In the back yard we have some Saskatoon bushes. Another name for them is “Juneberries,” which is perfect because they bloomed today.
These bushes are supposed to produce berries within a few years, but ours took much longer and they still don’t bear well. Unfortunately, we unintentionally made them into an experiment. They have been growing slowly because the soil isn’t very good. We have fertilized them, but not as well as we should have. Also, they are planted in an area with a wide variety of sun exposure. The outcome of our accidental experiment is that they do best in partial sun. The shaded bushes and the ones in full sun are only half the size of the ones in partial sun.
This afternoon, Melissa and I went to our farm site to do some preparatory work on the driveway location. We are still finalizing the path the driveway will take. We want to have a curve so there is no view of the site from the road. However, the path we cleared is too curved to allow for easily backing out a long vehicle or a trailer. Also, we discovered a large elevation change on one spot. The revised path will be straighter, which will facilitate the backing out and avoid the sloped area.
Because there is discontinuous permafrost in the area, it is best to take steps to avoid melting the ice and to prepare for the ground to soften over time. A technique recommended by our contractor is to make a corduroy road as the base for the gravel. Our site is choked with scrubby spruce trees. So, clearing the driveway path and clearing the site for our farming activities is providing plenty of material. The limbs are laid parallel to the path and the trunks are laid perpendicularly over them.
Around here, wood hardly rots when it is completely buried. The combination of low oxygen and colder temperatures helps keep the wood intact. Years ago, during a project at a friend’s property, I dug up green grass that had been buried under 18” of dirt for more than 20 years. I was amazed at how fresh it looked. So, I have confidence that our corduroy road base should have impressive longevity.
