plant a forest

I look forward to when I can start planting my forest – I want to have some of everything…...

Will have some OT on the next paycheck, so I shall order this year’s hybrid poplars…

And, I already have the fertilizer, so now that nights are often above freezing, it’s time to start fertilizing and deep, deep watering.

I have spied 4 branches of existing hybrid poplars that can give me a total of 6 pieces to plant. I think that will be one of this weekend’s projects.

The goal is to plant 20 or more hybrid poplars this year. At least 6 across the north side of the chicken coop and a dozen or so along the southern boarder. Maybe I can spend $40 and double that – but can I care for that many trees? I guess we shall see.

I just LOVE tree planting season.

I would love to designe a forest. I often read and think about trees and enjoy looking at them in their different environments. One day I hope to plant a forest.

I am so happy to have found a group of people who also want to plant a forest. I am either not crazy or in good company and crazy. It is good either way. I live on 11 acres in Central Texas at the edge of blackland prairie and limestone scrub, along a creek. We have long periods of drought and extremely alkali soil. We have incredible winds. We have many fruit trees that are not so happy this year (no rain)some are also yellow (chlorosis from Calcium buildup around the roots I think)We have many volunteer hackberry and mesquite. We have a great view of the many many trees along the creek (pecan, some oak and pistache among others) at the back edge of our large backyard area, but I want SHADE, and the close in view of trees and truly I want to create a new landscape and a micro climate. We are running grey water to the yard now and so have more to offer the trees. But giving up a yard and worrying about falling branches in the storms and wind is a concern. thanks.

I am not alone. I will persevere!

• Pines are too pricey and must be coddled too much; they will eventually become huge, but they grow very slowly. I’ll continue to add a few here and there as part of the LONG term view, but I also need some short term, “instant” gratification (if anything about a tree can be called “instant.”)
• Ditto for Maples, although I may buy a few more any way, just because they are so lovely
• Hybrid Poplars may be the short term way to go – for $20 I can get enough stock to plant 20 trees (at a kill rate of 30% that means for $20 I can have 14 trees). Also, for free, after two years, I can harvest enough branches from each tree to grow two or three MORE trees. After a year or two more, I won’t have to buy ANY of these and waste any hydrocarbons transporting them from wherever they are harvested
• Oaks have deep tap roots – perhaps I should start planting acorns.
• Apple trees – yes! – even if they don’t fruit – seem to do very well here – and the blossoms are quite lovely
• Other fruit trees – not as vigorous as the apple trees, but they are endearing, so perhaps I will be conned into planting more of them, also.
• Dessert willows? A distinct possibility – I see them all over the place here

Thoughts on Planting…

• Hybrid Poplars – in trenches with amended sand so that they can be “flood” irrigated – with mulch, mulch, mulch to protect them. Perhaps mulched with composted chicken litter. You know, circle of life; waste not, want not; etc.
• Find somewhere that does standard fruit trees – graphs are prone to killing in our climate – and order bare roots for spring
• Shall I start some very small pines? The one foot pines they planted in Georgia when I lived there 20 years ago – how big are they now? With water and sun and regular feedings, they should grow pretty fast in their early years
• Can I get some desert willow for free somewhere? I hear they are as easy to grow as hybrid poplars if they are given plenty of water in their youth.

we have about a 30% kill rate on the trees. Still, each year there are a few more trees than the year before. It’s not even near a forest yet, but the bugs and the lizards and the birds have already taken full advantage of the extra trees on the property. So I will persevere.

spring soon

new financial year = 14 free trees from Ipswich city council= small eucalypt/rainforest species grove at the north side of the house

I planted 100 trees in my (small) backyard last year and most of them are alive still – the funny thing is there seems to be a lot of spaces between them that more plants can go. My yard feels cooler and less dry. Great to see a tree growing – some I planted 5 years ago are as tall as the house (rainforest species and koala food trees- eucalypts)