26-05-2004, 10:02 PM
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What tree in the NE will rot the slowest?
In article ,
(TomM in NY) wrote:
I want to make garden edging out of 3-4" diameter logs, 8 to 10" long
that are
placed vertically in the ground. I don't want to buy plastic or pressure
treated edging that I have seen at the home centers... What type of tree cut
up in this manner would last the longest in the ground, untreated, that is
native to the central NY area?
Thanks in advance!
tom
Northern white cedar. Highly rot resistant woods from other regions
include Western red cedar, Southern cypress, & Redwood.
But if you made an edging out of a wood that does rat within a few years,
the types of fungus that interact where the wood touches the soil are
healthful for the garden, & ultra-essential for some kinds of plants like
vacciniums or dogwoods; plus it provides habitat for edible or just
mushrooms & decorative turkeytails which don't do as well on rot-resistant
cedar. If the edging is easy enough to make, it can be replaced about
every four or five years, whenever the previous edging has just about
turned to good soil amendment. I have made edging out of fat birch limbs &
quite enjoyed watching them rot away, & the plantlife loved it.
-paghat the ratgirl
--
"Of what are you afraid, my child?" inquired the kindly teacher.
"Oh, sir! The flowers, they are wild," replied the timid creature.
-from Peter Newell's "Wild Flowers"
Visit the Garden of Paghat the Ratgirl: http://www.paghat.com
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