out the Comfort Maple saplings that we planted in May, 2018 and later toured the property with Mike to see if other trees might need our attention. Mike has been watering the maple saplings trees regularly (it has… READ MORE »Pruning & Spongy moths (LDD/Gypsy Moths) – Tree care at the Maple Leaves Forever farm Part 1

Q&A – What are those white blotches on my tree?

Recently we had a question come to our mailbox about white spots on their trees’ bark. MLF Tree Expert Carl Mansfield replied: Your tree appears to have lichens growing on the outer bark. Lichens are colourful crusts found growing on trees, rocks and other objects. They are often thought to be a pest or disease of trees and shrubs, but not so.… READ MORE »Q&A – What are those white blotches on my tree?

Pruning young sugar maples – Tree care at the Maple Leaves Forever farm Part 3

It’s been almost two years since we planted some 175-200 cm sugar maple saplings on the Farm. An arborist will recommend  that you wait at least 2-3 years before attempting any pruning but we knew a few of these trees could use our help. Most deciduous trees and shrubs should be pruned when they are dormant, preferably in the early… READ MORE »Pruning young sugar maples – Tree care at the Maple Leaves Forever farm Part 3

Lesson Learned – Weed trimmers can kill trees

Last summer we visited a landowner who was concerned with the early-fall colour change several of the maples along his laneway displayed. Click here for related story. Closer examination revealed that property maintenance staff had severely damaged the bark and underlying tissue around the trunk at  the base of the trees, while using a string trimmer to cut the grass… READ MORE »Lesson Learned – Weed trimmers can kill trees

Visit to Winkelmolen, June 2019

Maple Leaves Forever visited Winkelmolen Nursery Ltd. recently to introduce our new Executive Director Deb Pella Keen to the staff and to get her boots dirty with a tour of the nursery facilities and production fields. We were shown high quality Native Maple seedlings, saplings and larger trees growing in fertile soils as we travelled throughout the nursery. We were… READ MORE »Visit to Winkelmolen, June 2019

Maple “seed crop” looks strong for 2019!

The hot, dry summer of 2018 has produced a heavier than normal “seed crop” on our Native Maples for 2019. During the past few weeks (early to late-June), our native red and silver maples have shed their seed crops where they are growing along city streets and in parklands. The larger silver maple seed can be seen along walkways and… READ MORE »Maple “seed crop” looks strong for 2019!

MLF is proud to support 2019 Ontario Envirothon!

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  • 3 min read

(Media Release from Forests Ontario – June 13, 2019) University of Toronto Schools Recognized as Forests Ontario’s Ontario Envirothon Champions Maple Leaves Forever awards generous cash prizes to top three teams Toronto, ON [June 20, 2019] – The Ontario Envirothon champions, University of Toronto Schools, were presented with a cash prize of $2,500 from charitable foundation Maple Leaves Forever for… READ MORE »MLF is proud to support 2019 Ontario Envirothon!