Any tips from the experts please??

[marty]

Well just about done clearing the area where I want to plant my red pines and white spruce. Going to make offset rows in about 1.5 acres. Thinking about 8 feet x 8 feet for spacing. Wanting to make cover for the deer so it this spacing ok? Going to try and spray some roundup cause I see the grasses starting and want to give my trees a good start. Any other tips for planting these trees? This area is right out in the open with some brush piles throughout the area so it will get a lot of sun. It's a sandy loam and notice other pine trees doing real well in there also..........Thanks  Marty

[Ron Scott]

Your planting prescription sounds good for 1.5 acres. I prefer a 6x8 foot spacing for general forest use, 6 feet between trees and 8 feet between rows if you are planting in rows.

[Tom]

Marty
I'm no expert and new to the board but I do have a small 45 acre tree farm on my place and use the Division of Forestry regularly for help.

My last planting of Southern Yellow Pine was a 3 acre strip  60' wide that runs beside my drive. It was recommended that I shoot for 6x8 plantings like Ron recommended but initially to make them 3x8 or 4x8.

After about 4-6 years thin them to the desired 6'.  The thinnings are throw-aways and only used to get the trees to grow up rather than out.  This promotes a straight stem and minimizes limbs.  What you are looking for is a tree approx 8'-10'ft tall that, when left from the thinning will canopy over the remaining gap and continue to promote self-pruning.

12 to 15 years I'm to thin again.  I'm told that the easiest way is to take out every other or every third row depending on how good they are growing. This wood is pulp.

At 20-25 years thin again by taking out every other tree. Taking out the rows earlier gives a feller/buncher room to do this without hurting the remaining stand.  These trees should be big enough for chip and saw.

The remaining stand has enough room to produce saw timber, poles and veneer. (if I can live that long)

I already anticipate that last thinning because I can picture those big, tall, trees on 12X16 Centers and my wife (the mowing nut) making it look like a park.

Rather than use Roundup why don't you try to find a chemical called Arsenal.  Arsenal is used here to control broadleafs and doesn't hurt pine. It is used for "release" programs and sprayed indiscriminantly on the entire field. It works by inhibiting the production of a protein that is only found in plants and was marketed as being safe to animal life because we don't have that protein in our system.

I have used it for injecting and got really good results although it works quite slowly.  A tree will be dead a long time before it realizes that it is.  That is good too if you have a secondary market for the hardwoods like firewood or pallet material.  The wood is usable but the stump will be dead and won't sprout back.

[marty]

Hey Ron if I had a small low spot would it be ok to plant one row of spruce and one row red pine?  Or should I plant one type in the low spot and the other trees on the high spots? Also just got permission to take a bunch of young pines from 1-4 feet including some balsa. There's kind of a mix there. What's the best way to transplant these shovel or just pull them up cause the soil is real wet now. Also what about a fertilzer for pines?? I have some triple 12..........Marty

Tom I haven't seen aresenal here yet but that would be good for the summer to spray between the rows for weed control. I'm making a safe zone for deer so when it's planted I want to stay out. Kinda like a hotel hilton for the deer.  Thanks a bunch guys.....Marty

[Jeff]

test for Timbermens Hi Guys..

[Ron Scott]

Marty,
I wouldn't mix the species much by a few rows over a small area. Rather plant them in species groups or clumps in small ecosystem areas. Place a spruce group in the wetter areas and  a pine group in your drier upland areas. You can still plant by the appropriate spacing in random groups, especially if you are hand planting.

Use the appropriate fertilizer based on your soil testing. Not really needed in a wildland planting though other than maybe a little starter fertilizer. Let nature take its course.

If you are transplanting seedling trees a shovel is ok as long as you get sufficient roots to transplant along with the seedling. Be sure you have moist roots and a moist transplant site.