This picture of our tree farm was taken last year. During the early Spring, many hours of hobbitizing are required every year to grow veneer quality timber products. Over the past 11 years, we have established two plantations on our farm. We are presently growing Black Walnut, Figured Poplar, and Black Cherry trees.
When we started planting the very first batch of trees, the forest didn't quite look like this,
but looked like this. At the beginning of this project, I didn't totally realize the nurturing it would require to make sure that our saplings would not only survive but thrive.
A guide, including very specific directions about caring for these trees, spelled out every detail on how to grow veneer-grade timber
Here is a list of what needs to be done, most of which takes place every May.
- mulching around the tree, as wide as the drip line
- sucker removal
- eliminating mice and voles,
- spray trees with deer repellant (solution of eggs and milk)
- spring and winter pruning
The key to growing trees that will fetch the best price is to have the tree grow straight. A healthy central leader is paramount to making this happen.
The biggest threat to the bud at the tip of the tree is frost and insects.
Last year, insects ate the buds of the central leaders on about 50 trees, causing the tree to grow several new branches at the top. When this happens, all but one of the branches needs to be pruned and a new central leader established.
As long as the bud remains closed, frost will not damage it. As soon as the bud has opened, the tree is at the mercy of #Mothernature.
In the Spring of 2019, a late frost killed all of the opened buds, and many days were spent establishing new central leaders. 😪
Before getting involved with Steem #hive, three years ago this May, we kept a journal on the progress and pitfalls that occurred with the plantation from year to year.
Now I keep an account of everything happening with our trees on #Hive.
This year, neither frost nor insects have reared their ugly head, and renting one of these was not necessary. 😁 This year's growing season should be a dandy.
With no pruning required, layering about two inches of hay around each tree will be what will take a considerable amount of hobbitizing.
Remnants of last year's blanket of hay around the base of the trees have almost completely decayed.
With the drip-line ever-expanding as the tree grows, the diameter of the circle of hay around many of the trees has grown to ten feet or more.
The hay helps to prevent weeds from growing and helps to maintain moisture in the soil.
Over the years I have removed hundreds and hundreds of rocks protruding from the ground. Weed whacking the vegetation was a never-ending job, but not so much anymore.
About 80% of the tree farm can now be cut while I sit on a tractor, usually with a cold one in hand.
The piles of rocks that I removed last year, will be hauled away and added to the stone wall that runs parallel to the path leading to the plantation.
After two weeks of haying and removing stones, things are looking pretty good.
For the remainder of the spring and summer, the only hobbitation that will be necessary will be cutting the grass.
What was once a mud hole, with vulnerable saplings replacing a forest long-neglected, is now chockfull of life. Birds of all kinds decorate the trees. Deer, fox, and other four-legged critters seem to enjoy our tree farm as much as we do.
Five years ago we planted these Figured Poplars. Many of them are taller than the walnut and cherry trees that have been in the ground for twice as long.
The cool thing about the poplars is that they produce their own saplings. Each year a few new ones will shoot off of the roots of the mother tree. As they continue to grow further from the shadow of their parent, some of the new trees will be left to grow and the ones in close proximity to their parent will be removed. We started with just 12 of the poplars and we now have 25 that are far enough away from each other to flourish.
On the last day of spreading the hay around and picking up the piles of rocks, @farm-mom decided to lend a hand. I think that when I told her that picking up the rocks would be a good core workout, she couldn't say no.
After the heavy lifting was done, it was almost impossible to stop her. Clipping all of the dead stalks from the blackberry bushes had her all pumped up as she transformed another patch of ground, adding to the beauty of the area.
I'd never have guessed that there would be so much to think about with growing trees for timber! Makes sense, though.
You and me both. I'm glad that at the start of this endeavor I was ignorant. If I knew all that was involved, I may not have undertaken this project. With all of the trees now well established, the time spent taking care of them has been cut in half.
I love our farm @thebigsweed. You are an amazing man, I think I'll keep you.💘😘😴
Love the catalog of your tree farm here! They look like awesome trees and I’m shocked to learn that poplars grow trees from the roots of the parent tree. That’s really cool! Perhaps some of the things we might consider weeds growing st the lake property are just a whole family of poplar trees lol.
I’ll have to get a picture of the big one!
Also thank you for calling it a weed whacker hahah I don't know if that's a north east thing but I've heard it called a few other things that just don't sound right!
Before planting the poplars, I had no idea that they would reproduce in this fashion. All of the trees we plant are from a company called Advanced Tree Technology. They are superior grafted trees and they cost about $25.00, so everyone that shoots up from the roots of the ones we purchased is like free money.
When the sapplings started growing from the roots, I had no idea what they were and cut them down right along with the weeds. It wasn't until a few years ago that I realized the saplings had the same leaves like the ones I planted.
Weed wacker or weed trimmer are the only names I've ever heard them called, seems like the right name for what it does, wack the heck out of weeds.
Yay! 🤗
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thank you very much.
Great post and you're doing some sort of eco friendly business. Planting trees also help in environmental factors and besides it creates income too. Now-a-days fresh oxygen is in high demand and what better then planting trees.
Wish you more success my friend. Keep up the good work.
Thanks for stopping by. With so much destruction of forests and clear-cutting going on around the globe, every tree planted helps to offset this practice.
I wonder what mankind will totally ruin first, water or air.
Indeed. We should know the consequences if we don't stop. And you came up with such a good model. Really appreciated.
This is very cool. I remember previous posts about the trees. It's a lovely area now. :))
Good morning my friend. It is a beautiful area, one that we spend much time at even if we're just hanging out.
pretty sure its a very nice place to live
It sure is a great place to live
Woah! And all that grass. Sorry where we are I always notice the grass and then everything else. Our farm is the exact opposite (although I still love it) What a lovely forest of trees @bigsweed. Here we have forests of thorn trees
Here in Upstate NY, it doesn't take much to have a beautiful green carpet. All of the lawns on our farm spring up as soon as the sun can shine its light on the ground. We just simply spread hay around on an area that has been cleared and with some rain and sunlight, the grass you see pops up and within a year we have a full-blown lawn. We have never bought any grass seed and we have never used fertilizers. when we lived in NJ, I couldn't get grass to grow with ant success.
We are also very fortunate as the forests are loaded with many types of both softwoods and hardwoods.
thanks for stopping in.
A fabulous post and you guys are certainly creating a haven there.
We live in what they call the green town, as there are gigantic old oak trees and cork oak trees everywhere lining the roads.
But a private little forest like yours are the ideal, as it will indeed be a place to hang out in.
Cheers and thank you for your kind support to our work.
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