Caring for the Woodlands at My Farm
The cold, snowy, icy days do not have to be spent indoors. In fact, here at my Bedford, New York farm, we get a good portion of outdoor work done this time of year. My outdoor grounds crew is very busy with woodland maintenance - we call it "cleaning the woods."
These tasks are best done during winter when the trees are bare. The team is able to cut dead or broken trees, knock down weeds, brambles, and thorny barberry bushes, and pick up the many fallen branches. Everything is gathered and placed into neat piles along the carriage roads, so at the end all the organic debris can be chipped and spread right back into the woods. Any desirable tree trunks are set aside and cut up for lumbering, and rotten or irregular trunks are reserved for the tub grinder - everything is always put to good use.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
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- When I moved to my farm, I created carriage roads through the entire property, so I could drive or ride around on horseback and see the gorgeous landscape. This carriage road takes one through the woodland under tall, majestic trees.
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- The roads also pass over streams like this one – full of clean, running water for all the woodland creatures that visit.
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- This part of the woodland is in the back field. The trees on the left are dawn redwoods, Metasequoia – fast growing deciduous conifers I planted years ago. This photo was taken in the fall before the fine feathery needles dropped for the season.
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- But none of the views would be possible without regularly scheduled general maintenance work. Every winter, my outdoor grounds crew spends several weeks “cleaning” the woods. “Cleaning” the woods allows us to reuse and repurpose a lot of natural materials – and it makes the area much prettier. This is a pile of branches brought out from the woodland and piled neatly – many of these fell during various storms.
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- These are larger trees taken down because they were dead, damaged, or diseased. Many trees are ash trees infested and killed by the dangerous emerald ash borer.
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- This is a section of the woodland where the trees are dense. At some point, some will be taken down to make room for younger specimens.
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- Before the tree trunks are felled, smaller limbs and branches are removed first, so the tree is easier to take down with less of a chance to damage other plantings in the process.
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- Here is a tree getting pulled out and placed into a pile by the carriage road.
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- My outdoor grounds crew foreman, Chhiring, carefully maneuvers the trusted Hi-Lo and oversees all the work making sure everyone takes all the necessary safety precautions.
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- Phurba is securing another line to this huge stump, so it can be removed from the stream. Fortunately the weather has been very mild these last few days. All the snow and ice from the most recent storm has melted allowing the crew to work more safely and efficiently.
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- For this oak tree and various other light trees, the crew is able to use a strong rope to help direct where the tree will fall once it is cut.
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- Meanwhile, Pasang, who is our resident tree expert, carefully makes his felling cuts at the base of the tree.
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- And in just a few minutes, the tree is safely brought down.
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- The tree may have looked nice from afar, but its base was actually rotting. This tree could have eventually fallen and caused damage to nearby fences or other healthy trees. It was the right decision to bring it down.
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- Here, Pasang starts picking up the more manageable branches and adds them to the pile.
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- In another area of carriage road, stacks of trees sit ready to be hauled to the compost yard and the tub grinder.
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- But nearby, this is a vew of “cleaned woods.” It is so nice to be able to see through the woods to the field beyond.
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- One can really see the beauty of the landscape. Clearing out dead or overgrown vegetation will also allow remaining plants to receive better access to water, sunlight, and other nutrients necessary to thrive.
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- And then young, strong seedlings are planted again. Trees are so important – they provide habitat and food for birds and other animals, they absorb carbon dioxide and potentially harmful gasses, and they release oxygen.
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- Keeping the woodland “clean” is one way I can give back to the Earth and help create a more sustainable planet for my grandchildren, and for everyone. What outdoor chores are you doing this weekend?
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