Update, fruit trees

Here's an update on one of my attempts to plant fruit trees in the mountains to attract pigs. Hope some of you find it interesting or even helpful.

It has come to my attention that the site chosen is unusually degraded, and was likely a cow pasture at one point. All plants, even hardy invasive plants are stunted, while just 100 yards away along a definite boundary, the same plants begin growing tall and healthy, including mango. Most species are doing poorly, however the two Nitrogen Fixers (monkey pod and the ice cream bean or Inga edulis) are doing well. N-fixers are known to have an advantage in nutrient-poor soils. Macadamia is also doing well and is known to grow wild on the mountain slope not far from here. I plan to outplant more monkey pod and ice cream bean at this site. Both trees improve soil and produce edible fruits and pods for pigs and people. Also intend to plant another group in better soil nearbye.

Site conditions:
Moloa’a, Kauai. Badly degraded. Dominated by stunted guava 5 feet tall. Heavy soil. Nutrient poor. Little humous layer. 40 inches rainfall annually. 5% slope. 600 feet altitude.

Results of individual plants:
Avocado: Slow growing or stunted. Nutrient deficient.
Monkeypod: Appears healthy and growing but still small. Expecting good results.
Malabar chestnut: Stunted , nutrient deficient.
Fig: may have died. Badly eaten by rose beatles in the past. No plans to try again with it.
Ice cream bean: seedlings small and stunted while one planted at 1' tall has grown nearly six feet tall in one year.
Litchi: Surprizingly, it might look better than when first planted but still stunted.
Mango: stunted, nutrient deficiencies despite larger trees nearby.
Jackfruit: stunted, nutrient deficiencies. A large tree grows at the foot of the mountain nearby.
Macadamia: growing slowly. Doing okay.
Palmagranite: stunted and nutrient deficient.
Tropical Almond: Stunted. Nutrient deficient.

Heres a photo of an avo I took last weekend up the trail. Not bad for one year of growth. It's about 5' tall already. There are a few nearby that look nice too.

Hey Nic! I was wondering how this is going for you?? Got any updates??

I LIKE WHAT YOUR DOING AND EVERYONE SHOULD PICH IN TO.KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK,ALOHA.........

Yeah good job Nic. I have tons of ice cream bean on my property so if you need some starters or seeds just let me know and you can have all you want.

~Josh.

Boy where do I start?

I've come to learn that the way nutrients typically flow in nature is that they leach off hillsides and concentrate on any change in grade or valley bottom below. So heavy feeders like fruit trees will do best on flats or valley floors and do poorly on hills and steep slopes. In contrast, Nitrogen fixers produce their own food, have an advantage on ridges and hillsides and can also serve to feed everything downhill.

Notice how some places have strawberry guava big and tall and wide open underneath while hillsides tend to have smaller stunted trees? So the taller guava typically coincide with good soil and nutrients. The high fruit output of guava and java plum might cycle some nutrients too. I found a gap in the forest amongst some guava and java plum and planted a monkeypod that is growing much faster than those planted in the stunted guava nearbye. Last I checked, it grew from 20" to 45" while the other grew from 20 to 28" in the same time. The others planted in only two foot tall guava shrubland grew only between 3" and 8" inches during that time.

The icecream bean is doing somewhat well in the guava shrubland and has established above the guava and grew from 64" in June'09 to 80" in Jan'10. However, it's losing some of its lower leaves due to deficiencies- I was guessing Magnesium but it's probably some complicated soil-related issue. I need to try it again in better soil conditions. And I have not yet planted any more.

Just the other day, I prepared a small site among some tall guavas, which should have fertile soil. I'll try planting all the same plants to see how they do in better soil.

Interestingly enough, a kou tree I planted on a steep hillside in shade amongst java plum and christmasberry has grown from 37 to 42.5 inches even under the dense canopy. In a light gap, it should do even better.

Boulder-covered hillsides should in theory make for good planting sites because the boulders slow organic matter from moving downhill.

Something that might also be of interest: I was told by a friend that they found the main stump of a hau bush patch, drilled holes, poured in round up and that a huge patch is dying back (acres!). I mention this because hau can be a noxious weed on hunting trails and also because it may be a great planting site. Just seed it before the weeds fill in.

Haven't checked on the Kaloko ditchbank plantings in a while.

Thanks Josh, I'll need them later. What's the season?

Definately some interesting stuff Nic! Thank you for sharing and for doing the testing and logging!

