As I began writing this post, I was going to go into all the reasons why the Empress tree is so special and how it measures up to all the sustainable goals put out by the government and the United Nations. I can certainly show you all of the data sheets and facts that prove just how wonderful these trees are, but I believe the recent podcast released by investmentnews.com wraps things up in a nice neat package. Oh, and did I mention that yours truly was interviewed for this podcast?! Check it out.
Take a few moments to listen to the empress tree specific podcast below.
Now if you are like me, this may just spark a bit more interest in what we are doing. If that is you, stay tuned as we continue to add more information to our site.
Those of you who know me, know that I have been working on building my business growing Empress trees. Well, this is the first write up I have had and wanted to celebrate by sharing it with you. I’m hoping this is just one of many!!
The image below is a picture of our trees in bloom from last spring. They are just now starting to bloom again, so it was very appropriate. We are quickly getting to the time of year when all the work begins again. It is so wonderful that we get to start all that work with such a beautiful and fragrant image.
Keep and eye out for more images and updates as we begin a new season growing this wonderful tree!!!
Boy it has been a busy month! It felt like the winter would never end so I could plant my trees. But here we are and the activities over the last few weeks have been crazy!!
I originally wanted to take you through the process of planting as we went along, but alas that did not happen. So, let’s rewind a couple of weeks and start from the beginning………
If you have been following my previous posts, we left off after drilling holes and adding lime to the soil as we filled them back in. After a few good rains we noticed that the soil within the holes had settled and we needed to add a bit more to bring it back to the top. We had some nice black dirt piled up from when we cleared the land, so we put this to good use.
So now we are ready to plant!
When we pre-drilled and filled our holes in previously, we planted a flag in the center of each one. This helped greatly in making sure we were planting in the actual hole. These are terribly hard to find later if you don’t!
Using either a hand rake or small shovel, we dug holes about 6 inches down and quite a bit larger than the trees we planted.
Next we added no more than 1/2 tsp of dry water crystals. This is very important due to the properties of the crystals.
I like to mix them into the dirt a bit prior to adding my tree, just to make sure you don’t end up with a bunch of crystals all together. The picture to the right shows them prior to mixing them into the soil.
The water crystals are added to help hold water near the roots of the plant so it doesn’t dry out so quickly during our hot Alabama summers.
Next we add our tree and any extra dirt needed to keep them at ground level.
With the tree firmly in the ground, we added about 1/2 cup of controlled release fertilizer in a 10 to 12 inch circle around the tree.
Lastly, we topped everything with our 18 x 18 pre-cut weed mats and secured them with rocks or landscape staples.
Once we had a routine established and a designated job for everyone, we were ready to plant our 750 baby Paulwonia trees. YES, you read that right. Over a 3 day period we planted 750 trees. This is definitely a labor of love and I can’t wait to update you on how well they are growing.
If you missed the previous blog posts, feel free to go back and start at the bottom of the page to get started.
Wow! I just realized that it has been a some time since I posted. I had intended to add some information about drilling the holes for our trees in January. However, we have had so much rain this year we had to put this off until things dried out a bit. At long last we were able to begin working in the field last weekend.
Our first step was to map out the locations for our trees. This took some time and a bit of old fashioned ingenuity, but at last the grid was complete with flags at each intersection.
Now that we have our grid laid out with flags at each intersection, we began to drill holes to loosen the ground where our trees will be planted. We are using a 9 inch auger bit attached to our tractor and they are approximately 36 inches deep.
Because our soil needs some additional nitrogen, we are adding lime to the soil before returning it to the hole. Adding lime to the soil increases the pH and improves the soil. This will help to prepare the soil for our trees and give them the best start possible.
Once the soil and lime have been added back into the holes, we now just need to wait for planting day. There is still so much work to do, but I am so happy we were able to finally get things started!
