Subject: Need tree/guild suggestions ASAP

From: John Schinnerer <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 28 Jul 1999 11:48:27 -0700

Aloha,

I need some quick and simple suggestions for trees and (ideally) related
guild plants for a particular situation.  Here's the scoop:

The power company has removed some trees (huge old eucalyptus) that were
threatening their power lines from a strip of land along a rural road.  The
power company will give us trees to replace what they cut (but not
eucalyptus or others that will grow right back up and threaten the power
lines again, obviously...;-).  I'm not sure what all they have available,
but better to ask for what we want than take whatever they give by default,
I'd guess.

The land is part of some family property just outside Fortuna, CA (Humboldt
co. - 20 mi. S. of Eureka).  The land slopes up away from the road, although
there is a flattish area about the width of a one-lane road between the road
and the start of the slope.  The climate is N. CA near-coastal, with summer
fog mornings and breezy sunshine afternoons.  The strip of land is on the
north side of the road and the slope above it is south-facing and fairly
gentle (but trees across the road intermittently block low AM/PM/winter
sun).  Edge of the road is brushy/brambly and poison oak is not scarce
enough...  It was probably all redwoods long ago.

My aunt is supposed to tell the power co. what trees we want this coming
Monday.  I'm heading down that way Friday, so suggestions by e-mail today or
tomorrow are most useful.  I doubt they'll provide understory stuff, but I'd
still appreciate suggestions from anyone with experience in that region,
since we can possibly get understory/guild stuff ourselves.

Also, if there's anyone in that area with appropriate experience who wants
some tree-planting (possibly guild-planting) work, please holler out (with
phone number)!  My relatvies, left to themselves, have a tradition of hiring
less-than-competent people to do work around the property and I'd like to
try and break that tradition...!

Thanks,
John Schinnerer

---
You are currently subscribed to permaculture as: [email-masked]
To unsubscribe send a blank email to [email-masked]

---

From: eric + michiko <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 29 Jul 1999 08:41:41 -0700

> guild plants for a particular situation.  Here's the scoop:

As with any suggestions via the internet, you'll have to evaluate them for
appropriateness based on your knowledge and familiarity of the site.  I
live in a near coastal California area of Sonoma County which is close
enough to start guessing, but far enough away to be dead wrong ; )

I know the power companies (PG&E?) like small trees under their lines.
They have lists of appropriate trees, but I don't think you'd get ahold of
list quick enough.  I know they like fruit trees, which generally don't
grow tall enough to bother the lines much and prune fairly well if they do.
 I have been working with fruit trees (apples, plums, pears, etc.) and
berries (blackberry, boysenberry, gooseberry, currant, etc.), "herbs"
(fennel, yarrow, wild parsnip, etc.) and nitrogen fixers (clover, lupine,
etc.)  I have no idea about water or care possibilities for the site you
are talking about, so again you'll have to make the decision about
appropriateness.

I find plums (especially small "cherry plums" re-seeding regularly,
seemingly happy to naturalize), blackberries and fennel to be very willing
to grow with neglect - though they can become invasive, which some find a
problem.  They may already be "wild" in the area.

Most native species will probably get too big to be acceptable to the power
company.  The possible exception, which has been mentioned, is if the site
is  chaparral and not forest.  If so, there are many low growing species.
Manzanita, coyote brush and Ceonothus some to mind as good possibilities,
but I'm not sure the power company will supply them.

Good luck!  Let us know what you decide.

Eric Storm
Sebastopol, CA

> You are currently subscribed to permaculture as: [email-masked]
> To unsubscribe send a blank email to
[email-masked]

---