Farmscaping with Native Hedgerows

Transcription

1 Farmscaping with Native Hedgerows Marsha Holt-Kingsley Oregon Metro Conservation Program July 12, 2018 OSU, Small Farm School Clackamas Community College, Oregon City, OR

2 Natural Areas - refugia Natural Areas provide refugia and a resource of native bees to colonize newly created habitats on nearby farms.

3 Farmscaping: Seeing the farm as an ecological whole landscape within a mosaic of diverse ecosystems Use of graphic courtesy of OSU s IPPC

4 Farmscaping is: Management of vegetation on & around the farm, Includes roadways, field margins, waterways, natural areas, cropped or in non-cropped A range of practices Grassed waterways, buffers, filter strips, insectary plantings/strips, cover crops, Windbreaks Hedgerows & Riparian plantings

5 Farmscaping is: Management of vegetation on & around the farm, Includes roadways, field margins, waterways, natural areas, cropped or in non-cropped A range of practices Grassed waterways, buffers, filter strips, insectary plantings/strips, cover crops, Windbreaks Hedgerows & Riparian plantings

6 Hedgerows Functions Serve as habitat for natural enemies and pollinators Provide wildlife habitat and corridors Provide weed control Reduce non-point source and groundwater pollution Provide erosion protection Act as living fences, barriers & boundary lines Provide buffer from pesticide drift, noice, odor, dust Sequester carbon Provide economic returns Provide habitat for beneficial organisms such as raptors, owls, bats, foxes, coyotes Increase farm biodiversity

7 FARMSCAPING: Recognize existing resources and planning to fill resource gaps

8 Hedges, conservation buffers, windbreaks

9 Pollinators & Bio-controls Jack Kelly Clark Jack Kelly Clark Beetle banks draw in and maintain a population of beneficial insects near crops. Predacious ground beetle Green lacewing, a predator of pest insects Jack Kelly Clark Jessa Kay Cruz Ceanothus blooms attract many pollinators and natural enemies. Syrphid fly, a pollinator and predatory insect

10 Wildlife Habitat Charles Peck A mixed native plant hedgerow connects with oak woodland, providing a wildlife corridor. Birds eat pest insects. Hawks love rodents. Susan Sorenson-Birds in the Yard

11 Important Steps to Planning Perennial Habitat Site selection & evaluation Design, Plant selection & sourcing Budget, Costs and Cost-Share Planting & Establishment Irrigation, mulching Maintenance (weed management) Monitoring, notes, & records

12 Site Selection and Evaluation A fence line is an ideal location for a hedgerow. Is the site accessible for proper site prep? Is irrigation available? Is it a good site for the desired organisms, with access to crops? Can it be maintained over time? Will your crop be impacted by shading, or harvest access? Will periodic pruning be needed? Is there rodent pressure? Short plants being installed on a berm.

13 Site Selection Analysis & Irrigation Plan for hedgerow s potential maximum size (width x height) Determine soil characteristics, hydrology (flooding?) Irrigation system for 1-2 years Pre-irrigation & critical watering for newly installed plants (dry fall) Tubing w/2 emitters per plant; 6 to either side of stem Shrubs and forbs = ½ GPH Trees = 1 GPH emitters Monitor system to ensure plants are getting enough moisture. Irrigation a must for spring plantings! Critical pre-irrigation with drip system

14 Site Selection and Design Hedgerow design and function go hand in hand

15 A TREES: Riparian Buffer / Field Border Habitat B SHRUBS (SPRING) B SHRUBS (SUMMER) C FORBS (SPRING) C FORBS (SUMMER) BC C FORBS (FALL) Map Source: The Xerces Society Guide: Attracting NATIVE POLLINATORS 2011

16 Plant Selection Why Natives? They don t require fertilizers Low maintenance; less if any pesticides Lower water requirements Provide permanent shelter and food Less likely to become invasive Promote local native biodiversity; restoration Research demonstrates native pollinators and beneficial insects prefer native plants over exotic weeds, while crop pests occur more frequently on exotic weeds

17 Plant Diversity Bloom Time Succession Natural Areas may have upwards of 50 species 10 species is a good foundation Diversity levels out around 20 species Choose early to late bloomers Continuous food supply Include warm-season bunch grass; provide host and nesting sites

18 Willamette Valley Pollinator Plant List - shrubs Shrubs Pollinator Height Exposure pt Habitat Moist Root from Live Species Common name Color Host Food sun s/sh shade upland Riparian Stakes Ribes sanguineum Red-flowering currant Pink X 3-8' X X X F Rosa gymnocarpa Baldhip rose Pink X X 5' X X X X Rosa pisocarpa Clustered wild rose Pink X 6' X X X X Rubus spectabilis Salmonberry Pink X X 10' X X X X G Spiraea douglasii Douglas spiraea Pink X 3-6' X X X X E Symphoricarpos albus Snowberry White X X 1-6' X X X X X E Vaccinium parvifolium Red huckleberry Pink X 3-8' X X X X Acer circinatum Vine maple Maroon X X 20-25' X Amelanchier alnifolia Western serviceberry White X 3-15' X X X Cornus sericea Red osier dogwood White X 3-18' X X X E Gaultheria shallon Salal White X X 2-10' X X X Holodiscus discolor Oceanspray White X 8-12' X X X X X Oemleria cerasiformis Osoberry White X X 8-15' X X X X X F Philadelphus lewisii Mock orange White X 6-12' X G Physocarpus capitatus Pacific ninebark White X 6-12' X X E Rubus leucodermis Black cap raspberry White X 6' X Rubus parviflorus Thimbleberry White X 6' X X X X X Sambucus caerulea Blue elderberry White X X 10-20' X X X X Sambucus racemosa Red elderberry White X X 15' X X X X G Berberis aquifolium Tall Oregon grape Yellow X X 5-8' X X X Berberis nervosa Cascade Oregon grape Yellow X 12" X X X Lonicera involucrata Black twinberry Yellow X 10' X X X E Salix scouleriana Scouler's willow Yellow X 30-40' X X X E Salix sitchensis Sitka willow Yellow X 25' X X X E Salix spp. Willow Yellow X X varies X X X X E Bloom time Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep

