I have a question

Grow some food and stuff!

Moderator: matt walker

Re: I have a question

Postby eeldip » Thu Apr 19, 2012 3:29 pm

I think if you are planting a large volume of trees, following best practices is the right thing to do. I have nothing against experimenting here and there... But man after all that labor...
eeldip
 
Posts: 42
Joined: Tue Jan 10, 2012 2:45 am

Re: I have a question

Postby Lollykoko » Sat Apr 21, 2012 3:00 am

Threat of thunderstoms sent me home for a day or two. :( But I noticed something interesting while I was uncovering plants after the cold spell.

Last fall I planted garlic in a small bed and covered the area with pine straw that I had collected from under the white pines. this spring there are plenty of garlic shoots standing proud and tall, with a few of the local fauna thrown in for good measure. But there is a dark green, chenille looking plant poking up here and there between the garlic plants and in no other part of the vegetable plot or nearby pasture. I think baby pine trees are going on here! I'm advising my cousin to grab about 10 garbage bags of pine straw when he comes camping next time, so he can strew it around the perimeter of his 4 acre place. Next time up, I'll try to remember to take pictures.
User avatar
Lollykoko
 
Posts: 575
Joined: Sun Jan 08, 2012 9:04 pm
Location: Howard and Miami Counties, Indiana

Re: I have a question

Postby pa_friendly_guy » Fri Nov 16, 2012 9:44 pm

Pictures would be Great Lolly. It sounds like the pine seeds that fell from the pine cones had a chance to germinate when they were given enough light. Then they were left under the mature pine forest there would not be much light on the forest floor. Normally once the pines are mature there really isn't much that will grow under them. I always thought it was because of the acid in the pine straw, but from what you have seem it would seem that light plays a big part as well.
Never doubt that a small group of dedicated people can change the world, indeed it is the only thing that ever has.
User avatar
pa_friendly_guy
 
Posts: 1502
Joined: Sun Jan 08, 2012 9:24 pm
Location: SW Pa They changed me to zone 6a what ever that is. I still figure zone 5

Re: I have a question

Postby Lollykoko » Sat Nov 17, 2012 12:08 am

Guy, it turned out that I was completely wrong. I did have some sort of growth going on, but it wasn't pine trees.

At the time I brought up the question the plants were 3" tall or so and had that bristly pine needle look to them. They wound up being just another green thing I don't know the name of growing up in the pasture. I'll look through the spring pictures to see if I can find that one, or any of a dozen others.
User avatar
Lollykoko
 
Posts: 575
Joined: Sun Jan 08, 2012 9:04 pm
Location: Howard and Miami Counties, Indiana

Re: I have a question

Postby pa_friendly_guy » Sat Feb 02, 2013 1:08 am

It has been awhile since we started this thread Lolly, I wonder if your relative was able to dig up some trees from your place, and if he did actually get some how did they do last summer? With the draught what was his survival rate? He may not know for sure how things went until this spring when he can see what buds out and greens up. If the trees seemed to make it through the dry weather last summer I think they should make it through the winter. We would love to hear any results.
Never doubt that a small group of dedicated people can change the world, indeed it is the only thing that ever has.
User avatar
pa_friendly_guy
 
Posts: 1502
Joined: Sun Jan 08, 2012 9:24 pm
Location: SW Pa They changed me to zone 6a what ever that is. I still figure zone 5

Re: I have a question

Postby Lollykoko » Sat Feb 02, 2013 3:35 am

Guy, he wasn't really able to get much at all. The weekend we were hauling logs around Charlotte (his mother) did dig two oak trees up for him, but the new German Shepard pup put an end to that dream pretty quickly. In fact, he and his family didn't have any garden to speak of due to the pup. She liked the taste of potatoes!

We transferred a couple of trees from the margin of the woods to full sun, but I think they both died. They were taller specimens (about 15 feet above ground) that Terry dug out with the backhoe. I'm unsure if the problem was root damage, change in sunlight, lack of moisture, lack of pruning, or something that hasn't crossed my mind at all.
User avatar
Lollykoko
 
Posts: 575
Joined: Sun Jan 08, 2012 9:04 pm
Location: Howard and Miami Counties, Indiana

Re: I have a question

Postby pa_friendly_guy » Sat Feb 02, 2013 4:09 am

Like George said earlier on this thread, moving large trees is difficult and often a bit iffy. If they make it you have hit the jack pot with instant gratification, if they don't make it all you have lost is time. ;) Planting seeds or very young seedlings has a higher chance of growing for you, but it will take several years to get any real size to the tree, and several more years beyond that to get any shade. During that young growing size they are very susceptible to deer damage or rabbit damage. I was at an old time local hardware store today pricing fencing for the trees I want to plant this spring. I had used welded wire years ago when I planted the orchard. I think I will go with green plastic fence this time. I am still going with 4 ft high, and making a circle with a 4 ft diameter, but the holes are a bit larger than the welded wire was. I still do not think a large rabbit could make it through. It is a lot flimsier than the wire, and it will not last nearly as long [ the plastic gets brittle in the sun after a few years ] but I can get 100 ft for less than $50. I think the welded wire was almost 4 times that much. The welded wire I put up around my garden has been up for about 28 year with out being painted or maintained in any way so I know the wire will last for many years. The 100 ft should be more than enough to protect all 10 trees I hope to buy. I can cut the posts, or stakes if you prefer, to hold the fence up around the trees off the place. Three or four stakes around each tree should do the job and I can hold it down with plastic ties. I am thinking that the plastic will last until the trees are high enough that the deer will not be able to top them, even on their hind legs. At that point if the plastic is brittle and breaking up it does not matter. Plastic may not be the Permaculture thing to do, but if it gets me 10 more fruit and nut trees growing here for years to come that the deer can not kill I feel it is a fair trade off. I find at my place if I want a tree to survive that the deer like to eat I have to fence it off. You may have the same problem at your place. If you pay a lot of money for tree I would not only water and mulch them, I would fence them off from the deer.
Never doubt that a small group of dedicated people can change the world, indeed it is the only thing that ever has.
User avatar
pa_friendly_guy
 
Posts: 1502
Joined: Sun Jan 08, 2012 9:24 pm
Location: SW Pa They changed me to zone 6a what ever that is. I still figure zone 5

Previous

Return to Garden, Pasture, Forest

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 11 guests

cron