Best way to establish new trees

[livemusic]

Last year I bought some dry saplings, no dirt on them, from a local government agency. I would think they know how best to grow a tree, but I don't take anything for granted, lol.

I bought dogwood, oak, native pecan. I bought kind of late, so, some of the choices were sold out. I transplanted them right away and I guess everything is still alive except none of the willow oak made it.

I want more in my 3 acre yard this year, plus, I am buying 50 acres and want to establish some new hardwoods there. What is the best way, saplings or acorns/nuts/seeds? I can buy, but I'd rather get permission from a local landowner and just harvest some seeds and grow from scratch or dig up some saplings. Anybody have an opinion on the best way?

Speaking of digging saplings to transplant, any specific advice on that? How big a sapling should I try to find? Interested in a variety of hardwoods, primarily those good for birds and wildlife. Pretty fall foliage is a plus. I was keen on getting a hickory tree or two for the squirrels but a neighbor said the nuts are bad on lawn mowers. Maybe so. But, pretty yellow fall leaves.

I did find this 3 year old thread -- https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?topic=68910.0

[Puffergas]

Over the course of three years I planted over 1500 government seedling trees. Kind of a waste of time for me because very few took. Had some luck with black willow live stakes.

This spring I made a little experiment and this is my new plan: I look around, close by, find what trees grow fast by themselves. Dig up trees 2 to 3 feet high. That gets them above the summer weeds. Plant a small amount of trees in clumps and let them do most of the work reproducing. I now have a backhoe attachment for the skid steer to help with planting. I also will be looking for seeds this fall.

[Puffergas]

One of my threads.
https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php/topic,77928.0.html

[Puffergas]

One more of mine.

https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php/topic,84977.0.html

[henry co.]

I planted 20000 of hardwood seedlings first spay with roundup and 24d kill grass and weeds buy 2 year seedlings from state nursery use a tree planter if you can right after planting spay oust i have 90% success rate over last 10 years

[Puffergas]

I think mine froze. Coldest winter ever. The seedlings in tall weeds did the best. Maybe insulation.

[curdog]

If you're looking to dig seedlings,you should go mark them now while they still have leaves to aid in identification. I like to transplant trees that are fully dormant, so I usually wait until middle to end of December to mid March at the latest. (This will vary on location and climate). You will need a good balance of roots to above ground tree. I look for a ratio of 2:1 root to shoot, give or take. Make sure your transplants have plenty of room for the roots, jammed up roots will lead to failure. I've ordered seedlings and have had good luck and have done good with dug seedlings as well.

[pine]

I planted 20000 of hardwood seedlings first spay with roundup and 24d kill grass and weeds buy 2 year seedlings from state nursery use a tree planter if you can right after planting spay oust i have 90% success rate over last 10 years

I have had really good luck using glyphosate and triclopyr ester. 
I have been told I should use Oust but have not done it yet. 

Are you doing broadcast or spot spraying with the Oust?
Have you had any issues with overspray on the seedlings with Oust.  I have been told it should not effect the conifer but have been unwilling to do it from other sources that I have read.

Are you using actual Oust (XP or Extra) or a knockoff with the same chemical  (XP) "sulfometuron methyl" or (Extra) "56.25% Sulfometuron Methyl and 15% Metsulfuron Methyl"?

Are you using it with any other chemical or just straight Oust in water with surfactant.

[curdog]

I band spray with oust xp and accord over loblolly seedlings. The tractor is spraying an approximately 3 foot wide band with the nozzles on the front of the tree planter. It works really well. So,I guess we're not spraying over the seedlings, but 1 second before they're in the ground.  I have mixed oust with my site prep and release cocktails in cutovers if grass is a problem, usually with arsenal. I don't plant a ton of hardwood,but I've also sprayed oust when planting oak with a planter as well.

[ppine]

I have run 30 people at a time for a month planting trees on a USFS contract.  We planted around 500,000 trees.

Bareroot seedlings are typical coming from a state nursery.  They are normally described as 1/0 if they have been in a green house for a year, and 2/0 if they are 2 years old. If they are in the green house for 2 years, and outside for a year they are 2/1.

There are several things that will affect your success a lot. The planting season is usually spring or fall when there is sufficient soil moisture.  Seedlings need to carried in a slurry of soil and water until the moment they are put in the ground.  A decent hole will be deeper than the root mass. Avoid J-rooting. Some people plant at the wrong depth, The root collar needs to be at the surface.  Grass competition can be fierce with seedlings.  Grub a clearing for your seedlings.  Sometimes it is worth it put a collar on the ground to control herbaceous competition.  I have have contracts that require shading on the south side in places like the forests of norther AZ.

In hard ground it is worth to use an auger and drill holes.
Species is selection is important.  Look carefully at your site.
It is common to have some mortality, but 70-90 success is typical even in dry sites with no irrigation if the planting is done correctly.

[livemusic]

Does anyone know how one can remove dense lawn grass (San Augustine, Centipede) surrounding saplings I planted last year, or they came up on their own. For those I planted, I wish had established a bear zone around the sapling and kept it that way somehow. Speaking of that, how would you keep it bare other than just hand weeding?

[Corley5]

  I planted some red pine a few years on the farm and found that seedlings that come as plugs with some soil on the roots give the best survival rate by far.  The first couple springs I planted them into furrows I made with my Cub and mounted 1 bottom plow.  The next couple years I sprayed the area I was going to plant with glyphosate with the same results as furrowing.
  I got my seedlings from the local Conservation District's spring tree sale and had some cost sharing through the NRCS's EQIP.  For them to pay vegetation control is required.  Planting into furrows met the requirement.

[Ianab]

Does anyone know how one can remove dense lawn grass (San Augustine, Centipede) surrounding saplings I planted last year, or they came up on their own. For those I planted, I wish had established a bear zone around the sapling and kept it that way somehow. Speaking of that, how would you keep it bare other than just hand weeding?

One thing done locally is to use a square of old wool carpet with a slot cut in it. Place this on the ground around the seedling and it suppresses the weeds while still allowing air and water to get to the roots. It also helps conserve water by acting like mulch. The carpets just left in place and eventually decays away in place as the tree grows.

This pamphlet from Dept of Conservation on how to protect kowhai seedlings mentions it.
http://www.doc.govt.nz/Documents/getting-involved/in-your-community/volunteer-programme/otago/protecting-kowhai-from-pests-factsheet.pdf