Sunday, February 5, 2012

Trees Down

Boy have we had so much going on around here lately!  First off, I had seven trees taken down this week, one in my yard and six in my neighbor's yard to the east along our fence line.  They have been on my list for nine years, and I finally had the guts and money to take them down.  It is going to make a huge difference in my backyard and my front one as well.  Of the seven, six were hardwoods, so we kept those for fire wood.  I am happy we can recoup some of the cost back in firewood.  And I'm hoping this will eventually pay dividends in the veggie/fruit growing arena.  Needless to say, we have alot of cutting and clean up to do. 

This is how shady the east side of my backyard was before we took down trees even with no leaves on the trees.  In the summer, the canopy from this oak tree along with the pine tree to the immediate left kept this part of the yard in shade until early afternoon.















Now that the trees are gone we are already noticing a big difference in light in this area.

 












I know my neighbors are hating me.  They probably call me the crazy tree lady, and even one of the tree guys asked, "You don't like trees, do you?"  I love trees, just not ones that keep me from gardening.  Believe me, there are plenty more around my house.  There is no danger of running out of trees in my neighborhood. 

Now, I have a 14'x60' section to plan.  I would love to line the fence with espalier fruit trees, but my worry is when I put raised beds down the section, what I grow in the raised beds may grow too tall and block sun off the trees in the afternoon.  Because of the fence, the trees would not get morning sun immediately, so I would need to depend on the afternoon sun to provide enough sunlight.  Or I can still plant fruit trees along the fence but limit their height by multiple prunings each year.  This method takes more space horizontally, so I eat up some of my 14' when planning out my raised beds.  I definitely need raised beds because I am dealing with solid clay for the most part.  It is rock hard.  I would love to hear your thoughts and ideas on how to tackle this area.  I have a blank slate, and I want to plan it right. 

Shockingly, Nate has also offered to rework our sprinkler system in this area.  This whole area is one zone on our system, so I can configure it in any way I want and only use it when I think most necessary.  I generally water my raised beds from the rain barrels, but on occasion, I would like to have the sprinkler system as a backup.  I know I would like to have a connection to each raised bed and to each tree.  I need to research drip irrigation and sprinkler systems.  Any ideas from you on this?

This is definitely a long term project, but the biggest hurdle was the trees in my opinion.

Happy homesteading,

Candace  



8 comments:

  1. Wow, what a difference! I really hate to think of cutting down trees, but when it comes to the garden, trees take a back seat. So nice you can use them for firewood at least.

    I know nothing about sprinkler systems. I do know that hauling a hose around is a drag! (oops , that just came out!) We're hoping to get our rainwater catchment in next summer. But you're right, you still need a backup.

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    1. I don't really like cutting down trees either, but the oak tree in our yard was dying anyway, so it had to go. Maybe one day I'll have a catchment system, but for now, it's hauling water from the rain barrels. Hauling hoses or buckets is part of the fun, righ?

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  2. Wow, not only do you have a clean slate to work with but a BIG slate. As you've already found out, sunlight is a biggie when trying to grow things. We have fruit trees out in the open in our front yard but the ones closest to the woods line on the east and south don't get nearly as much sun as the other ones even in summer so do give thought to what you put along your fence.

    You cut six trees off your neighbor's property? Gulp. I take it you had their permission? You must have, right?

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    1. Thanks for the advice. Since this project will take a while to complete, I have plenty of time to consider my options. And, I did have permission! The trees were right by or near the property line with limbs that canopied the east side of our yard, but on his side, so we definitely asked. In most cases, I believe it's easier to ask forgiveness than permission, but in this case, I think a tree service setting up shop in his yard would be a tip off! Ha, ha!

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  3. Sun makes such a difference! The yard at our old house backed up to a park/open space with so many tall trees. I could grow lettuce really well, but the rest of my crops were dwarfed by all the shade. I used to dream of secretly cutting down just one tree to let in a sun ray ;)

    We've experimented with a sprinkler system, but there were so many pipes and sprinkler heads broken after the first year, that it didn't feel worth the effort. Soaker hoses work well in my opinion if you don't have too many raised beds to accommodate. Have you heard of buried clay pot irrigation? It might be suited to your situation!

    -Jaime

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    1. Jaime: I have heard of clay pot irrigation and would love to incorporate some into my beds. Thanks for reminding me of it. I have secretly dreamed of cutting down trees for 9 years and finally got my chance. Of course, living next to a park is a different story. Soaker hoses were my original idea until my husband broached the sprinkler system. I guess time will tell what we come up with.

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  4. The tree guy may have his doubts, but I don't. As much as it hurts to cut down the trees, you can't garden without sun. Looks like you have a nice (and good sized) space to work now.

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    1. Tony: You are so right. It did hurt to cut down those trees, but I'm hoping the blood, sweat, and tears will turn into something even better!

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