There is no secret recipe while working with the wildlands. Every piece of land is unique and frames questions in various ways.
Nothing is straightforward, and it might seem that one technique works better than another and everyone has their variants. We have become accustomed to seasonal differences and how each season gives way to the next, a “firing order” if you may.
Every property or land initiative, every large or small project, adds a valuable component to the whole goal which lends itself to a grading scale of sorts.
Depending on your management plan, most of the work is performed during the “Dark Season” and 90% of the grading season will occur between May-July.
When setting out to grade your project, it is always helpful to begin with the end in mind. You might envision the Taj Mahal in the beginning, so be humble as you proceed. Less is more, in many cases, and creating a mosaic approach within certain wild areas is incredibly helpful.
Having a healthy understanding of your target species and their occurrence helps to establish a baseline of richness to be used later. The “dark months” are a perfect time to dig in and lay the groundwork for the late spring and summer photoperiod, warmer temperatures and seasonal rains.
The Dark Season of the year and very early spring is an optimal time to get on the land and make small adjustments to your management goals. The Dark Season allows you time to repair your washes, bolster your earth work, and prepare for spring showers.
The goal of Dark Season work is to keep the soil on your land and out of the creek. Through your efforts, everything will look messy, muddy and will be questioned; but have great faith that the spring greens are on their way.
A wonderful capri of nature that the Dark Season offers is an image or X-ray of our woodland structure. Bare trees allow us to gain a better understanding of shape and performance, which enhances pruning decisions and tree health. It is important to note that lighter limb loads and cooler temperatures make for easy work.
On one side note: leafless branches are perfect for enclosures and hedges to protect spring growth. A useful side project upon the land is the establishment of photo points to track growth and show a historical record of your efforts.
It is important to note that the tree planting window is still open but will be closing soon.
The Dark Season is a great time to massage the land via disc, mower or box ripper. I have heard of these techniques being described as “intentional disturbance.” Purposeful disturbance can steer certain areas into a capri of nature or serve as a restorative effort.
Purposeful disturbance should be conducted during the Dark Season and no later than the first week of March, which allows for a safe buffer between the flowering seasons.
Cherish the safety of Dark Season dirt work, since the spring repair is just around the corner.
It is mid-February as I write this, and the spring clock is ON. We are on the tail end of the Dark Season, so you have a couple of weeks before you go shovels- up on the big work.
Don’t forget to repurpose your slash along the contours, fine-tune your micro swales, build a Zuni bowl, finish up the small pruning and monitor your land management efforts.
See you in the woods and never miss the opportunity to phone a friend. Visit cibolo.org/calendar to view all upcoming events, programs, and workshops at The Cibolo.
David Touchon is Land Manager for the Cibolo Center for Conservation.
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