Selfsufficientish.com

I will see what I can get hold of and definately join in on a Tree Planting Day.

Maybe open up a special thread Rosie, post a date and we can post pics to show how together we are working toward enviro-restoration...?

I'll order some trees tonight.

Stonehead wrote:We've been planting trees and hedgerows since we moved here, but the cost starts getting prohibitive when you have a place with a bit of land and few trees.

I met someone from your neck of the woods a while ago, and he was planting a few trees on his land. He said he was getting them from the verges alonside Forestry Commission land, where they had self-seeded and made a bit of headway. Of course he was a bit limited in choice (though there must be more than just sikta spruce up there), but he had a nice little stand coming along.

The woods around here are full of <= year old hardwood saplings, most of which will not get a chance to grow any further, and I'm often tempted to take a few home, but I've only got about 10 square feet.

Muddypause wrote:

Stonehead wrote:We've been planting trees and hedgerows since we moved here, but the cost starts getting prohibitive when you have a place with a bit of land and few trees.

I met someone from your neck of the woods a while ago, and he was planting a few trees on his land. He said he was getting them from the verges alonside Forestry Commission land, where they had self-seeded and made a bit of headway. Of course he was a bit limited in choice (though there must be more than just sikta spruce up there), but he had a nice little stand coming along.

The woods around here are full of <= year old hardwood saplings, most of which will not get a chance to grow any further, and I'm often tempted to take a few home, but I've only got about 10 square feet.

We were offered a huge batch of hardwood trees left over from a forestry planting project. Unfortunately, they were bareroot, had not been heeled in and had been left for more than a year. When I had a look all bar three had died (out of at least 200!!!!). What a waste.

I've got an oak tree growing in my veg patch, and a friend who says i can plant things in her wood, so count me in!

fab!!!


now, where is the best place to start the thread for everyone to post a pic? and a little bit of info on what species they are planting/whereabouts they live etc Also do you think we should have a plant a tree week/month/or 2006/07? I think if anyone's planting lots of trees anyway, they could specifically earmark one tree as the self sufficientish tree and post a pic of it, we could even do an update on its yearly anniversary and show how they've developed! what do you think!

I'm off to order my tree!

Rosie

He he Stonehead - how different things are here! I am looking at ripping out most of your listed native trees here, as they are terrible weeds, infesting our land... particularly Hawthorn. Sycamores are a huge problem in our bush too...

I guess everything is native to somewhere - even gorse That's me trying to deal to that evil on a stick!

Magpie wrote:He he Stonehead - how different things are here! I am looking at ripping out most of your listed native trees here, as they are terrible weeds, infesting our land... particularly Hawthorn. Sycamores are a huge problem in our bush too...

I guess everything is native to somewhere - even gorse That's me trying to deal to that evil on a stick!

So where in NZ are you? I have distant relatives down south - Fiordland, Southland and Central Otago in the main.

We are in the south - Dunedin, to be exact.

Sycamores are a pain in the butt. I have planted one tree (a Liquidambar) for autumn colour, but we have far too many trees and have to take loads out!

I have gorse hedges and I hate hate hate them. I would love to rip them out, but they are a great snow-break for the lane. If I took them out, I dont think even the tractors could get down the lane in the winter.

We are going to visit Forvie Tree Nursery shortly. He is near Ellon, and he grows the trees until they are ready to move, then sells them as bare-root. I shall be getting a weeping willow (in honour of Dad who died back in March) and Mum wants a tree as well, but she hasnt decided what.

I'm getting loads of willow cutttings soon from a NEEPS-ster to use as windbreaks, and when they are established, I shall be taking cuttings again to start my own willow tunnel (or a willow tee-pee - havent decided for sure yet)

oooh willow tipi - sounds wonderful!

DH wants to build one of those iron-age type houses in the garden for the kids to play in. There is a good one at Archaeolink (near Stonehead) and we keep having a look to see if we could manage to build a copy.

I think the tipi (thanks for the spelling!) will probably go up first.

I have to coppice my willow (can't remember the name) every two years if I want the vivid red new branches and have just done it again after a rather longer gap. I used the branches to mend the arson-damaged hedge on the allotment by stuffing the cut ends through what was left until they reached the ground and weaving more through the uprights.
Do you think there's any chance they will root (not much free soil at the foot of a privet hedge) or is there a special technique to taking willow cuttings?

I've heard that even if you put willow cuttings in upside-down, they will still grow.... so you probably have a chance at a good strike-rate!

We've just been taking down a tree today (a ratty looking spruce) because we had some high winds and this tree, which was already leaning at a bit of an angle, started leaning over some more!

It's been planted right next to the septic tank (or the tank was put in right beside the tree, more likely); whichever it was was a really silly thing to do. If the tree had been uprooted it could have damaged the tank. Well it could have landed on the house too!

So sadly it's bye bye tree and now as we have no curtains in our living room (still!) we can see right through to a neighbour's house now - they've obviously got no curtains either!

Think I'll need to put up a curtain in the loo now though!