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csziggy

(34,120 posts)
7. From my experience, plant pines and the oaks will come
Sat Jul 6, 2019, 11:35 AM
Jul 2019

When I bought my farm in 1978, much of the upper 30 acres was corn fields and pig pens. We cleared the garbage and scrub trees and then planted a thousand loblolly pines, a thousand Southern red cedars, and a hundred dogwoods - the forestry department had a program that sold bare root seedlings in big bundles, so the "trees" were spindly little things around a foot tall. We also planted about twenty sawtooth oaks a neighbor didn't have room for.

One reason we planted lines of cedars and pines was as a wind and sun break - facing west from our house, we had what we called "mandatory sunsets" - absolutely nothing to shade the house from the sun in the afternoon. Around the house we planted sycamores for fast growth shade trees and crepe myrtles for open shade close to the house. Now those sycamores are immense and the crepe myrtles are forty or so feet tall. We still enjoy them though we built a new house (to replace the doubewide that was originally there) in a different spot.

Forty years later, many of the cedars have died, some of the pines were struck by lightning, and oaks have moved into the windbreaks we created with those trees. While only a fourth of the sawtooth oaks made it, other trees have moved in - post, laurel, and live oaks as well as cherry trees. The dogwoods were planted along the drive and many of them are dying, but post and live oaks, pines, and wax myrtles are providing greenery and habitat.

In addition, the loblolly pines that were here on the farm reproduced and we have about five acres of now 20-30 year old loblolly pines growing up in two different pastures. We also have encouraged the black walnut seedlings and other trees that have naturally occured - all they needed was protection from the horses in order to thrive.

Basically benign neglect works - plant one variety of tree and let natural succession take place. It takes work to continue a monoculture since nature tries to find a way.

It would be a good start... Wounded Bear Jul 2019 #1
Its a terrific start! Bayard Jul 2019 #2
Excellent idea and sources! 🌳 Duppers Jul 2019 #24
Thanks for this. I love trees, and I plant some every year. cwydro Jul 2019 #49
Pine and oak trees in particular consume more co2, so focus on them ck4829 Jul 2019 #3
From my experience, plant pines and the oaks will come csziggy Jul 2019 #7
Cedars suck ground water starving most everything else.......... Bengus81 Jul 2019 #33
Well, we're in the South - most years no worry about cedars using too much water csziggy Jul 2019 #34
Just as an FYI. Not taking anything from your excellent post. GulfCoast66 Jul 2019 #38
Interesting - they were sold by the Forestry Department as Southern Red Cedars csziggy Jul 2019 #42
Yeah. They are called cedars by everyone, including me. GulfCoast66 Jul 2019 #46
Not trees...bamboo - invasive as hell. Grows MUCH faster than trees, excellent carbon sink. harumph Jul 2019 #4
Bambo can be used as a building material, flooring and paneling material. Blue_true Jul 2019 #8
Hemp G_j Jul 2019 #9
Yes. nt Blue_true Jul 2019 #19
Bamboo is invasive in North America. GulfCoast66 Jul 2019 #39
Better yet, plant lots of succulent plants. Blue_true Jul 2019 #5
Love succulents mcar Jul 2019 #6
Read up on how they convert COx to oxygen 24/7. Blue_true Jul 2019 #15
I will mcar Jul 2019 #29
Kicked and recommended. Uncle Joe Jul 2019 #10
But Reagan told us that trees pollute. Everyman Jackal Jul 2019 #11
Drones are capable of planting a LOT of trees mn9driver Jul 2019 #12
This message was self-deleted by its author Chin music Jul 2019 #26
Meanwhile, in the Amazon... Snarkoleptic Jul 2019 #13
+! jalan48 Jul 2019 #16
Bolsonaro, G_j Jul 2019 #25
So f'ing depressing man ... we are DOOMED ... (nt) mr_lebowski Jul 2019 #31
This will only work if business and big corporations can make an obscene profit.. mitch96 Jul 2019 #14
Actually honeowners and thoughtful farmers can have a major impact. Blue_true Jul 2019 #17
5 acre to 1 million acre farms can have a major positive impact on the ecosystem " mitch96 Jul 2019 #35
Try a mixture of Aloe and Red Oak trees. Blue_true Jul 2019 #36
"Aloe and Red Oak trees." mitch96 Jul 2019 #43
Somebody has to pay for the seeds and seedlings Trees don't grow on trees, you know. marylandblue Jul 2019 #28
Fine, then pay them off for doing it ... it's still cheaper than climate change (nt) mr_lebowski Jul 2019 #30
Kick and Recommend. A ray of light in the dark. bronxiteforever Jul 2019 #18
Trees of Hope, wonderful. appalachiablue Jul 2019 #20
Stop all deforestation. roamer65 Jul 2019 #21
I have a stream that I allow to grow wild. Farmer-Rick Jul 2019 #22
It is great that you are doing what you are. nt Blue_true Jul 2019 #37
Ocean plankton. paulkienitz Jul 2019 #23
Or drink eco friendly vodka and let someone else do the planting Brother Buzz Jul 2019 #27
Kick, nt stopwastingmymoney Jul 2019 #32
As a plant/biology guy I geek out on this subject! GulfCoast66 Jul 2019 #40
I see forestry done in Fla off 19 north of Cheifland mitch96 Jul 2019 #44
And lots of cows! GulfCoast66 Jul 2019 #45
" lots of cows!" mitch96 Jul 2019 #47
The Mormon Church owns millions of cattle farming acres. Blue_true Jul 2019 #48
I'm glad this story was written -- I've seen it several places -- but it still baffles me misanthrope Jul 2019 #41
Kick ck4829 Jul 2019 #50
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