North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["victoria l. caron" <vicaron@gis.net>]

Del,
You are probably referring to a letter in Pomona back in '93 or so,
I will try to remember to check. It was written by Céline Caron
(no relation) from Quebec Province. Her remarks were along the line you
suggested. The material is referred to as ramial wood chips or cuttings
and are harvested from young poplar (aspen), and used as mulch. The value
is in the size of the young trees that are chipped having different properties
than older wood. There is something about the ratio of young bark to wood
and the nutrients and (maybe proteins?) included in this material. This
makes it a nutrient mulch which produced superior growth when compared
to ordinary mulches.
The article was interesting to me at the time and I've always wanted
to try it, especially when my sons started a tree pruning and chipping
service. If someone wants to do this, you need a stand of poplar seedlings.
These are very quick growing and if parent trees are around a planting
can be maintained. An observation worthy of speculation is that poplar
seedlings often crop up in burnt areas. This might mean that a liberal
application of wood ash could make a poplar planting easier to establish
possibly by reducing competition from less tolerant plants.
I will TRY to remember to research the article and dates when
I go home tonight. If it's before you were a member, I can copy it and
snail mail it.
vic NH zone 3

del stubbs wrote:

Sometime in the misty past I read a study of using small aspen trees  (up to
8'tall), sending them through a chopper and using it for some kind of green
manure mulch. I cant remember if it was plowed under or put around trees as
a nutrient rich mulch.
The idea was to use very young trees while in leaf, that if cut then they
add nutrition to the soil rather than deplete it. The study spoke of
remarkable results on growing trees.
I'm presently clearing some "pople brush" that just fits the description.
And intend to use it somehow.

I believe the study came out of Quebec, any one heard of it?
_________________________________________________________________
Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com
 
 

Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/

Yahoo! Groups Sponsor

Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service.