Growing and selling larger potted saplings over the past 2 years has been very rewarding even though their contribution to the goal of sequestering carbon will be negligible. The process of germinating a seed and nurturing it to a 4 feet tall sapling is a very large undertaking with many risks along the way. It was during late fall of 2022, that I decided to take the tree nursery project to the next level and focus more on propagating large quantities of native seedlings. There are many organizations in New Brunswick doing important work in the restoration of this land we call home. Many of the seedlings that I plan to propagate this year will contribute toward this ongoing effort. The seedlings can be planted at the end of the first growing season avoiding the time-consuming process of transplanting them into larger pots. This reduction in labour and smaller tree size keeps the prices very affordable and allows for a very high density of seedlings over a smaller surface area of the nursery. Some seedlings will still be transplanted into larger pots and grown into larger saplings to serve landscaping projects.
Some much needed hard landscaping and a final enclosure enlargement was the goal for this summer. Until now, the landscaping around the enclosure and greenhouse was just grass which was not only a maintenance issue but unsuitable for putting pots on as the roots would work their way into the ground. The summer went smoothly compared to those previous. The slug populations seemed under control with only occasional damage observed. The squirrels visited far less frequently now that my wife is no longer feeding them, and the walnuts/hickories/acorns are all secure in cages. The Jiffy pellets were proving to be an excellent choice as the seedlings were putting on lots of growth. The summer provided plenty of precipitation. In fact, there was so much frequent rain that I did not need to turn on my irrigation system once.
A project that has been on my mind for a couple of years was finally put into action this fall. The 7 acres of mature wooded land to the south of my property consists primarily of Balsam Fir and White Birch with some Yellow Birch, Sugar Maple, Red Maple, Red Spruce and the occasional American Beech in the mix. Sadly, the Balsam Firs and White Birches are faring poorly, most likely due to climate change. My plan is to gradually regenerate the wooded area with a wide variety of native North American species that may now fare well in our current climate. The stressed and dying firs and birches will be cut in phases over the next few years starting at the north side of the wooded area and moving southward. After the first planting, I have 17 trees in the ground over 4 feet tall, including Oaks, Chestnuts, Sycamores, Kentucky Coffee Trees and Butternuts. I am excited to manage this ongoing project and to hopefully develop an incredible arboretum and food forest for future generations to enjoy.
This fall was my biggest seed harvesting mission to date mainly because it was an incredible year for seed production across many species. For 6 weeks, starting at the beginning of September, I would go foraging every spare minute I could find. Local forested sites after my day job and day trips to the Fredericton and Sussex regions at the weekends. Though time consuming, it was a fantastic excuse to explore and be immersed in a wide variety of pristine natural environments. The seed haul was very successful and for some species, enough seed was collected to last several years. I refuse to take the easy path in this endeavour which would be to simply order everything online from different seed retailers across North America. As a nurseryman, I feel it is my duty to preserve the genetics of our local species and not introduce genetics of the same species from other parts of the continent. As this growing season comes to an end, I’m excited to start propagating in spring and scaling up production.
