Another month has passed and another Tree Board meeting has been logged. There are pictures to prove it.

http://artsbayfieldalmanac.blogspot.com/2015/05/when-to-remove-support-stakes-from.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+ArtsBayfieldAlmanac+%28Art%27s+Bayfield+Almanac%29

The tree puller never left the truck until Art was back home. The steel posts had not been driven that deep and there was enough moisture in the soil so post extraction by the pre-puller method worked just as well. It may also have proved to be a lot safer for me. The puller is designed so that it folds over onto itself, I suspect, to make it neat and tidy to store and transport. At the same time, there are lots of places to pinch one's fingers.

The pulled posts did not end up in my yard where they might be expecting a reincarnation as urban poultry fencing. They were returned to the landscaper, who had planted the trees and staked them at that time.

Reading Art's blog--not just looking at the pictures--will eliminate any excuse one has for improperly staking trees and failing to remove them in a timely manner. With a little information, anyone can pass as an arborist and possibly some day grow up to be a member of the local tree board.