Jj Jessee

I've read through your master plan and I'm impressed by how well you've managed your garden. Those hubbards and canned goods were particularly beautiful.
Sorry I can't help much on the slug issue. My idea would be to find a mulch that they don't like to crawl on, an aromatic, or texture, or something.
Sometimes when we experiment Nature works things out in her own way, so keep a camera handy.
Good luck for 2015!

That may do just fine, Mike, but I'd have a couple of reservations. Unless steps are taken, the tree may live for a couple of years or more after the sever pruning alone. The bed probably won't kill it instantly either, so some root intrusion might be expected, with nutrient and water loss possible. I don't think maples are prone to this, but worse might be root suckers. They could become a perennial issue, it can be with some tree species at least.

I also think it would kill the tree. If it didn't the tree roots would likely start coming up into the berm.

That being said, 20+ years ago I let some workers talk me into filling around a 70' poplar to a depth of about 5' where I was developing a patch of lawn for the kids to play in.
They stacked rock against it -they said for protection. Within a year or two 10' of bark split and made a huge vertical sore on it. Ants have worked it. Not a pretty sight.
It has stunted the growth and the top looks thin. It has lost maybe a few more than average limbs for a tree it's age, but it's still alive.
I wouldn't do it again though.

Hello, Permies.

I don't know why I haven't sought you guys out sooner. I come from a long line of subsistence farmer's, one generation removed, in SW VA.
In my early twenties I became enamored of the life style my grandparents had lived, especially before cars and electricity, and had dreams of homesteading myself, but it was not to be.
But I have returned to gardening in the last few years, and nearing retirement age, so who knows what might happen.
I'm really a plant person, for food, medicine, and plain beauty. Never cared much about animal husbandry, though I did have a tropical fish store back in high school, some honey bees for a few years, and have thought I might dabble in bees and aquaponics at some point.
Making cider with some friends a few years ago, got my hands back in the dirt. I went out and bought 18 fruit trees in Feb 2012, most of which are doing fine, and are ready for pruning.
From there I, tilled about 7-8000 sf and started building raised beds, put cover crop on most of it, raspberries, asparagus, tomatoes, fall carrots, and greens the first year.
Now I'm closing in on 1300 sf of raised bed area and want to start a small collection of Old Garden Roses this year with my food crops.

Thanks for having me,
JJ