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  • From: Gene GeRue <genegerue AT ruralize.com>
  • To: "homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org" <homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [Homestead] Tap roots
  • Date: Thu, 17 Aug 2006 15:36:15 -0500

Yesterday, Magnolia and I took down a hickory tree. It was a tougher push than expected so after it was down I looked it over and was reminded of tap roots, this one being about six inches in diameter.

The only thing more fun than watching the tree finally go down was watching Don leap like a gazelle to get out of the way.

Anyway, the view of that tap root yesterday and the view out my computer window reminds me of something that may or may not be useful. In the front yard are two heartnut trees, gifts from friends about sixteen years ago. When I planted them I experimented with the holes, using my wagon-axle-digging-bar to make deep, skinny holes that I filled with soft soil, the idea being to give the tap roots opportunity to go down deep fast.

Today, the two heartnut trees are about twenty and twenty-five feet tall. The taller one is also much fuller, a beautiful specimen. The smaller tree is not nearly as pretty. I tell Chris the bigger one is male and, well, you know how that goes. Trunk diameters are equal. I of course wonder if those tap root opportunities were equal or if the smaller tree sent its water-seeking source out to the side a bit. Or maybe its momma was just puny.






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