Red osier and tag alder advice

[wiscwhip]

The thuja will most likely get mowed to the dirt if you can't protect them.

 

[browndog]

I have some white cedars planted along one side of this area, caged of course. I'm not sure black spruce will handle being planted on the tag humps. I bet I could paddle around the tag humps in this area with a canoe in the spring.

 

[ruskbucks]

I have about 1-2 acres of black spruce growing in my tamarack swamp. This area is under water till early summer and they do just fine.Its crazy this swamp remind me of the permafrost in AK how long the ground is frozen. I use my two tamaracks swamps as my sanctuary's.

 

[Ben.MN/WI]

Black spruce and tamarack are also more tolerant of acidic soils, so soil chemistry could favor them in certain areas over white cedar. I've never seen any evidence of black spruce or tamarack browsing on my land, but it makes a great bedding area. I do see a fair amount of deer browsing on random small plants in my spruce/tamarack swamp. I have a lot of wild cranberries growing there, so I think they might be eating them, but I can't be sure.

 

[Tree Spud]

Black spruce and tamarack are also more tolerant of acidic soils, so soil chemistry could favor them in certain areas over white cedar. I've never seen any evidence of black spruce or tamarack browsing on my land, but it makes a great bedding area. I do see a fair amount of deer browsing on random small plants in my spruce/tamarack swamp. I have a lot of wild cranberries growing there, so I think they might be eating them, but I can't be sure.

As black spruce is also an understory tree and shade tolerant, it would have a better chance of survival in a shrub carr wetland habitat.

.

 

[chummer]

Black spruce and tamarack are also more tolerant of acidic soils, so soil chemistry could favor them in certain areas over white cedar. I've never seen any evidence of black spruce or tamarack browsing on my land, but it makes a great bedding area. I do see a fair amount of deer browsing on random small plants in my spruce/tamarack swamp. I have a lot of wild cranberries growing there, so I think they might be eating them, but I can't be sure.

Another case of deer in different areas eat different things. I have transplanted a few tamaracks around our pond and camp. I moved them more as a landscaping deal because I think they are a neat tree. The deer hammer them. I will take a pic in the spring. The biggest ones have big sections browsed out of them where the snow pack is. They will be fat at the bottom to the 3' mark then eaten way back for a few feet then fat again.

 

[chummer]

Sorry, copied wrong post. Wine is kicking in already.

 

[Tree Spud]

Clear pockets, cut deer trails between them, and plant some spruce in clumps in those pockets. Plant a few lines of spruce thru the tag alders to direct movement at a later date. You will have to release the spruce a time or two.

Released spruce from earlier this winter.

View attachment 4128

Sandbur ... thanks for the pics ... I am visual and seeing helps!

Went out with the dog today for 4 hours of chainsaw work ... he was NO help! :mad:

.

 

[sandbur]

Deer trail leaving this pocket, leadingView attachment 4131 to a waterhole, and then to another clearcut pocket.

The above pictures were from last winter when I put the tag alder clear cut in place. The set up is similar to whip's diagram with trails connecting to 2 clearings and a bit of a hub and spoke.

Here is the same deer trail with a couple of rubs from last fall. Proof that the trails and clearcut works.

 

[sandbur]

Here are a couple of pictures of the regrowth, one year after cutting. Reed canary has came back.

 

[sandbur]

Tag regrowth. I have to give Stu, wildfire, foggy, and freeborn credit for giving me suggestions to clearcut patches of these tag alders. t hat was on a land tour we had two years ago. Thanks, guys.

 

[sandbur]

I got the feeling this location might act as a staging area as the deer trail leads thru the spruce to some crzab apple trees, a bit of clover, and some corn/beans.

There were 2 more rubs where the trail leaves the clearcut.



The trail is to the left of these two rubs.

 

[Tree Spud]

Sandbur ... thanks for the pics. Is the ground in the clearcut reasonably dry or is it wet to moist?

 

[sandbur]

Wet to moist.
In a dry August, you might be able to walk in there with a pair of shoes.

 

[bowhunternw]

Would those be black spruce in your pics sandbur? Does the tag alder regenerate after clear cutting? I was always on the mindset of trying to keep as much brush as possible and letting it be the sanctuary. But I have to say I kind of like the looks of the little pockets you provided pictures of. Thanks for sharing

 

[Tree Spud]

Wet to moist.
In a dry August, you might be able to walk in there with a pair of shoes.

That is encouraging especially if you see signs of bedding. I have several areas like this and will try this approach.

 

[sandbur]

Would those be black spruce in your pics sandbur? Does the tag alder regenerate after clear cutting? I was always on the mindset of trying to keep as much brush as possible and letting it be the sanctuary. But I have to say I kind of like the looks of the little pockets you provided pictures of. Thanks for sharing

In these specific pictures, they are white spruce. I do have some black spruce in other areas.

The tag alder grows back. See the one stump in post 31. I think that was tag alder.