dbltree
Super Moderator
Now that our tree planting "adventure" is complete for 2009 I thought I would post more complete info and pics on using a tree planter and problems encountered.
This one was easily handled by my 30 hp JD 790
I'm told one can end up with a sore stiff back sitting in this seat all day...
The slot area allows one to tuck the bare root seedlings, especially larger ones into and slide them into the furrow.
The the operator must hang onto the seedling until it is directly beneath and the packer wheels close the soil around the seedling. Releasing it to soon will just tip the seedling over and bury it.
This one was easily handled by my 30 hp JD 790
I'm told one can end up with a sore stiff back sitting in this seat all day...
The slot area allows one to tuck the bare root seedlings, especially larger ones into and slide them into the furrow.
The the operator must hang onto the seedling until it is directly beneath and the packer wheels close the soil around the seedling. Releasing it to soon will just tip the seedling over and bury it.
dbltree
Super Moderator
In good dry soils the furrow should look like this, tightly closed around the seedlings.
However we received an 1 inch of rain on Monday and even though we waited until Wed./Thurs, areas of our heavy clay soils were still like planting "peanut butter" and the sticky gooey mess plugged the plow and caked the packer wheels constantly.
This left a poorly closed furrow....
Some places it didn't close at all
However we received an 1 inch of rain on Monday and even though we waited until Wed./Thurs, areas of our heavy clay soils were still like planting "peanut butter" and the sticky gooey mess plugged the plow and caked the packer wheels constantly.
This left a poorly closed furrow....
Some places it didn't close at all
dbltree
Super Moderator
Even with decent soil conditions the packer wheels do not fully compress the furrow and although you can not see it, there is an air pocket below which spells certain doom to the bare root seedlings.
We planted for awhile then took time to go back and pack soil around each and every seedling...all 4000 of them!
It pays to have something to scrape mud, grass, roots and debris off the plow and packer wheels.
We planted for awhile then took time to go back and pack soil around each and every seedling...all 4000 of them!
It pays to have something to scrape mud, grass, roots and debris off the plow and packer wheels.
dbltree
Super Moderator
There are planter boxes on either side of the operator, both of which had holes in them so we poured water and root gel (to hold moisture to the bare roots) into the plastic bags so that the roots wouldn't dry out during the planting process.
Some of the oaks and hazelnuts had huge tangled root systems that made it difficult to untangle and plant.
These are red oak seedlings
Hazelnuts
Some of the oaks and hazelnuts had huge tangled root systems that made it difficult to untangle and plant.
These are red oak seedlings
Hazelnuts
dbltree
Super Moderator
The small red cedars were the easiest to plant
Most of our planting was done on brome sod
So now we'll go back and spray a combination of Select 2-EC to kill the existing sod and Surflan A.S. to act as a residual
Select (clethodim) or generic versions such as Arrow should be applied at 6-8 ounces per acre along with 1% of finished volume of crop oil.
Arrow 2 EC Label
Surflan (Oryzalin )can be applied at 2-4 quarts per acre for residual weed control and both will be tank mixed in a back pack sprayer so I can direct spray around the base of trees rather then over the top.
Oryzalin 4 A.S Label
After seedlings are well established and soil has settled around root systems I'll use Oust for longer/better residual weed control.
Most of our planting was done on brome sod
So now we'll go back and spray a combination of Select 2-EC to kill the existing sod and Surflan A.S. to act as a residual
Select (clethodim) or generic versions such as Arrow should be applied at 6-8 ounces per acre along with 1% of finished volume of crop oil.
Arrow 2 EC Label
Surflan (Oryzalin )can be applied at 2-4 quarts per acre for residual weed control and both will be tank mixed in a back pack sprayer so I can direct spray around the base of trees rather then over the top.
Oryzalin 4 A.S Label
After seedlings are well established and soil has settled around root systems I'll use Oust for longer/better residual weed control.
dbltree
Super Moderator
The following are some videos of the planting process
Planting red cedars
Planting hazelnuts
It's important for the driver to keep a close eye on how the operator is doing and the foot throttle allowed me to slow up when he had problems with tangled roots or dividing a clump of seedlings.
Our planting plan called for 600 trees per acre planted at roughly 7 foot apart in rows 10 foot apart and after awhile it became easy for me to regulate the tractor speed to match the planting speed which varied depending on the type of seedlings.
I couldn't have done this planting project without the help of my son who worked tirelessly to get the seedlings in the ground.
Planting red cedars
Planting hazelnuts
It's important for the driver to keep a close eye on how the operator is doing and the foot throttle allowed me to slow up when he had problems with tangled roots or dividing a clump of seedlings.
