If you read our original post about diversifying our forest, you know that a drought and the global panini ruined our hopes of planting 1,000 trees in 2020. I still managed to plant 186 trees, which will remain happily on this property when we move homesteads. Hopefully the next owner will enjoy the work we did!

And because the new property is so different, from soil to wind to temperature, the forest diversification plan needs to change. Many of the trees will be the same since we are a little limited by temperature here in our USDA Zone 4. So here is the updated plan for 1,000 trees at High Tide Homestead.

Food forest and diversification picks:

Almond

Hall’s Hardy Almond can survive down to -20F. I don’t like almonds except for straight off the tree when they are soft, so these are a must on my list. I had planned on planting some inside a greenhouse and testing some outside. With the wind and cooler temperatures at the new homestead the new plan is to put them all inside greenhouses.

Trees Planned	Trees Planted
6	0

Apple

Apples are easily my favorite fruit, so this requires a large selection of fruit for me. Some for fresh eating, some for apple sauce and baking, and some for storing. I plan on ordering trees for Galas, Jonathans, Bancroft, Early McIntosh, Honeycrisp, Heyer 12, Wilson Juicy, and a variety of other domestic types. These trees will range from -20F to -50F and will all be planted directly into the ground, minus a few of the Honeycrisp trees. Having worked in my family’s orchard, I’ve learned Honeycrisp trees can need to be babied, so I want to make sure a few trees receive the best care, just in case. I have one tree already, and another 3 ordered for delivery in May.

Trees Planned	Trees Planted
40	9

 

Apricot

Another type of tree I’d like to test out here, Moorpark Apricots, are rated to -30F and should be fine planted outdoors. I’m going to mature them for a few years in a high tunnel before planting in the ground as a precaution. I have yet to find anyone in Alaska planting apricots, so I’m not sure how they will react to our thaw/freeze cycles in spring.

Trees Planned	Trees Planted
5	0

Basswood

American Basswood, or American Linden, can survive down to -50F. Young leaves and flowers are edible, and the trees coppice naturally, making for easier wood harvesting. Linden is also a tappable tree, producing a nutritious 1% sugar sap. Leaf buds in early spring also make a tasty snack. It’s also a great tree to have for future honey production, as the flowers produce a unique flavor in honey.

Trees Planned	Trees Planted
50	0

Birch

30 birch trees were on the list for the old homestead, but the new homestead already has more birch than spruce. I don’t feel it needs the addition of more birch trees.

Trees Planned	Trees Planted
0	0

Cedar

I planted 10 Eastern Red Cedar on the old homestead. They did not fare as well as hoped, with slow growth and 2 dying. So I won’t be planting any on the new homestead.

Trees Planned	Trees Planted
0	0

Cherry

I have several types of Cherry tree planned. Bali, Purpleleaf Sand Cherry, North Star and Black cherry are all good to -30F to -40F. I also want to experiment with Skeena cherries, which are a sweet eating type. These are only rated for -25F and will need to be matured in a greenhouse before being transplanted outside. I will leave several planted in the high tunnel as a backup in case they aren’t viable here in our winters.

Trees Planned	Trees Planted
30	0

Chestnut

I plan on planting both American and Chinese varieties of Chestnut. While these are a slow growing tree, eventually they will provide chestnuts, which are delicious! These will also be good for wood and shade as well.

Trees Planned	Trees Planted
20	0

Dogwood

Red Osier Dogwood will add beautiful fall color to our property. We will plant the first ones as a privacy screen, then propagate more via cuttings.

Trees Planned	Trees Planted
20	0

Elderberry

American Elderberry trees can survive temperatures as low as -40F. Ripened berries are great for making wine, juice, pies and jams. They thrive in wetter conditions, which we have plenty of here! I also have selected a few each of Blue and Adams Elderberry. These can withstand temperatures of -25F, and will be planted in the high tunnel. It is suggested to plant Red Elderberries near these to produce a larger crop, and we have an abundance of Red Elderberry growing wild on our property. This should make for a bumper crop!

Trees Planned	Trees Planted
20	0

Fir

Douglas, Balsam and Concolor are all good to -30F and will be a great addition to diversify the forest on our land. Fir has medicinal uses, such as tea from needles, which is high in vitamin C. Fir will also create privacy and homes and food for wildlife. Grouse especially enjoy the needles and buds of fir trees.

Trees Planned	Trees Planted
75	0

Hazelnut

American Hazelnut can survive to -30F, so it should be fine if we get an occasional cold snap lower than that. While some consider these a shrub rather than a tree, they can reach heights of between 15 and 40ft. That is definitely tree heights! Hazelnuts are delicious, and the tree can be coppiced and branches used for wattle fencing.

Trees Planned	Trees Planted
15	0

Hickory

Another nut tree! Shagbark Hickory is known to grow in areas with temperatures as low as -35F. These trees will do well in our soil, though they are a slower growing and producing tree. Hickory wood is often used in smoking meats to impart its unique flavor. There are many recipes for hickory smoked salmon that I am excited to try!

Trees Planned	Trees Planted
5	0

Maple

I’m planning on planting Sugar Maple and Sweet Sap Silver Maples, which grow faster and have a slightly higher sugar content. Silver Maples also thrive in consistently wet areas, like much of our property in spring. Sugar Maples are often browsed by Moose, so they will need some fencing to protect them from this. Looking forward to all that maple syrup!

