Dennis Mitchell

I've got no help, just a similar cold desert. I'm about 5000 ft. Trees without water, 8 inches a year, would be great. I'm trying to sprout pinion pine, and Netleaf Hackberry. I'd like to try Mountain mahogany, and juniper. These are native that might take if I can get the seeds to sprout.

I have also buried some rotted wood and left a sunken area to garden I'm hoping to get a tree to survive hoping the rotted wood can store winter moisture.

I'm also trying gooseberry, service berry and choke cherry as a native understory.

Another project is bigseed bisquit root, another native.  I'm hoping I can use these to add a deep organic component to hardtac and sand. Similar to how they use daikon radish for soil improvement. It will just take years rather than months.

So the story goes that cowboys would make coffee by roasting green coffee beans. Then putting the days coffee in his sock and beating it over a rock, till just right. Did double duty. Ground the coffee and made delicious smelling feet!

I live in a desert and this last year I lost my irrigation water. I still have a well, but will have to let alot of trees die. It made zone 4 much bigger. Looking at my relatives I'm sure everything I've built will be abandoned. Just too much work. That includes my strawbale house. Too small and strange. So I am looking futile straight in the eye.
I've switched to all natives or plants that i hope will survive without me. Started some biscuit root, net leaf hackberry, sagebrush, pinion pines, elder berry, service berry, and misc. wildflowers. I hope to gather and learn much more about native plants. Specifically native food plants. It has stopped being about feeding myself, but more about feeding this piece of land.

Larry Dean Olsen, author of Outdoor Survival Skills, a classic!

I spent this morning reading this thread, then went out to weed and spread some wood chips on my paths. I like the cushion on a fresh laid path and it got me to wondering if it could work in combination with other natural materials in layers.

BBQ should work with goats.

Daniel Spinelli wrote:

Dennis Mitchell wrote:Keep in mind people have different perspectives. I think having a lawn is a waste. I like weeds. Organic or not I’d rather see native plants, permaculture, or an organic garden. So if I get my way no more lawnmowers!

I mostly agree but there's nothing wrong with some space to bbq and hang out with the family.

Ya, I have one of those!

Keep in mind people have different perspectives. I think having a lawn is a waste. I like weeds. Organic or not I’d rather see native plants, permaculture, or an organic garden. So if I get my way no more lawnmowers!

Marco Banks wrote:I've read that the half-life of Round-Up is about 3 years.  Yikes.  There is the initial plant-killing effect, but then the residual effects hang around for years.  As a former user of the stuff ("What's the harm?"), I attribute the residues of Round-Up to the death of 3 or four of my trees.  My bad -- lesson learned the hard way.”

It could be worse, I fear Roundup was a contributing factor in my mother’s death by cancer. She sprayed miles of ditch bank.

I enjoy the company of plants.