Grand Forks County Soil Conservation District

Country Living Page

Moving to the country?   

Things you should know about BEFORE YOU PURCHASE THE LAND.

If you have never lived in the country there are some things you need to know. It is our intent not to discourage rural living rather to share ideas of how to help make a smoother transition to rural living. 

SOIL TYPE DETERMINES WHAT WILL GROW!

One of the largest problems we have encountered for planting trees is the type of soil.  There are large areas of alkali and saline soils in the county.  In these types of soil few varieties of trees or grasses will grow. The alkali problem has been increased by the excessive moisture we have encountered in the past 5 – 10 years.

How can you avoid this problem?  Most of the garden centers and building centers in the area have very inexpensive soil test kits.  I have found them for under $5.  If you are interested in a particular site, check the soil in several locations on the lot.  Alkaline soil has a pH of more than 7.0 -- A soil with a pH between 7.5 and 8.0 is mildly alkaline; 8.0 to 9.0 soils are moderately alkaline; and above that, soil is considered highly alkaline.  If you don’t understand the results you get, check with our technicians or you can contact Extension Service.

Another thing to do is observe on site what trees are growing on and near the site.  If you don’t see many trees growing there is probably a reason.  Russian Olive trees (ND Tree Handbook - Russian Olive ) are usually one of the few trees that will grow on these sites.  When only Russian Olive is growing on a site, it is a good indicator that the soil may have problems or may not be suitable for a wide variety of plants.  If the site has been cultivated with no vegetation present, look for white powder or crystals on or near the surface of the dry soil.  Keep in mind that alkali can show up in small pockets, and so you really need to look at your potential site.

If your soil is moderately to highly alkaline, your choice for a garden may be the rock garden variety.  You may also have to consider a solid fence for your windbreak.  So buyers beware.  If the price seems too good, there is probably a reason.

YOU CAN’T ALWAYS PLANT TREES WHERE YOU WANT!

There are some restrictions to where you can plant trees.  Here are a few things to consider:

Easements may not always show up on land titles and deeds.  If there are utilities over or under the land, there are restrictions on how close you can plant trees.  The obvious things you can observe are overhead power lines.  You cannot plant tree under these lines, as the power companies need access to maintain them. 

If the utilities are buried, you don’t want to plant trees over the top of them.  Roots from the trees can damage buried lines, and access for the utility companies becomes an issue.  We require our customers to call “ND one call” to locate where utilities are buried.  We will not plant trees over utilities.

Set-backs from road are another restriction to be aware of.  Townships, County and the State have laws (ordinances) for planting trees near roads because of the potential of snow collection and for obscuring vision.  These restrictions can prevent you from planting trees or building anywhere from 68’ to 500’ from a road adjacent to your property.  There are many variables on this, too many to go into here, but our technician can help you explore this to find out what restrictions you may encounter.

Lots in the country often do not have access to sewers, and you will need to install a septic system.  These systems are set up in many different configurations.  You will need to know where the drain fields lie.  It is important to NOT plant trees and shrubs over these areas, as the tree roots can interfere with your septic operation.  Additionally, the septic may adversely effect the growth and health of your trees and shrubs.  Many trees will not be able to handle the high nutrient load of the soil, and will die after a few years.

Life in the country is quite a bit different than city life.  There are many factors to consider.  If you have always lived in a city or town, it is advisable to research the differences.  Grand Forks Planning and Zoning will require you to sign a Rural Living Agreement, prior to issuing a building permit.  This document is a good source for additional information for you to consider before purchasing land in the country to build on. You can find that document at:

http://www.grandforkscountygov.com/Rural%20Living%20Agreement.doc

Grand Forks County Soil Conservation District

4775 Technology Circle  Suite 1C

Grand Forks ND 58203

(701) 772-2321 Extension 3

Send mail to gfscd@gfscd.org with questions or comments about this web site.
Last modified: 06/19/08