8 WAYS TO MAKE TREES GROW FASTER

garden full of trees

If you have been planning to start a garden or a small forest in your backyard you don’t want to wait for decades before the tree reaches decent height. Obviously, the growth rates differ but there are ways to boost the growth of trees by following some simple steps.

  • Choose the right species of the tree (Ideally one that is fast-growing).
  • Get the soil tested and provide fertilizers that provide nutrients that are missing from the soil.
  • Remove any small plants and weeds around the tree.
  • Make sure the tree is getting an appropriate amount of water, sunlight, and other nutrients.
  • Make a protective covering around the tree.
  • Prune the tree from time to time.
  • Try providing some root stimulators such as Auxin.
  • Make sure you are not over-fertilizing or over-watering the soil as it can cause the tree to become weak and have diseases.

WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT WAYS OF MAKING A TREE GROW FASTER?

One thing I have noticed all over the world is that each culture has its own way of optimizing agriculture and botany. We have to remember that the roots of human civilization are embedded in agriculture. A lot of these cultural practices date back thousands of years. So, we cannot completely disregard them as hocus science.

But with the evolution of science, there are more sophisticated methods to specifically nurture the tree and the soil to optimize its growth. This is especially the case in developed countries. There has been a marriage of science and agriculture.

PRE PLANTING

When discussing the methods of speeding up tree growth, let’s start from the very first step. That is, choosing the right tree. This method only concerns those people who are planning to plant a tree from scratch and not looking after an already growing tree.

The tree you are going to choose will basically involve these factors:

  • the climate you are living in
  • the type of soil
  • the look you want
  • and the growth rate

There might be other points but these are the broad ones. If you really want one particular tree and you don’t really care about the growth rate and other factors then the decision is much easier for you.

For others, you should first go to a nearby nursery or a professional and get to know your options. They will have the best knowledge in terms of what trees will actually grow in your area and which will not. They can further tell you which trees will grow faster and which ones will grow slower. You can further cross-reference this with a quick google search.

Once you know your options, weigh the pros and cons and finally make the decision.

After this first step, the second step is to assess the land. This needs to be done before the tree is planted. This step involves taking a note of the quality of the soil, the bedrock, the average rainfall which the land gets, and what are the dry areas.

A very important aspect of planting a tree or speeding up the process of growing is getting your soil tested. Once you know which tree is going to be planted and what the current nutrient build-up of the soil is, you can work towards adding additional things to the soil to make it optimum for that specific species. One thing you should keep in mind while planting a tree is to not have any small plants or grass around it. This increases the competition for water and nutrients.

After getting the soil tested you will know whether to add any fertilizer or not. Remember that over-fertilization will make the tree grow faster from the top but similar growth will not be shown by the roots. This means that the tree will end up having a weak root system.

PLANTING

When you are about to plant the tree, what your first steps are, is going to be very important. First, make sure that the hole you are digging is at least twice as deep and wide enough for the root ball. Remove any grass and small plants surrounding the tree and start putting the soil back in the ground after placing the tree. At this time some places like the Arbor Day Foundation suggests adding 50% of the original soil and potting soil for the rest.

They state that a mixture of potting soil and original ground soil is optimum for the initial growth phase of the tree. In case your soil test came out to be good, I don’t think you need to do this step.

POST PLANTING

Add a bit of mulch surrounding the tree and to make sure that no grass or plant will end up growing in the mulch. You can go for a product like Roundup. It basically acts as a weed killer. Before going for any weed killer, make sure it won’t harm your tree as a lot of the weed and grass killers should not be used near trees.

The next step is to water the tree. During the beginning, you will have to water more to nourish the growth. But as the tree gets older you might only have to water once or twice a week. your watering schedule will also be determined by the season you are in. if you live in a dry region then you will have to artificially water more and vice versa.

Don’t overdo this though in the beginning as too much water will choke the soil and therefore the roots.

I would suggest that you take some steps to protect the tree during the initial phases. You will need to protect it from wild animals, sometimes even your pets, and environmental conditions like strong winds and floods. You don’t have to do a lot, just build a small fence surrounding the tree, you can build it with barbed wires or simply wood.

Keep getting your soil tested every year and accordingly adjust if you are putting any fertilizer to the soil.

