Taxodium mucronatum probably won't do well. Starhill Aboretum already tried that and it didn't last very long. Winters are too harsh on them even if it's New Mexico MC. That's what they tried to grow.

dax

consider investing a few hundred bucks in an irrigation system ...

think about a cemetery ... and how they have spigots every hundred feet or so ... think about a giant "+" with your house on one end .... and spigots every 50 or 75 feet ...

all you would need .. working from the house spigot is the following:

backflow preventor
filter if well water
connectors
one inch black poly pipe
T connectors and straight
spigots

basically .. lay 100 feet.. insert tee.. couple feet of tube .. spigot ... and a stake to hold it up ...

either you invest it in some permanent pipes.. or in thousands of feet of hose .... trust me.. its much easier to pull a 50 or 75 foot hose.. rather than 500 feet of hose.. been there.. done that ... backbreaking ...

it is very easy to do .... and will save you dragging hoses all over the yard .... presuming you will be at this house for a long, long time.. it is an investment that will repay you forever ...

also .... do some research on whether there are any tree trimmers in the immediate area .... your property should be perfect for free dumping ... any mulch is better than no mulch ...

and start designing your paths now ... they will become the backbone of your garden ... keep them mowed down.. and use them for your lawnmower ... in other words.. keep the machinery confined .. and keep the rest fluffy as you call it.. never heard of fluffy clay ... lol

from your lists.. the only ones that stick out .. that i dont grow or died ... are cedrus deo [coward]... blue atlas [died] .. P walli died .. plus all the ones you already note as not zone appropriate ...

another trick ... get your mortgage map ... make a couple dozen copies .... and spend some time.. defining the backbone of your garden .... use them to draw on ... make multiple versions..

the map tells you where you are.. the drawings will help you DEFINE WHERE YOU ARE GOING ...

ken

Lou, right on. Some things I should have edited but I figured we'd get this taken care of with not much effort.

Ken, you certainly hit a nerve when you mentioned tree-trimming...I'll check into that further. I'm sort of in the middle of nowhere though. WE have a subway a grocery store and a small wal-mart. kinda weird.

I have a property water agreement to my neighbor's well he shares and I'm not allowed to irrigate my land 'in vast distances' let's say. I tell ya I'm not hurting with this water tank I have though Ken. It'll work like a champ.

I was out walking my dog just minutes ago and kept staring at the ground and kept thinking, that sure looks like sand sitting on top (it's very windy here making so it was difficult to see) so I finally grabbed a few handfulls and I'm telling you guys that it broke up or crumbled into tiny, little pebbles a little larger than a pin. And after brushing my hand over the top of it, it feels, looks, and I'd almost swear, it is... sand. So a pitchfork I was using as a walking stick I decided to dig here and there led me to the most beautiful loamy stuff. Which makes sense because the second time I stood on this land, I decided to stick a shovel through and it sliced like butter... then later during last summer I decided it to be a consistency of concrete. Thus, Clay + sand + black loamy stuff under for a foot "right now" = severly impacted conditions when it all dries up "together." This is some weird stuff. Anyway, it's 'good to go!'

Ken, I don't even know what a mortgage map is..but I'll find out.

Thanks. later,

Dax

I have a little bit of restored prairie on my property (and love it), but I torch the conifer seedlings whenever I do a burn ;-)

But I have some advice too. Prairie grasses like sun. LOTS of sun. You are talking like you are interested in creating a savanna-like setting, the transition between forest and true prairie. It had its own distinct plant community with both forest species in the shade and prairie species in the sunny areas, as well as distinct savanna plants found only in that habitat. I suggest you research it, but remember most North American savannas were kept open by ...fire.

Dax, I think Ken is referring to a survey of the property. I used mine to help design where things go. Helps visualize the overhead view. As for your soil, you certainly could have sand in some spots and clay in others depending on the geography.

tj

Oh, by the way, to get ideas for types of savanna plants to go with the conifers, here's a link.

I'm just thinking of regeneration of all the "weeds" as tall as me or less like this...doing nothing to the land but allowing it to regenerate without fire (?):
{{gwi:668689}}

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tsugajunkie, I walked everywhere. The soil it's consistent.

One more thing so it's understood, I'm going to plant and walk away. No big "prairie restoration" I'm just talking about leaving the land the way it is , ...now.

Thank you, sorry for any miscommunication.

Later,

Dax

to get the permits to build the house.. a survey had to be done ... no use building on the neighbors property ... eh ...

then... when and if you converted from a building loan to a mortgage ... presuming it wasnt all paid for by that time... you had to submit the survey to the bank for your mortgage ...

by irrigation .. as i noted.. i do NOT mean a system of drippers, etc ... i simply mean a few spigots strategically place around the property ... whether the water is handy and close ... or 500 feet away ... you will use the same amount of water ... its just a question of how far you drag it ...

how big is your property?

i will try to get a picture for you.. after the snow melt ... IF I REMEMBER ...

DAX!!!! .. prioritize your project.. so you do NOT have regrets in the years to come .... what you are able to do at the age you are now.. may not be within your capabilities ... 10.. 20.. 30 years down the road ... invest in the superstructure of your garden ... at the expense of immediate gratification ...

you got the fever in a bad way.. don't you.. lol

ken

I say let it burn. Burn baby burn. A couple of good burns will help keep your land in check and restore a more native prairie mix and provide plenty of unsafe entertainment on a drunken weekend. Invite the local volunteer firefighters. They love to start fires, and drink too :)

Ken is saying plat of survey, which you should already have and make lots of copies of. I also agree with getting that water supply out there. You'll be cursing yourself in August if ya don't. I curse at myself all the time.

Looks like a nice spot to sit back and enjoy the fall colors of the grasses whilst you pick ticks off your pooch :)

Bill

Ken, 6 acres with a small portion of deciduous woodland (1/2 an acre ?). I just know my mother told me "no" to any type of irrigation off my house. That's why we bought the tank. I don't mind dragging this thing around and spending an entire day each week, heck it's good for me.

My mother also took care of all the county records paperwork. I had nothing to do with anything except materials, in fact, that's how my whole life is ran. My dad has power of attorney over me for reasons being personal just so you guys have an understanding of where I'm, at.

I definitely love boozin' (or like saying it still ;) ...so I'll think about burning my house down later! ha :)

I say the ticks can have the field! cool....

thanks guys,

Dax

Scratch all this seedlings only nonsense. I think I'll continue to mow this whole place and create gardens as well.

Thanks!

Dax

With all that land, xeriscape gardens would be beautiful, weaving in between some conifer stands...

One upside to scratching the all-seedlings plan: You can plant a few pines, firs, and spruces a year and tend to them more closely.

If you're going to do gardens, how about a vegetable garden? Or, at the very least, tomatoes? I've got 127 seedlings under grow lights in my basement right now; they're inexpensive (some of my seeds I got for free) and easy to grow.

That's a real nice stretch of land you have there, Dax. Kind of reminds me of the land around here--at least the land that isn't planted for crops. You have a pretty view as is from the deck and I'm willing to bet it will be even more stunning as you make modifications. Personally, I like Deebs' idea of planting a variety each year, nurturing them through the first year, and adding more the following year. I think it's terrific that you already have an extensive list of conifers likely to do well in your area. Keep dreaming and imagining the possibilities for your acreage and it will come together for you. You're fortunate to have the space to be able to really show off the plants you love.

Traudi

I'm with you guys 100%. That's how I see getting this immense job completed.

I totally forgot to sow my annuals! I have a real nice selection of tomatoes, etc -

Thanks guys,

Dax