19 Hedge plants and beneficial insects Plants Especially Attract Coyote brush (Baccharis pilularis) Parasitic wasps Perennial wedgerow with all on-farm source of native plants except for fig! Coffeeberry (Rhamnus caiifornica) OR native: Cascara Buckthorn Native buckwheat (Eriogonum spp) Lacewings Mirid bugs (European spp) Hover flies Ceonothus spp Hover flies Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) True bugs Gareau and Shannon, (2010) Center Research Brief #13, Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems

20 Plant Selection -other considerations Select plants to complement your crop Choose plants to bloom before and after the target crop Avoid plants that may be an alternate pest and disease host Plant shrubs and herbaceous materials in groupings by species

21 Woody Native Shrubs: Consider Early/Late Bloomers Early: Cornus stolonifera(red Osier Dogwood) Baccharis late bloomer Lonicera involucrata (Twinberry) Oregon Grape (Mahonia) Ceonothus spp. Mid : Holidiscus discolor (Oceanspray) Late: Baccharis pilularis (Coyote brush) Mahonia early spring

22 Some good native plant choices Selfheal, Goldenrod and Native buckwheat selfheal - mid goldenrod - late Buckwheat - mid gumweed mid to late Oregon wooly sunshine - mid

23 Project Costs are dependent on: Planning and Installation Estimation Worksheet Plant material type: potted vs bare root 4 bs plug Seeds Live stakes cuttings Labor Volunteer, hired Equipment Irrigation

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25 Cost $$$ and Cost Sharing

26 Site Preparation Weed Removal Considerations: Pesticide label restrictions for habitat What mechanical practices could be substituted? High Weed Pressure, low erosion risk, accessible to equipment

27 Weed Removal Methods Organic systems Considerations: OG Certification pesticide restrictions

28 Weed Removal Methods Mowing or Strip Tillage & Solarization Mowing or Strip Tillage low weed pressure

29 Planting Methods and Materials Spacing -- woody shrubs 3 to 10 on center -- Herbaceous plants 2 to 3 centers Planting Time Avoid hot, dry, windy weather Best time in Western Oregon mid-oct to Nov. for potted materials Bare root (less expensive) February and before bud break Live Stakes or Cuttings Willows, spiraea, red twig dogwood, and OTHERS 3 w/ 12 in ground Plant into moist or pre-irrigated hole Water in potted materials after planting Irrigate 1-2 seasons to establish Mulching (2 3 ) reduce weed pressure, & retain moisture Seeding wildflowers Excellent site prep (<weed seeds)

30 Hedgerow Maintenance Short-Term Weed control critical in first two years Prevent weeds from going to seed Spot spray, Selective herbicides Mow or string trim Hand weeding Irrigation drip is best Monitor - recordkeeping

31 Operations and Maintenance Control herbivores Long Term Tree guards use and remove Snags for raptor roosts Ongoing weed management Prevent shrub encroachment (later) Coppicing, hedge-laying No pruning between March 15 July 15 Bee Friendly protect from pesticide application and drift Monitor - Recordkeeping

32 Riparian Spring - Trees Malus Fusca Western crabapple Prunus emarginata bitter cherry Willow Alnus rubra red alder

33 Riparian Spring - Shrubs Oemleria cerasiformis Osoberry, Indian Plum Mahonia aquifolium Tall Oregon grape Rubus spectabilis - salmonberry Cornus sericea red twig dogwood Symphoricarpos albus - snowberry

34 Spring - Forbs Camassia quamash common camas Mimulus guttatas seep monkeyflower Dicentra formosa bleeding hear Micranthes integrifolia wholeleaf saxifrage Viola glabella stream violet Synthyris reniformis snow queen

35 Summer - shrubs Sambucus cerulea blue elderberry Rubus parviflorus - thimbleberry Holodiscus discolor - oceanspray Spiraea douglasii Douglas spiraea Sambucus racemosa red elderberry

36 Summer - forbs Sisyrinchium spp. Blue eyed grass Prunella vulgaris self-heal Hydrophyllum tenuipes Pacific waterleaf Potentilla gracilis slender cinquefoil Asclepias speciosa - showy milkweed Allium amplectens slim leaf onion

37 Fall - Forbs Madia gracilis slender tarweed Solidago lepida Western goldenrod Symphiotricum subspicatum Douglas aster Bidens cernua nodding beggarstick

38 FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: MARSHA HOLT-KINGSLEY