What does bush removal have to do with homesteading and disaster prepping? A source of self sustaining food and water are the top priorities in being prepared. When you only have one acre of land, you start thinking every inch is precious.
Our one acre already has 20+ trees. Most are pine, but we do have a handful of pen oaks and two maple trees. Add to that a few handfuls of decorative bushes and flower beds around the house and you start to run out of workable land that is productive.
Jon and I regularly “walk the land” and discuss what we like to plant where and how. We have decided that nothing new would be planted unless it provided a source of food or some practical need. Ornamental plants and trees are pretty, but there are many fruit/food bearing bushes and trees that can be just as pretty.
Right now, we have decided we will not be removing any pine trees, but as we lose them we will not replace them with another pine. We lose about one every year or so. They have shallow root systems and are very top heavy with the pine needles. Add a gusty storm with wind and rain or some ice or snow weighing those heavy laden branches and it doesn’t take much to lose large limbs and sometimes the whole tree.
We have selectively started removing some bushes. A few of the bushes were really getting wild, but others were still nice to look at. But none of them served a purpose other than aesthetics. Here are the last two that Jon has removed.
At least for now, there is less to mow around. That is until we use the space for something else.
So, if you have limited space like we do, start becoming very conscious of how all of your space is currently used. Think about your priorities and what makes more sense for you and your family in each and every square foot you have. If there is something that can serve dual purposes that is even better. Maybe it just means you start using your remaining space more effectively, but sometimes it means letting something go.
