by Executive Director, Joe Holtrop

Change is in the air. And I’m not talking about the wildfire smoke. I’m talking seasonal change; longer shadows, dwindling daylight hours, the honking of Canada geese overhead, the onset of autumn colors, and rain.

Although not thought of as the time of renewal in the landscape like spring, fall is definitely a time of transition. And the rain brings on new beginnings, helping to make fall the ideal time to plant trees and shrubs.

Why is fall the ideal time to plant, you ask? Keep reading to learn the three main reasons.

With the fall rains upon us, if you plant now, nature will do the watering. Wait to plant until the soil has been moistened enough to make digging a little easier. More rain will soon follow and will continue well into spring.

Fall is also when plants are entering dormancy. This means diminishing moisture demands with each passing week. Contrast this with spring when plants are coming out of dormancy and putting on new growth, needing more and more water as their foliage develops. New plantings with poorly established root systems have difficulty obtaining enough moisture to support all the new growth.

Speaking of roots, in the fall the soil will still be warm enough for roots to start growing. Again, contrast this with March when the soil is just beginning to come out of winter’s grip; not real hospitable for new root growth.

To summarize, if you plant in fall, all the conditions are in favor of the newly planted tree or shrub – weather, plant growth stage, and soil temperature. Whereas in the spring, it’s just the opposite. Rainfall declines with every passing week in spring. Plants are breaking dormancy, bursting with new vegetative growth that requires a healthy, established root system. And, the soil is cold after months of frosty, damp weather.

So if fall is the ideal time to plant, why does the conservation district hold its native plant sale in the late winter, you ask? Because we only sell bare-root plants, which can only be handled when dormant – winter.

Bare-root plants are less expensive than potted stock, easier to handle (no soil), and with proper care they can be shipped great distances. However, the tradeoff is less flexibility. Bare-root plants are particularly vulnerable to drying out and must be planted or potted immediately. Potted plants, on the other hand, are much more forgiving but cost more and require more labor.

What should I do if I buy bare-root plants in February or March? It all depends on where you plan to plant and your particular management options.

If you’re going to plant your new trees and shrubs in a place where you can easily take care of them (and you won’t forget about them), go ahead and plant them in their permanent locations. The main thing to think about is water availability. New spring plantings require much more water than established plants.

The alternative is to create your own little nursery. Pot up your plants or heal them in the garden so you can more easily care for them through the first growing season. Potting plants obviously requires pots and potting soil. Used pots can sometimes be obtained from nurseries and second-hand stores. But you’re going to have to purchase potting soil, because regular garden soil isn’t going to cut it. You also need a site that is close to a water source, since potted plants need to be watered frequently through the summer. A site that is protected from the wind and doesn’t get too much sun is best.

If you can pot up your plants and properly care for them, come October, they’ll be bigger, have healthier roots and be raring to get into the ground. And once planted, you can forget about these plants for the next six or seven months.

So think about this for next year. Or better yet, visit some local nurseries now. There are bargains to be had, as most nurseries are eager to reduce their inventory of potted stock going into the fall. Unfortunately, the availability of native trees and shrubs isn’t real great. But don’t let that stop you from asking the locals nurseries for these species. If they don’t know you want it, they’re not going to stock it.

NATIVE PLANT SALE

Place Your Large Orders Now

There is still time to save money on your native plant order! We are continuing to accept large orders through mid-November. These discounted bundles of bare-root tree and shrub seedlings are being sold in quantities of at least 100 per species, and range in price from $75 to $140 per 100 plants.

Given the constraints of COVID19, particularly with regards to gatherings of people and our dependence on volunteers, we haven’t yet determined how our regular sale will unfold. We are currently evaluating our options and hope to have a plan in place within the next month or two.

Don’t delay, place your order today on our website or by calling 360-775-3747 ext. 5.

