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Stuck…

April 26th, 2018

Last October, we had a big wind storm come through and blow down a few trees below the house. It snowed not long after they came down, so they sat entombed in snow and ice until spring arrived. Since the grass will start growing soon, cleaning up these trees is at the top of the list. I’ve been spending a few hours each day raking up the pine needles, picking up the pieces I can carry, and building a dead hedge in another spot.

Being such huge trees, they came down with a lot of force. There are so many branches and sticks jammed into the soil. Some of them I can pull out, a few of which were jammed about a foot into the ground. There are some that are so wedged in that I can’t pull them out, they’re stuck. Seems like overkill to use the tractor to get out such small pieces, but that’s going to be the easiest way to get them out.

As you can imagine, cleaning up three downed trees has added a few extra things to my spring cleanup list. It’s nice to be able to get out and finally start soaking up some sun and working in the yard. Of course, I’d much rather be working in the garden than picking up sticks, but sometimes that’s the way it goes.

What spring cleanup chores are you not loving right now?

6 Comments to “Stuck…”
  1. Misti on April 26, 2018 at 9:41 am

    We have this problem sometimes, too, when the windstorms get back. I’ve never had to use a tractor to get them out but they do get wedged in quite well!

    Mulching away these days…that’s the biggest garden chore right now!

    Reply to Misti's comment

  2. Nebraska Dave on April 26, 2018 at 11:01 am

    Susy, probably my chore that has to be done first before I can get too far into gardening is fixing fence. My poor fence panels with the “Terra Nova Garden” graphics on them have succumbed to the rigors of time. Right after I installed them a car lost control and all but destroyed them. I rebuilt them the best I could and they lasted another couple years but now it’s time to replace them. So I have one eight foot section replaced with two more to go. I will be needing to clean up the inside fence line so a new electric wire for the electric fence can be installed. Electric fence is the only way I’ve found to keep raccoons out of the garden. Then there’s the irrigation to be set up for the tomatoes and peppers. So there’s a lot of work to be done while planting and weed control is done.

    Have a great day with tree cleanup.

    Nebraska Dave

    Reply to Nebraska Dave's comment

  3. Joan on April 26, 2018 at 11:06 am

    Sadly, my big spring cleanup chore is taking apart and cleaning my beehives. My two hives died during the winter, and since I’m not going to be here this summer I need to put everything away where mice and wax moths can’t get into them. Next year, when I have more time, I’ll bring my hives back out and get some new bees.

    Reply to Joan's comment

  4. K on April 26, 2018 at 11:16 am

    I hear ya on this one. Cleaning up 4 very large downed trees was not on my list for spring. At least I will have a good start to next year’s fire wood.

    Reply to K's comment

  5. Julia at Home on 129 Acres on April 26, 2018 at 10:02 pm

    Pick up sticks is a game we play every spring. A large property takes it to another level. My 18-year-old nephew loves spending his spare time at our farm and loves driving our tractor, so I hand him a rake and turn him loose. He did a great clean-up for us, but then an ice storm two weeks ago gave us a whole new batch of sticks, so I’m hoping he comes back soon!

    Reply to Julia at Home on 129 Acres's comment

  6. Reid on May 8, 2018 at 12:18 pm

    This is a perfect opportunity to make a hugel bed!

    Reply to Reid's comment

About

This is a daily journal of my efforts to cultivate a more simple life, through local eating, gardening and so many other things. We used to live in a small suburban neighborhood Ohio but moved to 153 acres in Liberty, Maine in 2012.

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