The Brushpile

Swamp White Oak (SWO), planted in 2008. This SWO is high and dry so it hasn't produced acorns yet, but I had a tree in the flood plain that produced acorns in about 3-4 years. Swamp White Oak has medium anaerobic tolerance and doesn't grow in swamps where flooding is permanent.

Once of the distinctions of SWO is peeling bark on branches and the trunk of small trees.
 
Mexican Plum. I grew this Mexican Plum from seed that a member sent me about 5-6 years ago. Mexican Plum is drought tolerant, though this tree is drought stressed and has yet to produce plums. Mexican Plum grows in open fields and forest edge, and can be found as far North as Wisconsin. Mexican Plum is adaptable to a wide range of soils and is also grown along the West Coast
.

http://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=PRME
 
Some varieties of pears are less drought tolerant than others. This pear tree has no pears, and the apple trees in this orchard have essentially shut down and gone dormant, having aborted their apples. The stomata on the leaf is like a pore and allows for transpiration. Drought caused the stomata to close and in some species the stomata won't reopen, so the tree is dormant, even thought it rained; unless the tree adds new growth/new leaves.

Whatever variety this pear tree is, it only produced this one pear, while Kieffers and Korean Giant are loaded with pears.
 
Brush, I'm sure you have said, but do pears do well in low areas with half day of sun? I know not good for apples, but I have field I'd like try pears in if that would work. Not good place for apples. I've got pears in areas where I plant apples, high and lots of sun and they do great there.
 
Looking great as always. Learned some new stuff about trees... I'm now interested in Mexican plum. I've been wanting some plum trees but haven't wanted to fight the borers and brown rot. Might give the Mexican's a try just to see if they can handle my location.
 
dogghr said:
Brush, I'm sure you have said, but do pears do well in low areas with half day of sun? I know not good for apples, but I have field I'd like try pears in if that would work. Not good place for apples. I've got pears in areas where I plant apples, high and lots of sun and they do great there.
Click to expand...
The problem with planting in low areas is frost, but for some reason my pears planted in low areas produce a few pears regardless of frost, but they have never produced pears in abundance because they're in a frost pocket. Pears grow well in low areas, and if frost isn't a problem, they would bear heavily.
 
Brushpile said:
The extreme difference in growth is that the larger trees have 5'x5' Lumite weed mats, and that's the only difference. Lumite weed mats are the only way to go in dry climates, and even in moist climates, because Lumite keeps away competing vegetation, allowing for Sun, moisture and nutrients to be available throughout the entire growing season, plus Lumite serves as a moisture barrier to retain moisture evaporating up through the soil.
Click to expand...

OK, not what I was expecting and impressive. I am going to have to try weed mats.
 
Allegheny Chinkapin vs Chinese Chestnut.
Allegheny Chinkapin.

Chinese Chestnut.


Note that chinkapin has clusters of small burs along the length of the stem, while Chinese Chestnut has much larger burs and they occur in groups of 2-3 or as singles. Chinkapins bare earlier and hold game longer because of the large number of small nuts.
 
Brush,

Is that normal for a Allegheny Chinkapin to have the long spines on the bur as shown in your photo? This is my first season to have Allegheny Chinkapins on my farm. Got to admit - it feels like Christmas after all of the effort to see your first rewards. I brought home my first pear for my wife yesterday. My pear trees have about a dozen good pears on twelve trees. I have left them to fend for their self.

Appreciate your explanation on AC verses Chinese Chestnuts. One of my biggest mistakes is poor labeling system on planted trees. Flaggin tape don't hold up under sun and I use vinyl soffit cut into small pieces and the marker I used didn't survive either.

The Brushpile is a visual reference book second to none. :)
 
Diamond hunter said:
Brushpile,do you mind telling me where you buy the rolls of lumite?
Click to expand...
John at "Big Rock Trees" sells Lumite. John is the owner of Habitat Talk and I think his price is a little lower.
Shaw Fabrics, but check total cost that includes shipping.
http://shawfabricproducts.com/Framify.php?Page=LumiteFabricMulch.php
You will want the 6' wide roll for a couple reasons:
1. Smaller widths will become enveloped by tall weeds and the seedling won't get full Sun.
2. In a year or two the seedling will extend roots beyond the edge of the Lumite, which is three feet away from center.
3. Invasive/unwanted trees like Chinese Elm, White Ash, Maple, etc,. have at least a 3' stand of distance, and can be cut and treated without any collateral damage.
4. Smaller widths allow more moisture to escape around the outside edge.
 
Triple C said:
Still waiting on my first chestnut to make. Always enjoy following along Brush!
Click to expand...
How old are your trees?
wbpdeer said:
Brush,

Is that normal for a Allegheny Chinkapin to have the long spines on the bur as shown in your photo? This is my first season to have Allegheny Chinkapins on my farm. Got to admit - it feels like Christmas after all of the effort to see your first rewards. I brought home my first pear for my wife yesterday. My pear trees have about a dozen good pears on twelve trees. I have left them to fend for their self.

Appreciate your explanation on AC verses Chinese Chestnuts. One of my biggest mistakes is poor labeling system on planted trees. Flaggin tape don't hold up under sun and I use vinyl soffit cut into small pieces and the marker I used didn't survive either.

The Brushpile is a visual reference book second to none. :)
Click to expand...
Yes, where you cam gently pick up a chestnut but, an Allegheny Chinkapin bur is like a pin cushion and can't be handled without leather gloves
 
Brushpile said:
John at "Big Rock Trees" sells Lumite. John is the owner of Habitat Talk and I think his price is a little lower.
Shaw Fabrics, but check total cost that includes shipping.
http://shawfabricproducts.com/Framify.php?Page=LumiteFabricMulch.php
You will want the 6' wide roll for a couple reasons:
1. Smaller widths will become enveloped by tall weeds and the seedling won't get full Sun.
2. In a year or two the seedling will extend roots beyond the edge of the Lumite, which is three feet away from center.
3. Invasive/unwanted trees like Chinese Elm, White Ash, Maple, etc,. have at least a 3' stand of distance, and can be cut and treated without any collateral damage.
4. Smaller widths allow more moisture to escape around the outside edge.
Click to expand...


So I know you've experimented with quite a few different methods, what in particular makes lumite better than regular landscape fabric?

And is it me or has there been rain on the Brushpile?
 
It did rain last night! I haven't seen the rain gauge yet, but it seemed brief. 60% chance of rain today but watch the force field stop the rain just as it reaches The Brushpile.

You can use other moisture barriers, but landscape fabric is made to be covered with mulch. If not covered with mulch, some landscape fabric breaksdown/photo degrades in the Sun, and won't last a Summer, while other landscape fabric allows Sun to penetrate so that it doesn't kill the weeds and grass around it, which push it up and cause moisture to run off to the outside, away from the root zone.

With Lumite everything beneath it dies, and a staple placed toward the center with cause moisture to flow inward. Here you can see what a seedling will become in a few years, and 6'x6' no longer looks big!


Black Plastic works, but only if a plant is anaerobic tolerant. Check the USDA plant profile to see if a plant is anaerobic tolerant. Also note how the staple causes moisture to flow toward center.
 
I got an inch of rain last night, and there's more in the forecast. :) I'm hoping to see the pond fill for the first time this year, but first the ground has to be wet so there's runoff.
 
Brushpile said:
Got one inch last night, and up to two inches are forecast tonight, we're in a flashflood watch! :)
Click to expand...

good for you my friend. I am suppose to get some tonight and then really good chances starting the middle of next week.

todd
 
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