permaculture

[Paul Wheaton <paul@richsoil.com>]

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?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>