Most woodlots or smaller forests in central Ohio need help. Old pasture and cropland are usually choked with honeysuckle, multi-flora rose, and a host of other invasive species. In younger forests you can find honey locust, ash, black cherry and hopefully other tree species making up the canopy. Deer are limiting what species are able to grow. There also aren't many bids.
Removing the big invasive species first is a huge step. After removing invasive shrubs you can see what was hidden by the tangled undergrowth. Depending on the site, I usually find ash, box elder, and hickory saplings. Sometimes a random spice bush and viburnums are present, always suppressed by the overgrowth of invasive species and deer browse. The forest floor is usually devoid of anything worth noting. Once the invasive species are removed, then the deer are the deciding factor for what direction to take next. It is tempting to plant a variety of native trees and shrubs to enhance the sight's value, but it can end up being a waste of time and money. That being said, spicebush and paw paw are the two native plants I see deer avoid consistently. That may not be true for every site, though. The continued management plan is to primarily keep invasive species from becoming a problem again. The deer will always be a problem, so there really is no sense trying to fight it. You have to find out what native plants existing on the sight are succeeding. Current prices:
perennials $5 1 gallon shrubs $10 3 gallon shrubs $20 I may be able to deliver for free, just ask. If you don't see something you want, just ask. If you'd like to stop by and see, just let me know. Monarch Wings Across Ohio has provided guides to establish habitat for our monarch butterfly. If you go to the link there some interesting free downloads. Now is the time to plan! www.pollinator.org/mwao?fbclid=IwAR1mkasDhAuMdsBURCcKsYiin_BZDbxzfwQjWCMJ0J8cj6ZrHln9Uxx
With the rise in popularity of this excellent native shrub, I thought I would demonstrate how easy it is to create new elderberry shrubs in under a year. This is a general set of instructions for successful stem cuttings for Sambucus canadensis. I'm sure there are other ways and other opinions that are valid. This procedure works for me ( usually 100% ) so I see no reason to change it. If anyone one knows of a more efficient way, please feel free to chime in. The timing to do this is now, after the leaves have fallen. ![]() These particular elderberry shrubs are quite young with most stems under an inch in diameter, which is what's needed for the cuttings. ![]() Cut the stems off at the grounds. In general, don't leave stumps or cut stems randomly when maintaining shrubs. I cut these because they were leaning at too much of an angle to be able to support next year's growth. Now it is time to actually break down the whole stem into the individual sections that will be used for the new plants. Now look for buds which will be opposite of each other at regular intervals along the stem. ![]() Here are two horrible images of the buds to look for. Notice they are opposite of each other and they are attached at an angle. The angle part is important later. Make cuts above and below the buds so you have stems with a set of buds on both ends as shown below. Dividing the different sized stems into like-sized groups is helpful. All that's needed now is a tall container and a bright, warm spot. With the buds facing up, put the stems in a container and fill with water so the bottom set of buds is covered by an inch or so of water. Change the water frequently. The containers will likely need a larger volume of water over time to accommodate for the increasing amount of roots.
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