I am cutting next year's firewood in areas I would like to convert to
edible forest. Yes, Paul, the red oak acorns are edible but how many acorn
meals do you eat a week? and if I ever do need to eat them I have many
acres of predominent oak forest far from the house. The system that is
evolving for me ( the standard local one is to hire an excavator and rip
out allstumps and rocks and bury them ) is to cut out the hardwoods over 3
or 4 years and smother the root systems (cut off at ground level, cover with
black plastic though I am also trying layers of cardboard, then soil and
plant a cover crop. ) as I am planting nut trees and shrubs reasoning
that they most naturally start as an understory. Then when the final
large trees are dropped the desired trees will be established and take off
in full light. This way I hope the existing forest soil is preserved though
I temper the acidity with limestone for select plants. jvh southern NH
