Alder to “dry land”

_Brian

So, I’ve read and seen it commented plenty of forums that Alder is “great to dry land”

In the real world what does that look like ??

So I for example I have a 3 acre pasture field, there’s a wet spot about 20ft across (probably bit of aspring but it’s not an swamp either) and there and downhill is damp and prone to rushes. If I planted the 20ft damp spot with some Alder would this prevent the downslope damage from the damp.
I don’t particularly want to put in drainage and more trees are always good anyway,

magicbastarder

I assume the transpiration effect of trees to suck water up is not much use in the winter when it's wetter?

cap.in.hand.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122998330#Comment_122998330

It would be the actions of the roots of a tree that would help drainage on land quicker

magicbastarder

Yeah, that'd be my assumption too.

But from what I know, alder prefers its feet in moving water and willow in still water. The situation above may be more suited to willow?

Accidentally

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123000279#Comment_123000279

I've heaps of Alder on ground which can get soggy in the winter, but normal dryness in the summer. Perfectly happy.

I've also got some on dryer ground on the edge of forestry, and again it's perfectly at home. The only thing it doesn't seem to like, is being shaded out by other trees.

I can see alder helping to dry out land in the summer, but if you've got a spring, it's always going to be wet in the winter, and you'll get runoff if the quantities are large enough

StoutPost

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058385912/alder-to-dry-land

You might look up Clive Bright. He has iirc reduced rushes in a rushy area using alder. It took time. I think time spent grazing in that area is fairly well controlled.