Tree planting mission accomplished...buildings, driveway next

Thanks to our friends, Tree Management Plus, WACD plant materials center (our seedling suppliers) we got our tree planting done you could say ahead of schedule.  Our consulting forester from WA DNR stressed that we should get our planting density up from what it was as soon as possible. 

In our forest plan, we gave ourselves two seasons and he signed off on that while kind of making a face.  It turns out that it is best if you plant all at once or as close to it as possible else, simply stated, the older trees will stunt the younger ones.  The replanting after the clearcut happened in 2007 so we are a little late already.

We had thought to re-plant the lower part of our property only this year and bought trees for that.  We planned to clear many of the alder growing there as it is overcrowded in places.  We decided that could wait and that we needed to stay away with our seedlings from where we will later fell the alder (maybe next year).  Since this area is only alder now, we don't have the problem of older fir trees stunting the new ones.

With the freed up plants we were able to stock up the rest of the property.   I also moved some of the now almost three year old doug-fir seedlings out of where we will clear for our other house.  In the end, we had difficulty finding space for all the trees and still were able to plant some down below in the open areas.  

We dedicated part of the lower area to noble fir trees that we will harvest in 6-7 years and sell as Christmas trees.  New trees will grow from the stumps, making a nearly perpetual sequence of harvests possible.

Leaves are appearing on the bushes in our nursery waiting there to be planted out next spring along the course of our new driveway that we hope to put in soon.  We hope to get our clearing and grading permit any day now.

We are emptying out the barn.  It will get a cement floor.  And the well house for our shallow irrigation well is empty now and washed out for its renovation.   With approval of our clearing and grading permit, we will also get our building permit for remodeling the cottage to start soon.

Finally, I go up today to water the sprouts in P's garden.  7 of 8 beds are raked out and amended and five are planted.  I'll start marking the floor of the cottage for foundation modifications.

Dale