Author Topic: Tips for growing tree seedling (Read 1370 times)

DoubleD · « **on:** January 26, 2006, 05:43:03 am »

I am trying to grow some seedling, mainly ash (Fraxinus Excelsior) maple (Acer pseudoplatanus) walnut (Yuglans regia) and cherry (Prunus avium). What are the right tecnic for growing them ? (Fertilization, irrigation soil type)

Stephen_Wiley · « **Reply #1 on:** January 26, 2006, 04:53:18 pm »

DD, a big question

But you should start with the basics for optimum growth.

First, a soil analysis of the site you wish to grow upon should be done.

Find out from several test site samples the pH levels and salinity. Also determine your water table or soil moisture, along with available sunlight in hours.

This will help you determine tree location e.g., if the soil is more acidic locate your walnut and ash in this region.

One other characteristic of the trees you have mentioned is compatability. The Walnut will produce a root toxin which will prevent other plants from growing into its root zone. Make certain to plant the others far enouigh to avoid this impact.

Do you have access to a regional forester, arborist, horticuluturist who could help you in your area?

Ianab · « **Reply #2 on:** January 26, 2006, 09:36:35 pm »

With the sycamore maple (Acer pseudoplatanus) and wild cherry the problem we have here is STOPPING them from growing

DoubleD · « **Reply #3 on:** January 27, 2006, 03:48:09 am »

I want to plant those seedling in area where ash cherry and maple are just growing, so I think that the soil could be suitable.(I can't afford soil analysis at this time) This land was pasture land and in a mountain zone (4.133 feet above the sea level), there are low grade tree (i.e.double leader) that grow I don't want to use herbicide so I cut them for firewood but those trees develop a lot of sprout and I keep them for fuelwood. I grow my seedling from seed that I pick up from the best tree, I grow them in pot but I had some challange to grow them straight, so I am asking if there is something that I could do for grow the best. In Italy there aren't regional Forester that could help a land owner unless you have a farm or a tree farm
Thank You

Ianab · « **Reply #4 on:** January 27, 2006, 04:49:25 am »

Seriously DD

Sounds like you have the right idea. Poor form after you plant out the seedlings can be from lack of shelter. The trees get knocked about by rough weather / browsing pests (rabbits and hares) etc.

Some things to consider is planting a short term crop of some fast growing short lived 'tree'. In NZ we often use Tree Lucerne (Chamaecytisus palmensis) as a shelter crop for establishing native trees. Plant a stand of tree lucerne, let it grow a couple of years, then cut out clearings to plant your desired trees in. The tree lucerne is a short lived species and the desirable trees will eventually grow up out of them. But they benefit from the shelter in those early years.

Another idea is to build temporary shelters with wooden stakes and shelter cloth for each tree. More work, but good idea for a few specimen trees.

Pruning the young trees to remove multiple leaders in the first years. Once the tree gets established it's too late, but as a seedling you can trim back extra leaders and encourage the best one. Likewise large branches can be removed early to encourage good form.

The nicely formed 'Old Growth' trees usually grow up in small 'light wells' in a forest. Where an old tree has fallen over. To get the best from your new trees you are trying to simulate this via Nurse crops, artifical shelter or pruning.

Hope this gives you a few ideas to research and maybe apply to your local conditions

Cheers

Ian

DoubleD · « **Reply #5 on:** January 30, 2006, 02:58:29 pm »

Thank you very much a lot of good info as a standard here in this great FF

Another question: I also grow my seedling from seed that I put in pot but I had early problem after some mounth of growth they start to turn towards west. I placed them in a sunny exposure "watching" south I know that is the best exposure or am I wronging?

jon12345 · « **Reply #6 on:** January 30, 2006, 10:28:15 pm »

If they are growing in a window they will grow in the direction they are recieving the most energy. Time lapse photography can also show some smaller plants changing direction of growth over the course of a day to follow the sun for maximum energy absorption.

