In general, about 60 to 75 percent of the seed sown will produce plantable seedlings.I'm not going to follow their row planting recommendation of "Sow 12 to 18 seeds per 0.3 linear meter of row and cover with about 2.5-cm of firm soil." (That's basically an inch apart if my metric conversion is right.)
Although I won't just toss these willy-nilly, I think planting about 10 yards apart should be good and then transplant in a year or two if necessary. If 75 percent grow into healthy trees, I should have a nice young forest in 15-20 years.
The plan so far is to have a section for hardwoods, another for nut bearing trees and a small orchard of sorts. White pine on the southern slope between where we plan to build the house and the pond. Hard and red maple to the south of our building site. Swamp white oak for the low spot beneath the pond and a few maybe nearer the pond itself. I've got some young cottonwoods that need a new location, too.
Shade, food, wind breaks, and maybe some income from the nut trees. And thanks to Sam and his wife, I should be able to cut some coffeebean lumber in 40+ years.
I keep saying that I bought 20 acres of work and I believe it to be so. It should be a busy year down at Camp Stranded with the reforestation efforts.
Thanks again, Sam. And pass along my appreciation to your wife.
2 comments:
You are very welcome! Put your used soup cans in a fire so they will rust away, cut an X in the end, and push them down over seeds you have planted. Fold the points up to let the new seedling come out, and to keep curious squirrels from digging out your seeds.
This system is especially good for protecting walnuts, pecans, and acorns from marauding rodents, and it helps you spot your seedlings when they pop up.
Sounds like fun, even though it is actually work. There's some kinds of work that simply are enjoyable.
Our twenty acres is mostly low sagebrush and wheat grass, though I've found a little prickly pear (tastes like cucumber). The ground is frozen here, but I figure in March I'll be a busy boy. I have plans for a 3-row shelter belt of Rocky Mtn juniper-Doug fir-juniper. Building natural stone (got plenty of 'em) retaining walls on the slopes around the house and I figure on low-growing creeping juniper there at the base for lil' critter cover. It's frequently very windy.
Meanwhile, Dad drives me crazy when he tells how he bulldozed this or that fenceline back on the family farm in Iowa.
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