Attack of the European Pine Sawfly Larvae!

Went out today to clip the candles on my tree. I had noticed that some of the needles were getting a little brown, but I thought that was just because of the ice storm over the winter. Boy was I wrong! On closer inspection I found that many of the branches were covered with creepy, crawly, caterpillar looking things!

Yikes! They were everywhere and I had to act fast. A little internet search found they were the larvae of the European Pine Sawfly. The sawfly lays it's eggs inside the needles of the tree and when they hatch the larvae eat the needles. Trees are seldom killed by the feeding of this insect during a single season but mortality can occur following two to three consecutive years of heavy defoliation. Plus it's just really GROSS!!

Usually, I like to be as environmentally friendly as possible but I figured this was do-or-die time at The Experiment and so I went to the garden store for some serious chemicals. Funny story, when I got there I told the guy, "I have a tree covered in worms", and he said, "...so are you." I had gotten several of the little buggers on my sweatshirt and didn't realize it. Back home, I loaded up the sprayer and gave the tree a good shower. According to my research, I'm probably going to have to hit it again in about a month. I also had to cut some branches that were covered in larvae. I did that before the spray and took them over to my neighbors chickens for a snack. At least they were happy. Hopefully this won't completely ruin The Experiment. The larvae only got to about one-quarter of the branches on the tree, so with a little creative trimming I think it's still going to work. We are coming up on year three of The Experiment, and no one said this was going to be an easy project.

 

Easter at the Experiment and Spring is Here!

After a long cold winter it looks like spring has finally sprung! The weather is getting warmer and it seems like the tree survived 'old man winter OK.

A sure sign of spring is the candles are starting to grow. Give them another month or so and then it will be trimming time. 

I was a little worried about the cold and ice storms leaving some serious damage, and there are a few branches that are a little brown. That might just make it a little easier when I have to make decisions this summer about trimming branches.  

We are heading into the third summer of The Experiment, and I think we are right on schedule. I have to remember this is a five year project!

 

With the weather getting warmer, The Experiment is already taking reservations for summer events. If you have a party, reunion, or celebration of any kind, call us!

Surviving the Storm and Beyond

This has been a crazy winter in the Willamette Valley with two snow storms and an ice storm that nearly shut down the city. But our tree seems to have survived without a scratch.

There were trees and branches down all over town after the ice storm last weekend, but no damage at The Experiment.  

I was afraid we might lose a lot of needles from the end of the branches after they were frozen solid, but no problem. Hopefully we have survived the worst that winter has to offer and Spring will be here soon. Mother Nature can work her magic, the candles will start to grow, and before you know it we will be ready for another trim! 

 

By the way, I have added another tree to The Experiment, a Monkey Puzzle Tree, (Araucaria araucana) 

  It's the national tree of Chile. A hardy evergreen, native to central and southern Chile and western Argentina. In the mountains they can grown 100 feet high and live up to 1000 years!  

The trees feature very sharp triangle shaped leaves. After 30 of 40 years they produce edible seeds, so that is something to look forward to! Right now I have the tree in a pot, but eventually I'm going to have to figure out a better plan. Stop by The Experiment and see how both our trees are doing! 

 

All this work with The Experiment has gotten me thinking a lot about trees.

I was wondering if there is a way to tell the age of a tree without having to cut it down and count the rings. I know there are ways to drill into the tree and take a core sample, but how about a ball park figure of the age by just measuring it at the base? I thought it would be a great project for my history class to find a tree in their neighborhood, figure out how old it is, and then research he history of what that tree has lived through. Anybody have any suggestions?

Snow and Ice Create Havoc at The Experiment

Two days of snow and then freezing rain are causing some concerns at The Experiment.

Almost a foot of snow on Friday followed by freezing rain Saturday morning covered the tree is snow and ice.

 Branches were sagging and needles were frozen solid. It was actually quite pretty, but I was afraid the weight of the ice might break a branch, so I tried to knock some of the ice off. All that did was knock off the needles, so I guess I'll just have to wait and hope things warm up a bit, and let Mother Nature save the day! 

This is a big year for The Experiment. This summer will be our third anniversary, and time for some major decisions about trimming branches. Lets hope we get through this storm without any of those decisions being made for us. 

 

Winter Hours: Because of the inclement weather, we have had to reduce visiting hours at The Experiment. Through the rest of winter we are open 3-5 Tuesday-Friday and noon to 4 on weekends. Be sure to call ahead to schedule your visit because we are sometimes closed for private parties and weddings. 

 

Christmas at The Experiment

This is our second Christmas since The Experiment began. All of us want to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! 



Snow Day in December

It's been awhile since my last entry on the blog and I figured that a cold, snowy December day would be a good time to update things. We got about three inches of snow overnight, canceling school and adding a little extra winter look to The Experiment. The tree seems to be holding up well and two and a half years in, things are going pretty well.

While the tree hasn't grown much I am wondering if it might be getting a little too big for the barrel it's in. Maybe it's time for a change. I think that is something I'm definitely going to have to consider this Spring. 

After I took the pictures I knocked the snow off the branches and everything looked fine. I don't think the cold and snow will have a negative impacted on The Experiment, but I might move the tree  closer to the house for the rest of winter just to give it a little protection from the weather.

 

We are getting close the holidays, and all of us at The Experiment want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Don't forget the annual Poodle Tree Experiment caroling party on December 21st! We'll gather around the Tree, sing Christmas carols, and drink traditional holiday favorites. There might even be some Christmas cookie! If you'd like to reserve your spot for this holiday favorite, call the reservation office soon! It will fill up fast!



Summer Winding Down

Middle of August means just a couple of weeks left for summer. It's been a pretty quiet summer at The Experiment, although we did have some visitors this week!

Poodle Tree enthusiasts Bill and Julie Ferrari win the prize for traveling the farthest to enjoy The Experiment this summer. I think it would be safe to say they had never seen a tree quite like what we have here at The Experiment.

After a close-up look at the tree, we grilled some burgers and had a great time! A great way to enjoy the last days of vacation on a perfect summer night. 

 

SCHEDULE: Don't forget the Labor Day Weekend Celebration at The Experiment. And just three more Thursday mornings to take part in Breakfast at The Experiment. Eat a delicious breakfast, enjoy a hot cup of coffee, and watch the sun come up through the branches of our little tree. It doesn't get any better than that! Call ahead to reserve your spot.