The last step is pruning. I will get into this later on in the article. But understand that pruning promotes the healthy growth of the tree. It also helps in making the tree look better. If your tree is fruit-bearing then pruning at the right time becomes much more important.

NEW SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH ABOUT TREE GROWTH

This part may not be practical as of right now, but I found this very interesting so do give it a read. There was a paper published in Current Biology by a group of scientists who studied the genetics of poplar trees.

Cambium is the living tissue underneath the outer bark that handles the overall transport and command of the entire tree. There was no proper research on the genetic component behind this growth as of now. This study basically showed how to tap the command center of the tree and tweak some of the factors.

There are two genes, PXY and CLE, these genes are responsible for growth above the ground. scientists figured out how to make some changes in these genes to increase the rate of growth. Now, you might be thinking that the growth rate must have increased by 10-20%, but to everyone’s surprise, the rate of growth doubled.

Although this study was only conducted on poplar trees and it is not known if the same genes are present in other species as well. The practical implications of this finding can be huge, this includes industries, the environment, and basically anything related to timber and wood.

There are three stages of growing a tree that you need to address. During the pre-planting stage, make sure you are choosing the right species of the tree you want to plant. Secondly, the most important part is to get the soil tested for any deficiencies, after this make sure the planting area is free from any small plants and weeds. After planting, add some mulch to the surrounding area and make a well for water to collect. You can even make an enclosure around the young tree to protect it from wild animals and environmental conditions.

DOES WATERING TREES MAKE IT GROW FASTER?

If you went through the previous section of the article you know that watering is one of the most essential factors which affects tree growth. This sounds very simple but in reality, it’s not so easy. You have to keep in mind a lot of things while watering any tree. This includes the overall rainfall, conditions of the soil, temperature, age of the tree, type of tree, etc. Let’s take a look at these factors one by one.

Let’s start with the first stage of a tree’s life, that is, when they are young. Consider this, as a rule of thumb younger trees need more water. After all, these are their formative years. Generally, you will need to water them 4-5 days a week. If you are living in drier and hotter regions then you might need to water them more.

One very important thing that the Texas AgriLife Extension Service based in Houston suggests is to give enough water to younger trees to maximize growth. They also suggest that similar lines shouldn’t be followed with older trees, especially if going through a period of drought. You should only provide supplemental water to sustain their life, not for the tree to be able to grow a large canopy. If the tree ends having a large canopy the soil, climate, and rainfall during the normal rainy season wouldn’t be able to support such growth.

WHEN TO WATER YOUR TREE?

I would suggest doing the screwdriver test with soil especially when dealing with younger trees. When you poke a screwdriver into the soil and you can easily push past 8 inches then the soil has sufficient water. But when there is some resistance by 6 inches it is time to water again.

This method is not feasible with established trees because of course, you can’t find a large enough screwdriver. What you can do is, whenever the soil starts feeling or looking really dry and if it is the dry season, it might be time to water the trees.

HOW TO WATER YOUR TREE?

Again the methods will slightly differ during different growth stages. With younger plants, you should make a small bowl-like shape around the base of the tree. Water it enough till there is some water collected in the ditch. This will make sure that water is reaching the roots.

When dealing with larger and more established trees I would suggest going for a method which provides water slowly but directly to the soil near the roots. Some of these methods include soaker hoses, drip irrigation, although with the latter it can take a long time to fully water a big tree.

Soak up the entire area under the canopy and a little beyond it as well. Add some mulch to the soil as well. this will help lock up some moisture if you are living in hotter climates.

The amount of water you need to give depends on the climate, soil type, and age of the tree. Obviously, you will need to water more in hotter and drier regions. When a tree is freshly planted, you need to water it about 2-3 times a day but as the tree gets older you will need to provide it with less and less water.

WHAT IS THE BEST FERTILIZER FOR TREES?

This topic is one of the most misunderstood among amateur farmers and botanists. They think of fertilizers as steroids for bodybuilders. A lot of people believe that if you keep adding fertilizers, it is better for the growth and quality of the tree. They don’t know that over-fertilization can ruin the soil and even make it toxic. They also don’t think about which fertilizer to use with which soil and in what conditions. Let’s take a brief look at the Dos and Don’ts of fertilizing your trees.

DO YOUR TREES NEED FERTILLIZERS?

