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permaculture - Re: [permaculture] fruit tree branches under the trees

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  • From: Paul Wheaton <paul@richsoil.com>
  • To: permaculture <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [permaculture] fruit tree branches under the trees
  • Date: Fri, 11 May 2007 13:32:34 -0700 (PDT)

So ... nobody here knows of any problems with doing this I take it?

Toby?

--- Paul Wheaton <paul@richsoil.com> wrote:

> I've been meaning to ask this question here for a while, but keep
> forgetting ....
>
> When caring for fruit trees, I grant you that you MUST keep all fruit
> picked up from
> under the tree.
>
> But what about the branches?
>
> I know that for some confiers, it is wise to cut at certain times of the
> year .... or
> ...
> perhaps more accurately .... to NOT cut at certain times of the year, as
> the smell of
> the freshly cut cambium attracts the insects that love to feed on the
> standing trees.
> But I think that might all be specific to just a few species of conifer.
>
> So this winter when pruning, I found that if I took an extra moment to cut
> the branches
> in to smaller pieces (or to have my son go crazy with the loppers) that the
> remaining
> pieces would lay rather flat. This appeared to help the tree combat the
> grass that
> wants
> to grow under the tree and compete with the tree. (I try to then lay some
> smothering
> hay
> under the tree and thow down some guild seed with a little soil on top of
> the hay)
>
> Since the branches and twigs are laying flat on the ground, they will
> decompose fairly
> quickly and thus, eventually, feed the tree. A sort of mini-hugelkultur if
> I toss the
> hay and soil on top.
>
> So I can see plenty of up sides of doing this - but I worry about a
> possible downside
> of
> attracting insects that think that this tree is yummy.
>
> Are my concerns foolish?
>
>
>
>
>
>







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