Tree Planting

[dbltree]

There are all kinds of combos that you can spray but if you spray your Oust on this fall and plant next spring it won't be such a "hot" mix and you'll still have residual control.

My original planting was 10 rows all the way a round 80 acres (don't remember how many seedlings but a LOT!) and they band sprayed Oust on all of it with no problems.

Planted everything from oaks to shrubs to spruces to cedars.

If you are concerned though, consider herbicides like Surflan, rather then Oust. I am just comfortable with Oust so that's what I recommend.

You can also try some spots right now with lighter amounts and see what kind of control you get with a 1/2 ounce, it might be enough.

If you have to hit them later I think Select might be safer then Roundup to spray grasses around growing seedlings...especially if one has a little left over...

Bucket spraying thousands of trees is a pain...been there done that...

 

[dbltree]

I'm pretty new at tree planting and was just wondering if I would be allright spraying around 2 year old apple trees or newly planted oaks with round-up, being carfull not to actualy hit the leaves.

Yep...just keep it off the leaves. If the trees are small (like less then a foot) you can use the "bucket" method, covering each one, spraying around it and knowing the leaves are protected.

If they are 3-4 foot tall just do it on a calm day and spray around the bases

 

[Sligh1]

In the post I read alot about Fall mowing and spraying. I found one spot where it was said to spray Pre-emergents in October. Do you feel like 1st week in October is too early?
*Once late October and November hit- my deer projects are DONE, it's just deer killing time and THAT'S IT!!!

*I have all my areas that I am planting trees MOWED & they are all killed with Round-up right now. I will mix in a bit of round-up with my Pre-emergents as well as it can't hurt. That's my plan so far for my spring plantings, just want to time the pre-emergent spraying right. THANKS!!!

 

[dbltree]

I found one spot where it was said to spray Pre-emergents in October. Do you feel like 1st week in October is too early?

Noooo...you have to do it the first week of November....

First of October is fine...then it's no worries about getting that Oust on a little heavier. It won't be a shock to new seedlings in the spring as rains will diffuse it into the soil a little better.

 

[dbltree]

All of the nurseries I'm talking to are telling me to plant our trees late Nov. or early Dec. Is that okay for fruit trees too in you guys' opinions

?



Bare root seedlings can be planted spring or fall as long as they are dormant and temps are low enough to ensure that they stay that way.

Balled or container trees canbe planted almost anytime but spring and fall will be less stressful and watering won't be an issue.

Same rules apply to fruit trees...

 

[letemgrow]

All of the nurseries I'm talking to are telling me to plant our trees late Nov. or early Dec. Is that okay for fruit trees too in you guys' opinions?

that's my favorite time since they have more time to get settled in before the summer stress starts.

 

[KSQ2]

Thanks fellas...

One more question, in planting a small orchard (10-15 trees) over a several year period, how much distance should I put between the trees? I'll be planting a variety of pears and apples.

 

[dbltree]

Originally Posted By: KSQ2
Thanks fellas...

One more question, in planting a small orchard (10-15 trees) over a several year period, how much distance should I put between the trees? I'll be planting a variety of pears and apples.

It makes a difference on the rootstock you are using and there is more info in the Apple and Pear thread also



Quote:
Distance Between
Rootstock Trees in the Row (ft)
Seedling 18-25
MM.111 14-18
MM.106 12-16
M.7a 10-14
M.26 8-12
Mark 6-8
M.9 4-8

--For spur type varieties multiply by .65 (i.e. Redchief Red
Delicious, Starkrimson Red Delicious, Lawspur Rome, Oregon Spur).
--For very vigorous varieties multiply by 1.4 (i.e. Rome Beauty,
Granny Smith, Jonagold).





APPLE ROOTSTOCKS AND TREE SPACING

This is whereI buy my fruit trees and they have a lot of great info on thier site as well.

Adams County Nursery

 

[dbltree]

I was wonder if you can keep tree's til next spring? Menards has 50% off there trees and shrubs. I was thinking about getting some and putting them in the basement til spring would that work?

If they are potted trees I think you would want to plant them...perhaps pot and all in the garden or backyard and then move them in the spring.

Be better if you could just plant them this fall however.

A basement wouldn't be cold enough I don't think and they wouldn't stay dormant or even go into dormancy.

 

[Sligh1]

I have 2 questions for ordering EXPENSIVE trees from Okios Nursery.

1) I will order maybe 70 trees from them. Would you PREPARE with round-up only and go for mulching around them if you were me since we aren’t talking about 50 Ga-zillion trees? Obviously if you didn’t have to use pre-emergents I would think that would slightly help the tree and I don’t think you can beat proper mulching. I have killed the areas NOW but unfortunately I am done for the year on projects (deer killing time) so I will have to resort to spring planting. Stick with round-up and mulching only? (and tree tubes).

2) I don’t know EXACTLY the best trees to order, I am kinda ordering a Buffet of trees that seem to be good for wildlife and deer AND are like nothing I have on my land now in many cases. Some of the trees I am order the GIANT size which is more expensive, a few I am going with a bit smaller because I want more of them AND there’s a point where the big ones are just too pricy for this dude. Let me know if you think:

A) There’s varieties I have chosen that you would NOT buy or steer clear from???
B) B) For wildlife, is there some big varieties that I am missing that you’d buy (mainly for deer- maybe a few birds as well)- these would be varieties that iowadnr does not carry as I’ll get some from them. (I have 2 apple orchards right now as well already)
C) Or some of the varieties I have bought, any you’d say- MAKE SURE you buy the BIGGEST trees for some reason?