You don’t want to add fertilizer when your trees don’t even need it. To understand this first get your soil tested. You will get a lot of information from this, including the PH level of the soil, which nutrients are present in the soil, and which are not. You will need fertilizer only if there is some deficiency in the soil.

The next step is to check the growth of the plant. Check the color and size of the leaves, also check for the annual growth of branches or twigs. If any of these factors seem a little off, first you should try to find the problem. Not always is the tree deficient, these things can be a result of insects, damage to the tree, soil being too compressed, or any other diseases.

If the soil test came out to be perfect then it is possible that these problems are a result of something else and not a nutrient deficiency.

The next factor is the age of the tree. Fertilizers are more effective when applied at a younger age as the plant or tree requires a further boost to grow at an optimum rate. This is also the age when you can boost its growth by artificially supplying further nutrients.

USUAL NUTRIENTS THAT TREES NEED

Some of the most common nutrients which are a part of most fertilizers are Nitrogen, Potassium, Calcium, Magnesium, and Sulphur, there are also some amounts of Iron and Zinc. You will get to know which specific nutrients to add to the soil after the test and checking the health of your tree.

DIFFERENT KINDS OF FERTILIZERS AND THEIR USES

The most common fertilizers to use for all-around needs are the 16-4-8, 12-6-6, and 12-4-8. But you shouldn’t go for these if the phosphorus and potassium levels are okay during the soil test. Common fertilizers can be divided into further broad categories with each having distinct uses.

Broadly there are fast and slow-release fertilizers. The name is pretty much self-explanatory, the fast release type will quickly dissolve into the soil and will start acting at a much faster rate. On the other hand, slow-release types will usually have nitrogen which is covered by Sulphur or urea-formaldehyde, this makes it dissolve slowly into the soil.

Usually, fast release types are cheaper but they do have a couple of disadvantages. If you have a young plant, they can cause ‘burns’ which happens when too much fertilizer is added to the soil at once. If you have sloping land or sandy soil, fast release types have a tendency to run off without getting properly absorbed by the plant. Sometimes heavy rain can also make them seep deep into the soil outside the reach of the roots.

Slow release are generally more suitable for younger plants and they have the added benefit of not poisoning the water.

Another category is the natural fertilizers, these include compost, mulch, cow manure, sewage sludge. They are much better for the environment but they take a lot of time to be absorbed by the plants. They also have less concentration of nutrients which means you will have to get a lot of it to truly affect the tree. They do improve the soil texture in the long run. And they also have the advantage of having iron and zinc which is difficult to be found in artificial fertilizers.

Whether your tree needs fertilizers or not depends on what they are missing out on from the soil. Get your soil tested to find out which nutrients to provide. You have options between fast acting which is cheaper but can cause tree burns and water contamination. Or slow acting which is expensive but generally better for younger trees and the soil. You have a further choice between artificial and natural. With the latter having some nutrients which are missing from artificial ones but you will need a lot of it to fulfil the tree’s needs.

wood chips/ mulch

CAN YOU OVER FERTILIZE A TREE?

There are a lot of reasons why you should be careful while adding fertilizers to the soil. Too much of it can cause issues such as weaker growth and be more prone to environmental conditions such as cold, insects, and diseases. The branches and twigs tend to break easily and the tree even produces rank. You should have a rough idea about the amount to use.

HOW MUCH FERTILIZER SHOULD YOU USE?

The amount to use is closely linked to the amount of nitrogen present in the fertilizer. So first check the amount of nitrogen per pound or ounce in your product before moving forward. The widely accepted norm is to use between 2 and 4 pounds of nitrogen for trees and shrubs for every 1,000 square feet of root spread every year.

The amount of area covered by the root is about 1.5 times the crown spread. If you are dealing with younger trees then you can add a bit more as they have more needs.

In case your tree is growing in a lawn and you have been regularly fertilizing the grass, then you shouldn’t need additional fertilizers. The roots will be able to absorb a lot of the fertilizer already added to the grass. Only add something if you see any problems in the growth of the tree. Also, check if the product being used in the lawn is harmful to the tree or not.

WHAT SIMULATES ROOT GROWTH OF A TREE?

A tree with disproportionate growth in the upper part having weaker roots is highly susceptible to environmental factors such as wind and rain. You need to make sure that the root system is going through the same level of growth as that of the canopy. Let’s take a look at some of the ways to ensure this.