Trees Planned	Trees Planted
140	0

Mulberry

I love Mulberry trees. The berries are delicious and are ripe when they fall from the tree. Illinois Ever-bearing are good to -40F so they will be a perfect edition to our diversification out here.

Trees Planned	Trees Planted
6	0

Oak

Most of the oak trees we will be planting will be Swamp White Oak as they do well in moist soil, and even in standing water. These trees can grow up to 2ft a year. Also in the plan are several each of Red, White and Bur Oak, which are slower growing in their first years. Red Oak is especially good for areas with compacted soil, and we have quite a few areas of compacted clay I’m hoping they will break through.

Trees Planned	Trees Planted
75	0

Pawpaw

It might seem strange to grow these in Alaska, but they actually grow wild in Canada! Tropical taste aside, these can withstand temperatures of -20F. I will plant most of these Pawpaw trees directly into the ground inside a high tunnel. I want to harden a few off and test planting in microclimates, such as up against the south side of the house.

Trees Planned	Trees Planted
20	0

Peach

I have two types of peach tree planned. Veterans is one kind, which will be planted inside the high tunnel as it can only withstand -20F. The other is Reliance, and will be planted outside as it can withstand temperatures down to -50F. I’ve heard that both of these do well grown in high tunnels much farther north than I am. They will be a great addition to summer fresh eating here.

Trees Planned	Trees Planted
15	0

Pear

Bartlett Pear trees will all need to be planted in the high tunnel as they cannot withstand our temperature drops. These are my favorite pear, I think they taste best when nearly overripe. For best production I will need to plant another type of pear tree close by, though I have yet to decide which kind. Most likely Bosc, which are a cold hardy variety, or Asian Pears, another favorite of mine.

Trees Planned	Trees Planted
8	0

Pine

White, Red and Korean pine trees are all on my list. Korean Pines have the largest pine nut and we will harvest the nuts that we can. The cones of pine trees are very sticky though, so it won’t be a particularly easy task.

Trees Planned	Trees Planted
120	0

Plum

Plum varieties I have planned include Black Ice, Northern Blue, Underwood and American Wild type. Each of these varieties will do well with temperature drops to -40F. I plan to have one or two planted in the high tunnel, but I will plant the rest throughout our land.

Trees Planned	Trees Planted
50	0

Poplar

Hybrid Poplar trees will be planted in various areas around our property to help fill in areas where we have removed trees. This is a fast-growing variety and should mature quickly. Fast-growing trees are an important part of our plan for diversifying our property. I also plan to plant Tulip Poplar, which are also cold hardy and grow quickly.

Trees Planned	Trees Planted
20	0

Royal Empress

The Arctic variety of this tree can withstand temperatures of -15F. I planted 10 at the old homestead and none survived winter. I still really like these trees, but they may need to be planted only inside greenhouses, and are therefore probably the least useful trees on this list.

Trees Planned	Trees Planted
10	0

Spruce

Sitka Spruce is the most prevalent tree on our property. Every few years an infestation of spruce beetles came through and decimate our larger trees. The only upside of spruce beetles is the trees they kill make fantastic firewood and lumber, as they dry slowly while still standing. As spruce beetle usually attack Sitka, White and Lutz spruce, we will plant mostly Colorado Blue Spruce and Norway Spruce, as spruce beetles are less likely to kill those kinds.

Trees Planned	Trees Planted
135	0

Sycamore

Hardy to -30F, American Sycamore is a fast-growing tree, reaching heights of up to 80ft tall. These trees prefer moist soil, which we have an abundance of. This tree does well in compacted areas, and wetland and floodplains, making it perfect for our marshier areas.

Trees Planned	Trees Planted
10	0

Tamarack

American Tamarack is fast growing as a juvenile and does well in wetlands and bogs. It grows all over Alaska’s interior, so it should do well here. I have 20 ordered to arrive this spring.

Trees Planned	Trees Planted
20	20

Walnut

While I’m not a fan of walnuts, I appreciate the tree. Black Walnut is a tappable tree with a sap sugar content of about 4-5%. We can use the syrup in any way that we would use maple syrup. The green hull can be used to help cure and prevent fungal infections, such as ringworm.

Trees Planned	Trees Planted
5	0

Willow

Not just for beauty, Willow trees are also useful. From willow bark as medicine to using cuttings to create baskets or living fences, Willow is a valuable asset for our land. My plan for the old property was to plant 30 or so along the driveway and low lying areas. The new homestead has oceanfront bluff, so I will need many more trees to prevent erosion. I have already pre-ordered 105 willow whips to come this spring.

Trees Planned	Trees Planted
250	105

Total trees planned	Total trees planted
1,170	134

Forest totals:

No small feat, and it won’t be cheap overall. Some trees will be plugs from forestry services, running about $0.80 for each tree. Others, like fruit trees, can run upwards of $70 each and that runs the total well up. I’ll be concentrating on trees for erosion control and food production before moving on to filling in our forest. I will also be taking cuttings from planted trees over the next few years to more quickly expand our forestry plan.

This project is more than planting trees and diversifying, though.

It is also about walking our new land and checking the status of the current forest, learning what is growing and where. It will give me an opportunity to map the lower-lying areas that hold water in spring and summer, tend to patches of wild edibles, and decided where animal pens and gardens will be placed. Also, it will give us an opportunity to plan a food forest in the future. I’ll be building up the soil in each spot I plant a tree and marking what is in each area for future forest management.

Thanks for reading, and be sure to follow us on Facebook for tree planting updates!