Comments on: Our Love-Hate Relationship With The Red Cedar Tree

By: “Grazing” The Trees On Your Garden Farm « The Contrary Farmer

“Grazing” The Trees On Your Garden Farm « The Contrary Farmer — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 03:44:38 +0000

[...] weeks ago in this space, I mentioned an unusual way to graze trees, using juniper berries to flavor a meat sauce. We finally got around to making that sauce, using a [...]

By: Gene Logsdon

Gene Logsdon — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 16:58:34 +0000

Can’t tell. A tree comes up here and there under the big ones but I don’t know whether from a bird eaten seed or not. I would beware of any absolute statement about anything in nature.

By: greg

greg — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 01:30:22 +0000

You said “most” seeds that fall do not germinate, however are you saying that a few still do? Not talking about the ones eatin or anything just wondering If “any” of the seeds that simply fall under your mature trees do germinate on there own.

By: Gene Logsdon

Gene Logsdon — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 15:16:42 +0000

Greg, lots of seeds are difficult to germinate unless you stratify them. You can look up stratification in garden books or wherever. A seed passing through an animal’s gut happens to be a very effective way to stratify it but not the only way. However, most seeds from red cedar that simply fall bare to the soil do not germinate and thank heavens because literally millions of those berries fall under my mature trees every year and if they germinated we would be swamped.

By: greg

greg — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 04:36:51 +0000

Man I sure hope someone can answer me this question, Recently I was told by a guy that the “ONLY” way Eastern red cedar seeds can germinate In nature Is when birds eat the seeds then deposit them. I was told that seeds that fall off the tree and land on the ground can’t germinate at all, Is this true? Now Im not talking someone collecting the seeds and doing It that way, Im simply talking about In nature. It would seem to me that the seeds that fall to the ground that some would be able to germinate without having to be eatin by a bird buttt then again I don’t know, even though It sure seems hard to believe all those thousands of seeds lying on the ground couldn’t In time germinate on there own with without the help of birds/animals/people.

Can anyone say either way for a 100% fact that they can or can’t germinate on there own on the ground in time?

By: Gene Logsdon

Gene Logsdon — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 19:43:13 +0000

Jsn, I checked out your newsletter. Terrific stuff! Gene

By: Jan Steinman

Jan Steinman — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 04:44:25 +0000

Another great piece, Gene! The life of cedar fence posts can be significantly increased by charring the part that will be buried. We use slash for a burn pile, then line up the posts over the fire, spot-charring with a big propane torch for any bits that escaped the burn pile. Here are a couple of us preparing posts for fencing, also described in our newsletter.