Pine tree transplanting....

[mrcaptainbob]

My son cut down the deciduous trees along his western fence. About 20 or so that were maybe 12". After stump removal, we want to put in some pines. I have quite a few available in different size ranges. I have a tow-behind dirt-digger BH with a 15" wide bucket. Is there a rule-of-thumb to by for the rootball? If all I can scratch up is a 15" dia chunk of dirt, what diameter tree would go with that and not probably die from too much root loss? There's cedar trees as well as white pines for son to pick from.

[Tom]

One of those drag buckets will probably take the taproot off of a conifer.  I wouldn't use it.

You will do just as well to loosen the dirt around a seedling, with a shovel, and take it out.  You can probably get the 12" taproot out without damage. 

Then, with the use of a dibble or shovel, open a 12" slit/hole and put the seedling in there such that the roots are straight down.  "J" root is a common fault where the taproot is turned up.

Close the slit good with the heel of your foot or by inserting the shovel next to the hole and moving the soil toward the seedling to pack the dirt around the roots.  Make sure you pack the dirt at the bottom of the roots as well as the top.  A drink of water for the seedling at this point wouldn't hurt if the soil is dry and you don't expect rain.

You will be surprised at how fast a pine will grow from seedling to 4 feet.  It's a lot better than trying to move an established tree.

[mrcaptainbob]

Thanks, Tom. What do you consider a seedling? Something about 18" tall or so? There's certainly a wide range of sizes for us to choose from here. My soil is fairly sandy, while the son's is much like a beach! I can dig down with the dirt-digger about a foot, can do a bit more than that with the FEL, but it would be a much wider 'ball'. How much dirt should be left around the roots? Any? Should they be washed and then transferred? Would probably be about a 6 hour period from digging them out to digging them in as there's an hour and a half ride between our places. Would that much time be an issue?

[Tom]

If you could dig up just enough dirt to keep from hurting the roots and to keep them moist, it should work.  I still don't think you need a tractor to pull or dig them.

The industry plants nursery grown pine seedlings by the thousands to create plantations.  I've planted about 20 acres on my place too.  The seedlings are about 6 to 12 inches tall and have a correspondingly lengthy taproot.  They are bare-rooted. and have been grown in a water retaining jell.  Some of that remains, clinging on the roots,  The seedlings are dampened and wrapped in newspaper and dampened again.  Then wrapped in a waxy paper to keep the water off of stuff.  We store bundles of 500 seedlings in the shade and keep them damp for as long as two weeks and they remain viable even after that for a long time.

I would think that, with some teasing, you could coax seedlings from the ground with a shovel and a little pulling, place them in wet newspaper (maybe 100 to a bundle) and have a couple or three days to get them in the ground.

I've got little cedar's around my house that I pulled unceremoniously from the swamp and planted the same day that were just a few inches tall then and are 10 feet tall now.  That's been a life-span of probably 12 years now.

I've got bare-root slash pine that I planted in the spring of 96 that are 20 feet tall and have a diameter at 4 feet of 8 inches.

Growing trees isn't an instant gratification thing but you will not benefit a whole lot by bypassing seedlings and trying to plant mature pines.

One good thing about planting seedlings is that you can over-plant.  Then come back in a year or two and mow down what you don't want.  That way you can pick the strongest and prettiest of the trees.

If the land is quite sandy, you might spend a good deal of time watering  in the beginning.  You would have to do that with any transplant though.

[mrcaptainbob]

Thanks for the help and advice, Tom. Will talk with my son about this and go from there.

[Tom]

I need to add something to this .

I awoke last night, wide eyed, that I hadn't mentioned it.

To transplant  pines, especially seedlings, it is a Dormant Period job.  The latest in Florida is March first.

If you transplant in a period other than dormancy, success will be minimal.

I don't want to lead you down a wrong road.  To find the period best for transplant in your area, you need to talk to your county agent or County Forester.

The reason I don't like the idea of scooping up larger trees is that the taproot could be cut off.  Cutting the taproot off is paramount to "topping" the tree.  Sometimes they well generate a new "leader" and sometimes they won't.  When they do, the form and strength is compromised.

If you are within the planting time for your area, I still recommend the seedlings.  You might even be able to buy some from your State Nursery through your Forester.  You would be assured of species and genetic superiority that way.  They aren't expensive.