The first step is the same as that for the canopy, make sure that the tree is receiving ample amounts of nutrients. Especially Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium. Phosphorus helps in building a healthy root system while Potassium is responsible for making the cell walls thicker. This will protect the tree from environmental stresses.

There are some additional hormones that you can provide to the tree to promote stronger and faster growth for the roots. One of such hormones is Auxin. It is responsible for regulating a lot of processes such as earlier root formation and increasing the speed of root growth.

I would also recommend using microbial fertilizers for promoting root growth. They serve two functions, the first being protecting the roots from insects, infections, and pathogens. The other function is breaking down nutrients so that they can be easily absorbed by the roots.

Make sure the tree is receiving adequate amounts of nutrients notably Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium. In addition to this, you can add hormones such as Auxin and Microbial biofertilizers to further strengthen and stimulate root growth.

DOES PRUNING A TREE MAKE IT GROW FASTER?

For people new to taking care of trees, cutting off some part of the tree to promote growth seems like an alien concept. It doesn’t logically make sense to do, but wait until you find out the benefits of pruning your trees.

  • To begin with, it helps in increasing the strength of the roots. The more branches your tree has and the larger they get, they start putting pressure on the trunk and roots of the tree. This increases the chances of trees being toppled over. Cutting down some parts of the trees can promote better root growth and stop them from shifting too much beneath the ground.
  • Pruning supports fruit growth in edible trees. This is because when you cut down branches that are dead or not active, the energy which was being delivered to them is diverted to more productive parts of the tree. This increases the fruiting ability of a tree.
  • When you eliminate branches that are dead or have some sort of an infection or pest problem, in a way you are saving the entire tree from being affected. Removing dead or infected branches will also lead to new ones being born.
  • You need to make sure that you are pruning off branches that may cause damage to each other because of their positions. You can also consider pruning off old branches which are not productive anymore. Pruning is also done to increase the overall canopy height. But don’t ever prune more than 33% of a tree.

To sum it all up, pruning can be very beneficial as it protects the tree from diseases and pests spreading from one branch to another. It also promoted fruit growth, healthier roots and helps a tree become more sturdy.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Everyone wants to increase the growth of their tree. While making efforts to promote growth you don’t want to make a fatal mistake that can cause the tree to be damaged. That’s why before you do anything you should have all the basics cleared. I will try to address some of the most common questions related to the topic, hope it helps.

HOW OFTEN SHOULD YOU ADD FERTILIZER TO THE SOIL?

Usually, you don’t need to add fertilizers more than once or twice a year. Even this should be done after getting your soil tested to see if it actually needs anything or not.

HOW OFTEN DO YOU NEED TO PRUNE TREES?

This decision is very subjective to the type of tree and condition it is in. Sometimes it needs to be done every year while in some cases it can be done every couple of years. If it is a fruiting tree, I would suggest doing it before the fruiting season.

HOW TO KNOW IF YOU ARE OVER WATERING THE SOIL?

If the soil feels clogged by water and it becomes too dense then you should start cutting down on the amount of water.

CONCLUSION

To sum it all up, some of the best ways to increase the rate of growth of your tree is to provide them with specific nutrients that they need and are deficient in. Along with this pruning from time to time and adding hormones like Auxin helps promote root growth as well. Make sure the tree is receiving enough sunlight and water especially during dry weather. There are different steps that you should follow in all three stages of planting a tree, which are Pre, During, and Post planting.


How Long Does a Tree Live?

Old tree in the middle of younger trees

Have you been waiting for that old tree in your backyard to die off naturally? If you are wondering how long it will take, you are not going to like the answer. The truth is that the answer varies a lot, and I mean A LOT. It depends on a lot of factors like the species, the environmental conditions, and the nutrition available to the tree. Even after this, you can only reach an estimate. Let’s take a look at the different life spans and what factors affect how long does a tree live.

Palms have a short life span with some living only 50 years. Black Willow can live to be around 75-80 years old. But if you go to the other end of the spectrum, Alaskan Red Cedar has recorded specimens being around 3,500 years old. If you are looking for the oldest tree alive, there is one Bristlecone Pine tree which is estimated to be around 5,000 years old.

What is the average lifespan of a tree?

