"symplastless" wrote in message
. ..

"Sheldon" wrote in message
...
J15ess wrote:

How, when and what is the best way to chop down Conifers?
We have several (rather overgrown) ones in our new garden.

If they're large conifers than they've been there many years, dropping
needles and taking soil nutrients...

Although I agree with most of what you said, trees do not uptake
nutrients. They do absorb, in a sense, water with elements dissolved in
it. Trees are autotrophs and manufacture their own food. Food is a
substance that provides and energy source, mostly. Nutrient is a
substance that provides an energy source, elements, and other substances
essential for life, in types and amounts that can provide a healthy life.
Fertilizer is a substance that provides elements, as salts mostly, or in
bonded forms, that require microorganisms to alter to forms that can be
absorbed by plants. The tree would actually add nutrients to the soil as
woody and non-woody parts are shed. Yes trees do take elements from the
soil but if let go they will put a little more back than they took out.
Also trees provide the soil with exudates which is a trees way of paying
taxes.

Here is an example of how loose terms can add confusion.

If I said:
To start your car, you must first reach for keys --- energy out. The keys
must be turned in the starter --- energy out. The starter stimulates the
battery, to turn over the engine --- energy out. Finally, the engine
pulls in fuel and engine starts --- energy out. Once started, the engine
returns some of the energy out, back into the battery. Now, the engine is
on a different fuel system. Energy is the key for starting a car. Energy
is also the key for starting water up a tree. In phenology stage one,
stored starch begins to convert to sugars. This requires water to come
in, mostly from stored water, as bound water on cellulose. But, how does
it start? Sun energy and codes of genetics "Reach for the keys".
Chemicals form that increase enzymes that change starch to sugar. Sugar
in water starts osmotic and other pressures that pull more water off
cellulose and from the soil. It takes energy anytime matter moves. To
pass through the casparian strip, more energy is required. As sugar is
"burned" ATP comes off. The tree is still in the "battery" stage. In
time new leaves form and the "fuel" stage starts. But, what about trees
that form flowers before leaves? With such trees, the pressures formed as
sugar goes into water, moves the water to the flowers. The same type of
actions go on for maple sap collection. (See maple syrup) The living
symplast maintains the pressures in the water - moving (NUTRIENTS) by
regulating their size. Now "the car is moving" and energy starts to go
back into the system. [WHEN I USED THE WORD NUTRIENT, what am I referring
too?]

nutrient was the wrong term. The correct term is elements. E.g., The
living symplast maintains the pressures in the water -
moving elements by regulating their size. It is more lucid if the word
elements is used to describe elements. Rather than confusing people and
calling elements, nutrients.

Again as the last two posters stated, don't believe a word I say.


--
Sincerely,
John A. Keslick, Jr.
Consulting Forester & Tree Expert
http://home.ccil.org/~treeman
and www.treedictionary.com
Beware of so-called tree experts who do not understand tree biology.
Storms, fires, floods, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions keep reminding us
that we are not the boss.








--
Sincerely,
John A. Keslick, Jr.
Consulting Forester & Tree Expert
http://home.ccil.org/~treeman
and www.treedictionary.com
Beware of so-called tree experts who do not understand tree biology.
Storms, fires, floods, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions keep reminding
us that we are not the boss.