Posted by Sharon Leighton on July 24, 2005

Q: I live in Nova Scotia, in an area that used to be farmland but is now fairly heavily covered in spruce of some kind. Before it was farmland, it was mixed woodland, with a lot of oaks and maples and pines and firs (according to the history books), and I'd like to encourage it to grow back that way. How would I start? What would grow best among the spruces? Would other conifers work best?

A: I'd first take a walk and look closely at the land to see if there are any oak or maple seedlings growing there now. If there are, I'd work to encourage their growth. This can be accomplished by giving them adequate light/space (so they aren't shaded by other trees or weeds). This may require that you cut some trees too so there are open areas that allow the oaks and maples to grow without competition. I'm guessing that your spruce are either Black Spruce or White Spruce (look them up in a fieldguide to trees for an positive ID)

If spruce grow close together, they can really shade the ground around their bases and this keeps many other plants from getting a start or growing to maturity. So, you may feel a need to thin your spruce in certain areas to allow for other plants. Keep in mind that the more natural you keep the field by not introducing exotic plants, the more likely all will grow well with less input from you.

I think if I were you, I'd selectively cut out plants I didn't want too much and allow those I prefer to have more space. Old fields naturally go through various stages from grasses to forest and it sounds as though your fields are already in a transition phase. It's interesting to observe but will take decades to really evolve so you'll probably want to speed theis process. Maybe you have a local province conservation dept that can give you some suggestions and even some plants. Good luck to you and thanks for asking.

John Wiessinger ( July 25, 2005)