There are multiple things I want to address here. Bear with me for a bit. The first thing to consider is that what do we mean by the average life span of trees? The logical answer to the question would be the average life span of all the trees present in an area right?

How do we calculate the age of a tree?

This question comes up naturally while discussing this topic. There is one thing when you have planted a tree so you can easily calculate the age of that tree. Most of the time you will be dealing with trees that have been there for years.

So coming to the other scenario there is a relatively easy method to find out the age of a tree. The most common method is ring counting. This is most prevalent with trees growing in temperate areas where the seasons are distinct. But it can be done with most of the trees out there. This method is also known as Dendrochronology.

If you cut a tree horizontally to reveal its cross-section you will see that there are some circular lines on there. Interestingly each of these rings equates to one year of their lifespan. So you can count the number of rings to get a fairly accurate age of the tree.

If cutting the tree down is not an option, I have a full article on how to find out how old a tree is here.

If you are in a forest then look for a similar tree with similar dimensions which has already fallen down. Counting its rings can give you an approximation of the age of the other tree. Other than that, counting annual rings in a horizontal cross-section is one of the easiest ways to determine the age of a tree.

Lifespans of different tree species

Let’s take a look at the average life span of different species. This will give you an idea about the range of most of the common trees you will come across.

Common NameAverage
Lifespan
Maximum
Lifespan
Ash, Green 120175
Beech, American 300400
Boxelder75100
Cedar, Eastern red150300
Cypress, Bald6001800
Elm, American 175300
Elm, Slippery 200300
Hackberry150200
Hemlock, Eastern450800
Hickory, Bitternut175200
Holly, American 100150
Locust, Black 60100
Magnolia, Southern 80120
Maple, Red130300
Oak, Basket 100200
Oak, Black 100225
Oak, White300600
Osage-orange75300 + 
Persimmon6080
Pine, Loblolly 100300
Pine, Shortleaf200300
Poplar, Balsam100150
Tulip–Poplar250450
Sassafras100500
Spruce, Blue150350
Sweetgum200300
Tupelo, Black 250600
Walnut, Black 150250
Willow, Black7085
Lifespan of most popular trees

I hope this gave you an idea of the sheer diversity in terms of how long do trees live. Even within the same species, the average age can differ a lot. This usually depends on a few factors.

First of which is the location of the tree. Some trees are native to a particular region and naturally, they will have a much better life if they are growing there.

Therefore, if you plant them in some other area where the climate may be different they might not live for as long. The second factor which plays a role is the human aspect. Even if a non-native species is growing somewhere, their life can be extended if extra care is given to them. This will equate to extra nutrition, proper watering, fertilizers, etc.

The average life span of a tree will vary according to its species and conditions. Some species have a life span of only a couple of decades while some can live for 1000s of years.

Can trees live for 1000 years?

low angle view of a big old tree

As I have stated before, some tree species can survive for a really long time. There is a very interesting list compiled by the Rocky Mountain Tree Ring Research group, it’s also called the ‘old list’. It consists of a comprehensive list of some of the oldest trees on record. One of the drawbacks is that most of the trees are located in the USA and other first-world countries. So we never know, there might be much older trees present in other parts of the world.

Starting off with the oldest ones first, one of the oldest recorded trees is the Great Bristlecone Pine. Two trees of this species are more than 4,800 years old. The next ones are Alerce and Giant Sequoia, all of them being more than 3,000 years old. Trees such as Western Juniper, Bald Cypress, Bodhi Tree, and Coast redwood have been recorded to be more than 2,000 Years old.

When we talk about trees more than 1,000 years old there a lot of them. For example Limber Pine, Rocky Mountain Juniper, Douglas Fir, Whitebark Pine, and Northern White Cedar. It’s clear that a lot of trees can grow older than 1,000 years, with some as old as 4,500 years old. interestingly a lot of trees mentioned are still alive so who knows how long they can live.

Do trees die of old age?

You might think that the answer here is pretty straightforward. Quite recently the majority opinion was that some trees might be immortal. With the oldest recorded tree around 5,000 years old, some scientists stated that they are not showing the typical signs of aging.

Recently it has been accepted that trees do die of old age but their metabolic processes make changes over hundreds of years. This is why humans haven’t been to sense the aging process in ancient trees.

