permaculture

["LUANNE LOHR" <LLOHR@agecon.conner.uga.edu>]

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