ORCA RECOVERY DAY 2020

Save the Dates: October 12 - 17

Like so many things this year, COVID19 is changing the way our Orca Recovery Day event will operate. We are excited to team up with the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe again this year to develop some wonderful volunteer opportunities for planting trees along rivers and streams. Trees are vital to the health of river systems, helping create salmon habitat. This helps the recovery of the southern resident Orca whale, whose diet is comprised of 80% salmon.

We are still fine tuning locations and dates for these plantings, but plan to have opportunities throughout the week leading up to October 17, the official Orca Recovery Day. If you are interested in volunteering to help us plant trees, please register HERE. As we sort out details, we will send an email to sign-up for specific dates.

We thought it would be fun to start sharing some of the great things land-managers working with Clallam Conservation District are doing around Clallam County, and their experiences working with us.

Our first feature is Bent Gate Farms, owned and managed by Bryan and Anna Swanberg and their two daughters. They began working with us in 2011 on a farm plan for their horses and beef cattle, and promptly constructed a gravel heavy use area and manure storage structure. They have continued working with us over the years, and expanded their operation to raise grass-fed beef, lamb, goats as well as pork, layer and meat chickens, and turkeys. With careful planning they have continued to implement additional practices to make their farm as sustainable and productive as possible, and have one of the best rotational grazing systems on the peninsula. We were able to track them down for a little question and answer session.

• Q: How long have you been farming in Clallam County?
  A:  Bryan’s grandparents had a dairy farm in Dungeness before being converted to a beef operation when he was a kid. He has many memories of being on the farm with his cousins, around the cows and barns.  Our farm started small around 2010 with four dairy steers we purchased from Maple View Dairy and our operation has grown significantly since then.  

• Q: What types of products do you raise on your farm?
  A:  We raise 100% grass fed beef, lamb and goat as well as organically fed pastured pork. We also raise a few laying hens, meat birds and turkeys for our family.

• Q: What are some of the biggest successes, and in turn, greatest challenges that you have faced over your years of farming?
  A: It has been really fun to see how far we have come in such a short period of time. Like I mentioned, we started by raising four dairy steers and now have a herd of over 70 cattle. We also raise over 30 pigs a year, have a flock of around 25 sheep and a small herd of goats. Seeing our business grow, and hearing how much people appreciate the products we produce for their families is easily our biggest success. The most challenging part is keeping it all going with just our family. Because large pieces of farmland are so hard to come by in this county, our animals are spread out on many different leased pieces. It takes a lot more work to manage five small herds than it does to manage one large herd.

• Q: How did you hear about Clallam Conservation District?
  A: I can’t remember exactly what workshop I took initially, but I met them through one of their community outreach events years ago.

• Q: How has the process of working with the Conservation District to develop a farm plan helped you with management of your farm?
  A: YES! We were really lucky to get help from the Clallam Conservation District early on and learned so much about manure management, irrigation practices and animal husbandry. We even have a nutrient management plan that helps us collect and share our manure with another local farm. The soil tests they help us with allow us to accurately apply amendments to our pastures to increase production, and their advice on noxious weeds and pasture restoration has been invaluable. As beginning farmers, we have so much to learn and the Clallam Conservation District has been an invaluable resource.

• Q: Have you noticed any changes on your property after installing Best Management Practices (BMPs) recommended by the Conservation District?
  A: Definitely. With the soil tests and irrigation water management plan our pastures are more productive allowing us to raise more animals on less acreage.  Our management plan keeps our animals out of mud in winter, keeping their feet and calves healthier. The irrigation soil moisture meters help us to use less energy and resources to irrigate.

• Q: Is there anything else about working with the Conservation District you would like to share?
  A: We encourage everyone who has livestock or horses to give them a call. Meghan and Jen have decades of knowledge on how to help farms be more efficient and preserve resources. Sometimes I don’t even know the questions to ask, but they help me to see ways to improve and are happy to help others do the same.

To learn more about Bent Gate Farms visit: www.bentgatefarms.com

To learn more about our farm planning services please visit our Conservation on the Farm webpage.

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