Ive been planting avo's for 10 years in the mountains they make some good meat but like the rose apple they are being attacked by the mite also a game warden checked my pac and told me he could arrest me for planting them in the mountains there is no planting of any kind of fruit bearing trees or plants allowed the reg guava is also dyeing in the back of the mountains they are now dropping green and hard I have many papaya they also do very well

WOW,WOW,BRADA NIC MEAN THE SCHOOLING BUT DAM I LOVE IT........THE GREENER THE BETAHHHHHHHHHHH

Howzit guys! After Hog428 mentioned his run in I was curious as to what DLNR and DOFAW had to say so I called them up and asked about planting food for the pigs and the first answer I got was "NO" and then she tried to leave it at that! I not to smart so I asked what "no" meant! She then said that because I don't own the land. I then asked if she could explain it further to me and she said that the Forest Reserves are "mostly native" and that planting non native species there was not allowed and if I wanted to plant them I should plant them in my own yard! I then told her I will if they will let me hunt on my own property! That was DOFAW Waimea! I then called the Hilo office and was transferrred to a voice mail of the guy to talk to about this so I left him my contact info and hope he gets back to me and I will post up what I find out!

Both offices said no can do but I just wanted to see the information and get the facts for future reference. I going call DLNR next if the guy no can give me solid info!

Yeah, planting on public land is definitly illegal. And DOFAW wouldn't trust just anybody with something like this. I've tried talking with some people from DLNR. Some were curious, thought it could be a good idea. Others were unresponsive, while others worry it could negatively impact native forests (which it certainly could if poorly thought out). That's the 20-foot pole effect.

I guess you could say there is a right way and a wrong way to go about this. You wouldn't want to introduce anything that would become a weed and threaten native biodiversity, become a pasture weed, threaten watershed integrity, become a noxious weed, or increase pig carrying capacity deep mauka where hunters cannot control them. Increasing carrying capacity in the already weedy lowlands is in my opinion a good thing. And if done right, I believe you could minimize negative impacts of feral pigs on the environment while making hunting better. Fruit trees of low invasive risk would provide alternative food sources other than native plants or roots, ferns, etc. and can atract pigs off steep slopes where erosion risk is high.

In Diongs study on feral pigs in Kipahulu Maui he noted a 90% decrease in Hapu'u consumption durring the strawberry guava season. Now, I'm not advocating planting strawberry guava, but a year long supply of diverse non-invasive fruit trees can provide alternative food sources than native plants or underground roots. Now Diong also noted that 5% of their daily stomach content was earth worms, so either an alternative protein source such as a nut could be used OR you could plant some sort of worm producing tree (as the rose apple did and continues to do) on flat lands where erosion risk is low. Attract pigs off their steep, dense bedding areas and concentrating them onto these open flats where long shots are once again possible. In many ways it's just what Roseapple did, only roseapple was a big more invasive than what I advocate. Think of it like a year round feeder. And might as well plant in old roseapple stands.

...really, there is a risk to having anybody planting anything anywhere in the mountains and I'll probably catch flak for advocating it on here. Everybody should check the PIER Weed Risk Assessment for any plant before even considering planting it in your yard, let alone anywhere else. I think it's safe to assume though that planting avocado in the already weedly lowlands can only have positive effects. And Hog428 has been planting them for longer than I've even considered the topic.

Maybe DOFAW would consider giving a planting permit for state land after a proper Site Plan and Environmental Assessment is completed but that's the sort of thing to be discussed behind closed doors.

DO NOT TELL THEM ANYTHING JUST KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK. THIS JUST HELPS US FEED THE WHICH FEEDS US

The guy who I left my information with never returned my call.

1hwnhunta,

Exactly!! May be a bit too late now considering this is public domain. Im not knocking anyones desires, motivations or even personal independent studies. However discretion against the common socio-political mindset at times are a greater asset.

"The road to hell is paved with good intentions."

Aloha
MAUKAKANE1
Onipa'a a ku ha'aheo

Guys going do what they like, I was more interested in what is the law that restricts planting inside of the forests because I think it is a great idea but also know that stupidity and ignorance will not hold up in court. I got no help from DOFAW but was able to find the information online and will say IT IS NOT WORTH IT to get caught doing it. You not going go jail but you could buy your own piece of property with the amount of $ you going pay if you get caught. Good luck everyone but I will sit this one out and stick to cut and release.

Got couple messages asking what it would cost so here it is guys:
1st charge- 15,000
2nd- 20,000
3rd + charge 30,000
Each plant ,seedling or cutting is considered a seperate charge so it will add up quick!! Like Nic said I would stick to private property or plant other kind plants to pay for the fines in the case you get caught