Our planting plan called for 600 trees per acre planted at roughly 7 foot apart in rows 10 foot apart and after awhile it became easy for me to regulate the tractor speed to match the planting speed which varied depending on the type of seedlings.
I couldn't have done this planting project without the help of my son who worked tirelessly to get the seedlings in the ground.
Joey Rott
New Member
Nice looking planting setup there Paul. Looks like it sure saves some time in comparison to the ole dibble bar!
In the past week, the chesnuts are finally starting to show. I kept about a 1/2 pound of chesnuts & sowed them in a 2" seedbed, about 2 months ago. I'll be planting these closer to the house in rows. My plan is to someday have a orchard with various types of nut trees.
I have a few 3ft tree tubes left over from last year. If I remember right, I read last year where it was best to drill holes in the tubes, when using them for chestnuts?
In the past week, the chesnuts are finally starting to show. I kept about a 1/2 pound of chesnuts & sowed them in a 2" seedbed, about 2 months ago. I'll be planting these closer to the house in rows. My plan is to someday have a orchard with various types of nut trees.
I have a few 3ft tree tubes left over from last year. If I remember right, I read last year where it was best to drill holes in the tubes, when using them for chestnuts?
letemgrow
PMA Member
It's better all around for air flow and hardening off for the winter if they have holes in the tubes. I have had trees die back in tubes that did not have good air flow. With chestnuts, I would not use a small diamater tube since they have a compound leaf structure. They need more room to grow in the tubes.
letemgrow
PMA Member
That would be perfect, make sure to keep the vegetation down around the tubes so the rodents do not find the tubes as an inviting home. I like to spray about a 4 foot circle around the tubes to keep it as bare dirt. That seems to work well for me. Others just use aluminum window screens instead of the tubes so that may be another route to look into if you run out of tubes. Then you can compare the differences and see what works best for your situation.
dbltree
Super Moderator
I checked on my seedlings roughly a month after planting and for the most part they appear to be off and running! We have a long hot summer ahead however and mortaility can be high if timely rains don't nourish the tiny root systems.
It appears that right now perhaps 98% of the oak seedlings are alive and well but I'll keep and eye on them though out the summer. The first trees are from the Iowa State Forest Nursery in Ames...
Burr Oak seedling
Pin Oak seedling on May 12 2009
Red Oak seedling
It appears that right now perhaps 98% of the oak seedlings are alive and well but I'll keep and eye on them though out the summer. The first trees are from the Iowa State Forest Nursery in Ames...
Burr Oak seedling
Pin Oak seedling on May 12 2009
Red Oak seedling
dbltree
Super Moderator
The Dwarf Chinkapin Oaks from Okios Tree Crops in Michigan have done well but I noticed that some "woke" up early...
While others are slower in shaking off their winter sleep...
The DCO's come in paper pots and I have noticed that deer (or something) perhaps out of curiosity will pull the carboard out of the ground, so better to make sure it's not sticking up.
While others are slower in shaking off their winter sleep...
The DCO's come in paper pots and I have noticed that deer (or something) perhaps out of curiosity will pull the carboard out of the ground, so better to make sure it's not sticking up.
dbltree
Super Moderator
I decided to utilize some of my tree plantings for food plots rather them mow them all summer. I use a tiller which is shallow tillage so unlikely to harm tree roots systems and planting oats/clover, brassicas or cereal grains in fall will ensure little competition with new seedlings.
In a 3 year old planting near the road I planted Egyptian Wheat , so we'll see how that works out this summer and pros/cons of doing so...
On another note I planted some Sargent Crab and hawthorn nearly 13 years ago but apparantly they do not like my heavy clay soils as they have never grown more then a few feet tall.
Sargent Crab
Hawthorn
Some things just don't work well in certain soils and areas so it pays to do some research before investing time and money into your tree planting....
In a 3 year old planting near the road I planted Egyptian Wheat , so we'll see how that works out this summer and pros/cons of doing so...
On another note I planted some Sargent Crab and hawthorn nearly 13 years ago but apparantly they do not like my heavy clay soils as they have never grown more then a few feet tall.
Sargent Crab
Hawthorn
Some things just don't work well in certain soils and areas so it pays to do some research before investing time and money into your tree planting....
letemgrow
PMA Member
Here are some pics of my newest seedlings. The Black Chokeberry and Common Chokecherry came from Lincoln Oakes. They were 4-5 foot tall trees for right at a buck!!! I trimmed the roots and the tops for ease of planting. They have easily put on 10 inches of growth already this year.
