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planting trees...

Started by The-Burl-Hunter, May 29, 2009, 05:51:41 PM

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The-Burl-Hunter

hello,
I have been cutting trees down in my woods to plant some more valuable trees like oak, hard maple, walnut.... anyway I have cutting trees such as boxelder, elm and dead trees, and my goal is to plant some small seedlings this fall ( hopefully ) anyway my question is how far apart do i want to plant these seedlings apart from other trees, and do i want to leave some trees overhead for protection or do i want to make room overhead so that they get some light, also I am getting these from a neighbor who said that i could have them but i have to dig them up when would be a good time to do that, or could i do that now as long as i planted them right away. thanks

beenthere

Good transplanting time is past. Doesn't mean that digging a ball of dirt with the roots won't work, but it is risky.

Where are you located? Maybe you are further north and can still get by. If the trees have already leafed out, getting past time to transplant.
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

Woolywolf

Most oaks are shade intolerant--they like lots of sunlight.  So if you are planning on underplanting them beneath an already existing canopy, be sure to put them in a spot where they can recieve plenty of light.  Recently, there has been much difficulty with oak regeneration. It seems oaks need advanced regeneration (root or stump sprouts) in which a root stock has already developed to compete with faster growing yellow poplars--at least here in the south.  Plant oaks here and sometimes all you have twenty years later is a yellow poplar stand.         

Sugar maple is shade tolerant.  I think you would probably have more success underplanting them than oaks or walnut trees.  Normally people plant in the late fall and winter when the seedlings are dormant.       

Lanier_Lurker

Can't speak for the hard maple - but oaks, hickories, and walnuts are going to need some shelter wood for their first few years in order to survive.  I have learned that lesson myself the hard way.  As to when they need to be released from the shelter wood with more cutting, I will let some of the more experienced people here weigh in on that.  I am sure they will ask what your goal is.

SwampDonkey

I do all my hardwood transplanting in late April to mid May up here. Time is past for this spring. The maple will survive in more shade than the others for sure, but like any tree will grow best in full sun, meaning not over-topped. When we space saplings with brush saws we go about 6 feet apart. For the maple seedlings just plant them in among the existing seedlings because you will be warn out trying to plant them thicker than 6 feet when dealing with transplants, but they really should be planted tight to develop a clear stem and detract attention from lurking browsers. Sugar maple, by the way will take (survive) a lot of browse pressure. Then in 10-12 years cull the undesirable trees and species out to your 6 foot spacing with a brush saw. The trees will be around 3 inches on the but, maybe a bit larger. We are thinning a 120 acre hardwood site now with brush saws and beyond the first 50 feet of spacing you can hardly tell a tree is cut because it's quite tight at the 6-7 foot target spacing. Mostly birches on this site along with balsam fir and red spruce. There are some sugar maple and quite a few reds. Beech I pretty much whack down unless it's a nice looking tree in a hole with nothing else. I like spacing hardwood, because the crown has lifted and you can see in under the canopy. Softwoods are green clear to the ground.  Lovely when there are lots of surface rocks and boulders.  ;D Was looking up through my work strip one day and could see light. Got closer and discovered it was a huge granite boulder. :D
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

letemgrow

I plant seedlings spring and fall, but prefer fall.  If you are aiming at oak regeneration, you will want to open up the canopy so sunlight can hit the seedlings.  Also, I would keep cutting and treating the undersirable trees to make more room for the seedlings to grow. 

I have to battle honeylocust and piles upon piles of shagbark hickory.  The hickory is very tolerant of shade so when older oaks were logged on my farm before I bought it the small oaks were non-existent because of shade/cattle grazing, but the hickory flourished.  Looking at all the old white oaks stumps and seeing nothing but hickory and prickly ash replace them was a reminder to me to put back what I take out. 

I have great oak regeneration now after 5 years of no cows in the timber and TSI Work to remove the undersirable trees. 

ljmathias

Can you tell us what TSI work is?  Not familiar with that term and always on the lookout for easier ways to do things...

Lj
LT40, Long tractor with FEL and backhoe, lots of TF tools, beautiful wife of 50 years plus 4 kids, 5 grandsons AND TWO GRANDDAUGHTERS all healthy plus too many ideas and plans and not enough time and energy

Ron Wenrich

TSI stands for timber stand improvement.  Its an acronym that gets thrown around alot, similar to selective cutting.  Depending on who's using the term and who's doing the practice, it can be a good thing.   ;)

TSI usually involves removing the more undesirable trees.  Sometimes this is a noncommerical thinning.  That means the stuff cut is simply left to rot, and not sold.  Most homeowners will use it for firewood.

In letemgrow's case, it appears that the hickory was doing well in the understory.  Then there was a harvest of white oak, which released the hickory.  A TSI job that would have taken care of the hickory first would have helped to get rid of the seed source in favor of the white oak.  After the white oak had natural regeneration, then the white oak harvest could have started.  Hindsight is always 20/20.
Never under estimate the power of stupid people in large groups.

Ron Scott

From the Dictionary of Foresty: An intermediate treatment made to improve the composition, structure, condition, heath, and growth of even or un-even aged stands.
~Ron

letemgrow

Quote from: Ron Wenrich on June 05, 2009, 05:52:51 AM


In letemgrow's case, it appears that the hickory was doing well in the understory.  Then there was a harvest of white oak, which released the hickory.  A TSI job that would have taken care of the hickory first would have helped to get rid of the seed source in favor of the white oak.  After the white oak had natural regeneration, then the white oak harvest could have started.  Hindsight is always 20/20.


That was exactly the case so I am trying to reverse that by getting rid of quite a few of the seed producing hickories in favor of oaks.  Not all the hickory are being taken out those.  Gotta have diveristy, but when hickory outnumber the oaks by 10 to 1 something has to change.   ;D


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