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Re: tree information
Larry London:
You wrote
> I recently purchased a 10 acre rural piece of land in
> Prince Edward Island, of which 6 acres is clear-cut - quite a mess. The
> government reforestation programme has offered to retree the land for me, for
> a very reasonable fee, but I have to choose the variety of trees, where they
> are to go, and how the species are to be mixed. ... in fact, to complicate
> things, they offer only softwood varieties. If I want hardwood, I have to
> purchase them separately...
>
> The land is quite steep, and the soil is good. I want to develop it for
> recreation and to attract wildlife ... and to build a secluded house on top of
> the hill someday...
>
I don't know about the specific situation you face, but I have a
small property in Georgia that used to be a cotton farm (very
degraded soils, acidic and no topsoil left). I found good
information by looking in books on Gardening with Native Species,
which tend to be woodland varieties in this area, found a couple books
specific to the area I am in. The problem is that most commercial
nurseries only offer species that are used in landscaping, and often
these are not the ones that are native. I also got help at a nursery
that specializes in native perennials. And I found some of the
varieties that would work for my "reclamation project" through the
state forestry commission, although most of their efforts are geared
toward forestry for future timber production and my interest was
animal and bird habitat.
Suggestions: If you have access to a university with a forestry
school or a horticulture department or possibly an environmental or
landscape design school, you can usually find a "native
plants buff" who can help locate species sources for you and help you
plan a habitat. Some commercial nurseries also have specialists in
native plants or habitat creation (As opposed to household
landscaping). Books on landscaping with native plants may give ideas
on species to you, although they tend to lay out garden-type
environments in their design. My understanding is that the most
important aspect of successfully naturalizing an area is the
selection of compatible species, those that are normally companions
in the wild environment. This is also supposed to be more attractive
to birds and animals.
Good luck.
__________________________________________________________________
Luanne Lohr
Dept. of Agricultural & Applied Economics (706) 542-0847
Room 312 Conner Hall FAX: (706) 542-0739
University of Georgia Internet: llohr@agecon.conner.uga.edu
Athens, GA 30602-7509