What's the best way to measure existing trees, etc to use in small scale mapping of a yard? In order to plan for my next "phase" in the back yard, I need to figure out how much room I'm really dealing with.
I don't know exactly where the property line is, but I do have existing arbs to use as a reference for that side. I then have 5 trees to map, as well as other reference points on the other side (a boulder and the stream).
I'm guessing I need to measure all trees to a single point I choose where the arbs are, in addition to measuring how far apart each tree is from each other. Same with whatever sing points I choose on the other side.
Or is that overkill? Is there a simpler way? I already tried once and it didn't work, and I'd like to only measure again *once*!!
Measuring & Mapping
I have no idea. Sorry, but I'm sure others will jump in when they see this thread.
I wonder if Shelly (redchic01) has some insight, as she does all that awesome forest care stuff!
I remember when I went to conservation camp we had a stick we would measure the tree height with ..... Maybe there is something similar for that .....
Maybe as a last resort you can get on Google Earth and use the arial shot for the property to get a "close enough for jazz" measuring, and multiply out to the correct size?? Not sure how accurate that would be, though.
I just realized I probably need to use the house as a reference point, as the other two reference points I have are parellel to each other. That won't help much :o
And unfortunately google maps doesn't have a recent enough shot to show the additions we made to the yard (like, everything I mentioned!)
Check the ones available for purchase. Globexplorer.com is one.
Another site is offroute.com.
What about a tape measure and graph paper. It's kind of easy and fun to do the plotting. I just did my first graph paper planting, and was so impressed with my foresight. Then I went to a mailorder nursery and ordered twice what I needed. So then I got another piece of graph paper.....
LOL, Weeze.
;)
Here are two fairly easy methods requiring a minimum of tools.
A) If you have a long straight line (sidewalk, house) available, use graph paper and sketch it to scale, using one point (the corner of the house, a mark on the sidewalk) as a reference. Then measure distances from that point parallel and perpendicular to your reference line to the trees or points you want to locate and transfer these measurements to the graph.
B) Pick two fixed reference points easy to measure from. Measure distances between the points and from the points to each tree or point you wish to locate. On a piece of paper mark the two reference points the correct distance apart using a convenient scale like 1/4 or 1/2 inch to the foot. Use a compass to draw circles from these points using the scaled distances you measured before. The circles intersect in two points, and one of them (it is usually easy to figure out which one) is the location of your object.
This message was edited Mar 6, 2009 7:47 AM
I use electronic graph paper for things like this - a.k.a. Excel. Then I code each cell with the contents - grass - blueberries - driveway, etc. To figure out how many square feet something is - I use the CountIf function and add up the number of cells with that code. Really helped when I had to buy driveway coating stuff - I knew how many square feet I had to cover.
I use graph paper and pick a scale that will fit 11x16 paper once I have my measurements.
Gonna try Don's A. The perpendicular part is what I missed last time, so I couldn't figure out exactly where things went (it was all off looking...a good clue you did something wrong!).
Graph paper works great... I also have used the map from the survey taken when we bought the house...you know those measurements are exact.
That's what I used way back when. Now I don't bother. I don't like when gardening becomes an engineering project. Did enough of those!
Yeah, this will be the end for me, Victor. I'm ready to fill in shrubs between the trees, but I also need an informal path, so I want to map it so I can play with plant arrangement.
That's the plan anyway...we'll see how it goes -- don't be surprised if there's another thread by me asking for help :)
The measuring went pretty quickly, despite the ice and deer poo. Man, lots of deer poo :o
Don't remind me of that. I had it at just about every step.
DEER POO DEER POO
ok, now that "getting" Victor is out of the way (tee hee), I am no closer to figuring out plants, but it is reminding me of how little space I have for all I want. ::sigh::
When I plotted out this yard and my previous one, I was not very accurate. Not sure I need to be. What I focused on was tracking the hours of sunlight in each part of my yard at different months of the growing season. I have quite a bit of shade and this helped me avoid buying plants I could never grow.
Wow, Dave47, that is pretty amazing.
Remember, I wasn't too worried about exact measurements. but I got a good idea of where I had 0, 2 or 4 or 6+ hours of sun. Also where I could squeeze in spring plants requiring sun in places that have sun in April but not June.
Don't know if I would need to do it now, but it really helped me at the time.