DoubleD · « **Reply #7 on:** February 01, 2006, 05:21:48 pm »

Jon I placed them outdoor...I don't know why they turn toward west

SwampDonkey · « **Reply #8 on:** February 01, 2006, 05:57:58 pm »

Emerging pine shoots will track the sun throughout the course of the day. That is so for eastern white pine, red pine and jack pine at least. Get up early in the morning and the shoots are pointing west as the sun went down.

DoubleD · « **Reply #9 on:** February 02, 2006, 03:51:23 am »

SD so you are saying that is normal am I right? Another question spray my seedlings with a solution of indolacetic acid IAA (right?) is a good or bad thing?

SwampDonkey · « **Reply #10 on:** February 02, 2006, 05:06:27 am »

DoubleD, that is normal for certain species assuming your seedlings are out in the open. If they are shaded they will produce growth that responds to the most intensity of light. They may even produce what is called 'shade leaves' which have a greater surface area to improve their chances in lower light conditions. Some species when grown in this condition will sometimes die if all the sudden they are exposed to full direct light (sun scald), but this can also be related to time of year and climate. For instance, if balsam fir is released with an over story removal in the fall and winter months, it can burn up by spring because it can't take up water from frozen ground to replace water loss.

I'm not familiar with the acid solution your asking about.

DoubleD · « **Reply #11 on:** February 02, 2006, 07:06:05 am »

SD thank you I don't know if I transleted IAA correctly I try to explain: the IAA work like an hormone are produced in the top of the tree and promote the vertical growth of the tree. The IAA is used for developing root on flower so what I want to know is if the IAA could be used for promoting the growth of the seedling

SwampDonkey · « **Reply #12 on:** February 02, 2006, 11:54:06 am »

You need to talk to a tree physiologist, of which I'm not.

DoubleD · « **Reply #13 on:** February 02, 2006, 02:08:12 pm »

I know what you are saying it's one reason that "pushed" me to leave the university : too much chemestry physical science agrarian economy and math to be an agronomist

wesdor · « **Reply #14 on:** February 04, 2006, 12:03:33 pm »

I'm not a chemist, but from some of your discussion, I wonder if the IAA chemical you mention is called Rootone in our country. I did a search for the chemical makeup of rootone and found it to be a Naphthalene acetic acid derivative.

Our daughter is a chemist, but I'm afraid she didn't get her brains from me. So I can't give you much more information.

Here is a web page that references rootone.
Rootone

If this is what you are using, then I can say that I am trying to grow trees from cuttings using Rootone. I am having some success, but it is too early to say if the trees will grown when I take them outside.

Hope this helps.

DoubleD · « **Reply #15 on:** February 04, 2006, 01:58:12 pm »

I found this sitehttp://://www.plant-hormones.info/auxins.htm This is what I use on my seedling

SwampDonkey · « **Reply #16 on:** February 04, 2006, 03:22:17 pm »

Why not just use a good mix of fertilizer. I received some 4 inch yellow birch seedlings and I walked the 'Miracle Grow' fertilizer to them for 5 weeks and had them 14-18" tall, then I sunk'm in the ground. They were in 'Jiffy' pots. The rabbits and moose sure loved them on the woodlot, but they were spared behind the house.

SwampDonkey · « **Reply #17 on:** February 04, 2006, 03:43:32 pm »

Yellow birch seedling 3.5 feet tall

Yellow birch seedling 5 feet tall

Seedlings are 3 years old. Excuse the snow, it drifted in off the field and exagerates the actual snow dept. Two or 3 days rain and we wouldn't have any snow, but there is lots of hard shallow frost (5 inches).

DoubleD · « **Reply #18 on:** February 05, 2006, 04:12:58 am »

I use solid manure for fertilizer that is produced from rabbit and chicken. Could I have some problem ?

SwampDonkey · « **Reply #19 on:** February 05, 2006, 06:33:54 am »

Well rotted manure is better than the 'green' stuff. With Miracle Grow it's also a foliar fertilizer.

DoubleD · « **Reply #20 on:** February 06, 2006, 02:00:00 pm »

I want to thanks everyone for the answers

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Author Topic: Tips for growing tree seedling (Read 1370 times)