Here’s the trees I am ordering for my rough draft selection:
-American Persimmon (have many already but ordering some really big ones)

-Timburr Chestnut
-American Hybrid Chestnut
-Prolific American Hybrid Chestnut
-Miller Wildlife Seguin Hybrid Chestnut
-Layeroka Chestnut
-Chinquapin Hybrid Chestnut
-Chinese Chestnut

-Sawtooth Oak
-Maximus Bur oak (you have to see these acorns- GIANT!!!!)
-Chinkapin Oak
-Chestnut Oak
-Should I order a Bebbs oak? (I have lots of oaks that are TSI freed up already including tons of whites).
-Sargent Oak

 

[letemgrow]

sligh1,

I would drop the chinkapin oaks, chestnut oak and persimmon. I can send you seeds from some great persimmons growing in my grandparents garden that are 5 years old and produce a ton of fruit!!!! The oaks I can order from the MDC through my wife and give you some... I just cannot resell them and could get you 30+ inch one year old trees if they have tons of them they select out the best ones and sell them in 25 tree bundles.

I ordered some of the bebbs oak and schburr oak from Oikos. The verdict is still out on them, but they are alive after one year. Did not put on much growth tho. With 5 total trees it is hard to tell if they are just not what they are claimed to be or I did not put them in the right places possibly.

I had good luck with the timburr chestnuts from oikos though, I order the biggers trees they have for my fall plantings. The american hybrid chestnuts I would put on n, ne facing slopes or anywhere that you find northern red oaks on your place as they like the same kinds of soils. I am not sure about the chinese versions they could like south facing slopes for all I know, but chestnuts need soil that is well drained.

 

[dbltree]

These are some Okios hybrid oaks that I planted nearly 10 years ago that have done well.

Burenglish Oak

Bimundors Oak

Schuettes Oak

I chose them because they will bear in 6-10 years and being I'm an old fart...that's a big deal for me!

Oaks are pretty tolerant of residual herbicides and I haven't had any problems thus far. Those trees grew fast and had Oust applied even way back then. Bucks have murdered them and set them back because I had too many to fence...so watch that!

Mice and rabbits are a big problem with both oaks and chestnuts and mice will chew thru the tubes and bnuild nests inside and kill your seedlings..so watch that also!

I like to keep a clean killed area and use small wire fencing to keep rodents away. Mulch encourages mice unless you use small stone for mulch.

If anything can go wrong with what seems like a perfect setup....it's happened to me!!

Clean dirt around the tree is something a mouse or rabbit doesn't like...no place to hide..

Try some trees from letmegrow and see how they do. my chestnuts haven't fared well in this heavy ground but I haven't tried all varieties. It's the "perfect tree" if they'll grow in your soils.

I'm looking to pool a tree order from Okios so perhaps we can order together...I'll order...you pay....

 

[letemgrow]

Clean dirt around the tree is something a mouse or rabbit doesn't like...no place to hide..

that's the biggest thing I noticed in keeping mice and varmits away from the seedlings they don't like crossing bare ground to get to the trees to keep the roundup going, oust, or whatever you decide to use. They WILL get girdled no doubt if cover is close by for the mice to feel safe to go to those trees.

I still use the tubes, but with keeping the ground open I have ZERO mouse problems thus far with the tubes. The chestnuts that were girdled last year were not tubed AND not cleared out very well which was all my fault...it won't happen this year tho

 

[letemgrow]

Would it help to wrap screen (bulk window screen) around the tubes? I'll be buying screen for my fruit trees anyway.

that might help, but I would imagine if mice will chew through a tube that screen may not do much...keeping the ground bare around the tubes has worked the best for me so mice dont' even try and the tube keeps the rabbits off the seedlings.

 

[JNRBRONC]

A can of spray paint will keep them from chewing too. Just paint the 1st foot. Quick and easy.

I've heard to use white paint so that the sun doesn't heat the bark in winter which would cause a daily thaw/freeze (thaw during the day, freeze at night). Not sure if this has any real basis or not.

 

[KSQ2]

One of the slickest apple tree planting guides I've ever seen came in an issue of North American Hunter a while back. It said to mix interior latex paint 50/50 with water and paint up the trunk to the first branch for the reasons JNRBRONC mentioned, I've not heard of it repelling rodents though, it'd be great if it did!

 

[Sligh1]

I forgot about the paint. I hope it doesn't hurt the tree in any way, sounds like from above experience it won't.

I have also heard of people mixing in the PEPPER spray you can buy from Earl May or other places to make it taste NASTY if they ate it, I suppose you'd mix in a big can and brush it on, guy from ISU who is in forestry program said that for apple trees. Many theories I suppose.

 

[dbltree]

Just a reminder on tree tubes also...

Generally you need to partially open them to let trees harden off in the fall. I've had trees die because they are living in a greenhouse enviorment and then...wham...exteme cold weather hits and they aren't prepared.

I used the ones with "ties" so I could open them and then re-close them later.

Pain in the butt if you have hundreds but no big deal for a dozen trees...

 

[letemgrow]

Just a reminder on tree tubes also...

Generally you need to partially open them to let trees harden off in the fall. I've had trees die because they are living in a greenhouse enviorment and then...wham...exteme cold weather hits and they aren't prepared.

I used the ones with "ties" so I could open them and then re-close them later.

Pain in the butt if you have hundreds but no big deal for a dozen trees...

i buy the ventilated ones and then add some more holes to boot on them with a cordless drill...that seems to work out well on getting the trees to harden off for winter.

 

[Sligh1]

PEAR TREES- if any of you are thinking of planting some pear trees for deer and other wildlife you should and you have a great idea!

Two varieties to think about ordering are Kieffer pear AND Olympic pear which both ripen between early October and late October- some falling well into November.

Obviously the apples are great as well- late ripening varieties such as Granny Smiths, Braeburns, Fuji's, etc.

*I was just doing some planning (actually for next spring- I know I am pathetic) and thought I'd mention some ordering ideas.