The Paulownia wood is a beautiful pale color that reminds me of a light maple. However because of the massive amount of growth each year, there are far fewer rings or veins visible. This leaves a virtually clear pale wood that can be utilized in many different applications.
But, don’t assume everything you make has to be left in this pale color. If you like the richer tones and deeper hues of more traditional woods, don’t worry. This wood takes stain like a champ! The image on the left is just an example of the beautiful range of stain colors that can be used in any type of application.
While the tree is growing it contains a high level of moisture which not only helps the tree during dry seasons, it greatly reduces the flammability of the tree. This helps to reduce the spread of wildfires in areas that contain Paulownia trees. Now if I am talking to a woodworker, they may be concerned about how long it would take for this wood to dry out once harvested. Don’t worry, although it is a wet grower it dries out very quickly and has an air dried density around 0.26 – 0.33 g/cm3.
The images on the right and below show multiple uses for the Paulownia wood, but notice that it was also used for the shelves. Although the wood is approximately 40% lighter than traditional woods, it is very strong and will not easily warp, crack, or deform. It is also one of the softer hardwoods you can find. This makes it perfect for carving and shaping into any project you have in mind. I’ve added the images below to show you just a few of the different uses for this amazing and beautiful wood.
The Empress Splendor tree has so many eco friendly qualities that I’m going to go for the obvious and start with the foundation. As many of us know, the type of soil you are working with is key to how well your plants will grow.
Land not suitable for crops
In the past the southern states were most widely known for growing cotton. One of the many problems with growing cotton is the negative effect it has on the soil. After only a few years the ground becomes almost toxic and unable to grow any other crops. Because of this toxicity many plantations have been left barren and mother nature has been slowly trying to repair the damage ever since. This is where the Empress tree comes in. They are natural lovers and producers of nitrogen. That means they continue to enrich the soil as the leaves break down each winter, putting back nutrients the soil needs to become brown an rich again. It also gives the tree the nitrogen it needs to thrive eliminating the need for commercial fertilizers.
Progress being made in only the 2nd year
The Empress is also a naturally fire resistant plant. While the trees are growing, they are considered a ‘wet wood’. This simply means that the plant naturally maintains internal stores of water. It is also hollow in the middle which acts as a waterway for the entire plant to help sustain it’s amazing growth. Because of all this water, it has the ability to limit or resist the spread of wildfires, even in dry conditions.
If you just have to know more and can’t wait for my next post, feel free to visit my site at Martens Empress Enterprises.
I have been getting this question a lot lately, so I thought I would start off with a little clarification. Several years ago my dad read about this company that would send you Empress trees to plant and in 10 years they would be ready to harvest. Now other woods on the market take 20 – 25 years before they are ready to harvest. So naturally he was skeptical, but decided to give it a try. Well, now his trial has evolved into about 13 acres with approximately 110 trees per acre. That’s 1,430 trees already in the ground and growing strong with no signs of stopping! Not bad for a man in his mid 70’s!
My part in this story begins about 2-1/2 years ago when I moved to the Alabama/Georgia area. After years in the corporate work world trying to prove myself to people that had no idea of my true capabilities, I decided it was time for a change. I began learning how to care for these trees and the many many benefits they provide for the environment. ( yes I typed that twice on purpose…) Now during the first 1-1/2 years after moving I was convinced I still needed a full time job, so I worked for a company that demanded long hours and little to no recognition. By the time I was let go from the company, we were both ready to be done so it was rather a mutual parting. Since that time I have decided to take my MBA and use it to grow my passion and start the business I was meant to have. I have developed such a passion for these little trees that I get a thrill every time I get to talk about them! They never stop amazing me and I am supper pumped about where this business will lead.
Next time I’ll talk a little more about what we are doing and some of the exciting things that have been happening.
As we proceed through the process of planting and nurturing our trees, feel free to join us on the journey! We will be posting as things transpire so it may be a week or two between posts. Just enter your name and email address below to sign up.
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