The majority of trees die of environmental conditions before they die from purely old age. Factors like forest fires, floods, landslides, wind, rain, and heat will kill a tree before age.

Which fruit trees live the longest?

I couldn’t seem to find a full answer to this question. But I did come across an interesting study conducted by the Leaf Network. It had compiled an average lifespan of a number of edible tree species.

It shines an interesting light on the differences in life spans of different species. For example, an average apple tree can live for anywhere between 50 to 150 years. On the other hand, cherry tree has an average life of 15 to 30 years. Mulberry and Olive’s trees are some of the oldest edible trees with an average lifespan of 400 to 500 years. There have been some examples of Ironwood trees being 1500 years old.

Bear in mind that an average life span does not mean the average fruiting age of the tree. After some years a lot of fruit-bearing trees stop producing them.

How long do oak trees live?

I think you can guess what the answer here is going to be, the average age varies a lot.

Oak trees themselves can be divided into long-lived and short-lived varieties.

Long-lived varieties easily grow more than 150 years. The extreme example here would be a particular southern live oak growing in Louisiana which is thought to be about 1,500 years old. Chestnut oaks can live for 300 to 400 years.

On the other hand, short-lived varieties grow anywhere between 50 to 80 years old. Trees such as Laurel Oak can easily grow for 50 to 60 years. while water oak only lives till 30 to 50 years.

low angle view of a big old oak tree

How long do pine trees live?

Pines are generally considered to be long-lived species. Some species only live for about 100 years while some can live more than 1,000. One of the oldest recorded pine is the Great Basin Bristlecone pine which has been aged at 4,600 years.

Is average lifespan the correct term to use?

Well, according to Lara Roman, a researcher in USDA forest services, the term “average life span” isn’t as helpful as people believe it to be. She brought up a situation where a couple of trees which can be exceptions can drastically bring down or bring up the overall average life span of a small forest or garden. This would make the entire number not so meaningful.

On the other hand, she suggested that we should take into account a term called the average half-life of a tree. What this number entails is “the time by which half of the planted tree can be expected to die”. So if we say that in an urban area the half-life of the tree is between 13-20 years it would mean that if we plant 100 trees, only about half of them will reach this age.

Although I do agree with her explanation here, for the sake of simplicity I will deal with different types of trees and talk about their average life spans. I am not going to give a full proof number that can represent the average life span of all the trees in the world.

How can trees live so long?

 There have been countless papers published on how can trees grow so long. It will be impossible for me to discuss them all but the abstract of a paper written by Ronal M Lanner summarizes them quite nicely.

The abstract states that the long life of trees is a result of evolutionary changes made by them for survival. These changes include the ability to “hold on to stem cell-like meristematic cells after each growth cycle”.

On top of this trees have a unique ability to replace organs that have died or have been damaged. One of the prime examples of this is the shedding of leaves. Consequently, when a tree is partially damaged it has the ability to keep a part of the tree alive.

These are just some of the factors which have given the trees such as evolutionary advantage.

Frequently asked questions

If you are planning to start an orchard or a forest or if you just want to learn about trees, learning about their life cycle is an important part of that. I am going to address some of the most common questions that people have related to the topic. Hopefully, these will clear some of the doubts you may have.

What’s the age of the longest-living tree?

There is a Great Basin Bristlecone Pine in White Mountains, California. As of 2010, it was still alive with an estimated age of 4850 years. The oldest dead tree also comes from the same species.

Can the same tree have completely different lifespans?

Trees within the same species can have slightly different lifespans. For example, If you take a tree away from its native land to a completely different environment, it won’t be able to survive as well. This is especially true if you are not going to provide additional support for its growth.

What other ways are there for calculating the age of a tree?

Other than counting the annual rings of a tree, scientists also use carbon dating to accurately determine the age of a tree. The benefit here is that you don’t have to necessarily cut down a tree to determine its age.

Conclusion

To sum it all up, there is no way to determine the average life span of different varieties of trees with one number. Different species have different average ages and even within the same species, numbers vary a lot. The life span of trees can vary anywhere between 30-40 years to 4,000-5,000 years. To determine the life of a tree you will first need to specify its species.

Hi!
I am the guy behind Theyardable.com. I grew up on a homestead and I am here to share the knowledge I have and things I learn while living in the countryside.