qwestions about transplanting butternuts

[raven737]

  I would like some thoughts on transplanting butternuts. I live in north central Ohio ,and have a 40 in the Up just southwest of Munising Mich. The 40 has about 8ac old pasture, 20ac of maple and the balance is cedar. I am giving some thought to trying to move about 6 or 8 12 to 16 inch butternuts i have here in Ohio. The main idea is to plant some small areas of  nut trees in the old pasture. I think transplanting the butternuts may be a long shot ,but ill try it.  SO when is the best time to dig em and plant them. ANY soil conditions i should check for? Im open to thoughts about it , after all there are men on here that know alot more about it than i...........oops ....woman to.

[Shotgun]

Your destination is out of the range of butternut.  Don't waste your time. Furthermore, it's illegal, without an inspection certificate from your state agr. agency. That's how insect pests and plant disease problems get moved.

[Banjo picker]

According to the National Audubon Society he is not out of range...I will refrane from commenting on the legality of such a move....I am in North Miss....and recieved some nuts from a source that will remain nameless...unless he wants to chime in....    About 50% of my nuts came up...regretfully of the ones I can find only one has thrived...and it has done very well as to this date....Hopefully some of these isolated pockets can keep this tree from vanishing so it can be reintroduced where it is dying out...Tim

[ahlkey]

In northern Wisconsin Butternut trees have been under heavy attack from Butternut canker for a number of years.  Incidence of butternut in new plantations is well over 90%.  Overall, I know of a couple of stands in the UP that have Butternut and since you are near lake Michigan you have a chance of them doing ok.  However, you are close to being out of their range.   

Butternut is intolerant of shade and competition so planting on the edge of the field is a good choice. I would only plant during early spring and try to plant the same day that you dig them up if possible.  I would spray some roundup down this fall to kill vegatation and then plant 2-3 year olds in the spring.  The size that you are thinking of using makes sense.

[raven737]

 great input, i thank each of you. i have a basic understanding of disease and insects being transported . that i wouldn't want to do so ill look into whats what in that regard.
 Banjo picker i grew up looking at this small stand of butternut. i see so few of them that they seem that much more special to me. if cant transport them to the Up maybe i should look into who might be interested in what few i could provide. i  have a feeling the weather here this yr may be leading to one of those yrs when the old trees are loaded with nuts. ahlkey i thought the size made good sence. i really feel the 40 in the Up is extreme in the range of the tree, maybe the 60 in Bay city would be a better choice if i can pull it off . maybe i should think beech or oak for the Up. again thanks for the thoughts . i,m still open to advise .   Wayne

[thecfarm]

I would advise to cover the trees when you haul them down the road doing 50 MPH. I hate to see a tree bent over by a 50 MPH wind in the back of a truck. Maybe it does not hurt them,but can't see how it helps them either.

[Banjo picker]

Egg in my face... after rereading said post....I thought he was taking those to Ohio....might have been the second glass of Ezra Brooks that caused that error...   Tim

[SwampDonkey]

You might consider to, that moving trees north any significant distance means less frost hardiness for those transplants. There are butternuts in southern Canada as far west as between Lake Michigan and Lake Huron. That would be about the middle of Michigan if you went straight west in a line between the lakes.



Here's a bunch of new ones that germinated under the mother tree a few years back.

[Clark]

Out of range or within range should not be an issue.  My dad transplanted a butternut from SE MN to northern MN (Bemidji area) and that tree is doing great.  Outgrowing most everything else in the yard, including a basswood from a stump sprout.  While the UP does get tons of snow, I don't think that the climate is necessarily more severe than Bemidji area.  Check out any USDA hardiness zone if you're curious.

Also, butternut is more cold hardy than walnut, I think many people get the impression that the two have similar cold hardiness but that is not the case.

Otherwise I think you have been given good advice.  SD has a very good point about transplanting further north and frost hardiness.  If you can find a nursery in the UP that has butternut, buy them from there.  Otherwise, you can find some in northern WI.

Clark