Woodland Management

If you have a wooded area to care for, the same less-interference-is-more rule applies. Nature is pretty smart about taking care of itself. Rotting trees feed the woodland floor, attract insects that draw wildlife, and serve as a home for many small mammals. Vines, undergrowth, and other plants you might dismiss as messy-looking weeds also serve an important role in the woodland ecosystem. In fact, in some cases, completely clearing out all the undergrowth of a natural woodland can lead to disease problems.

Keep a lookout for any major disease problems. In a wooded area, a few sick trees can be "akin to an influenza outbreak in an old folks' home," Dan Green says. Disease can spread rapidly, so if several trees are showing signs of the same problem, contact your local Extension Service, state forestry office, or a private consulting forester to get it diagnosed.

It's fine to clear paths for strolling through your wooded area, but be aware that the warmer, moister, and lusher your region, the higher the maintenance of those paths will be. In a moist climate, you may need to clear paths every three or four months. In a high, arid region, a path can last with minimal care for 30 years.

Many property owners want to embellish their woodlands with low-maintenence trees and shrubs. In deciduous woodlands, spring-blooming bulbs, such as daffodils and crocuses, will thrive and usually spread. In areas that get light sun, perennial or reseeding flowers will thrive. Good choices include forget-me-not, hellebores, and woodland phlox. Good flowering shrubs for the lightly shaded areas around the margins of a wooded area include azaleas, rhododendrons, hydrangeas, and viburnums.