Tree row rehabilitation?

[BrokenBackJack]

If having to hand plant some little trees, get a skid steer or tractor loader, and put 1 pallet fork on it. Then measure up about 1 foot and put bright tape around the pallet fork at the 1 foot mark.
Then just go along and stick that fork in the dirt, up to the tape and go on to the next and so on.
A person can come behind you and place the little tree roots straight down in the hole. Might need a little stick to put the root straight down. Then put a little dirt over the roots and tamp it closed. Those suckers grow much faster when the roots are straight down, as they are in the moisture.
Too often the soil conservation plants the trees, they are not going deep enough and the roots are horizontal and not verticle. Defintely use the fabric if you can.

 

[Lycanthrope]

If having to hand plant some little trees, get a skid steer or tractor loader, and put 1 palled fork on it. Then measure up about 1 foot and put bright tape around the pallet fork at the 1 foot mark.
Then just go along and stick that fork in the dirt, up to the tape and go on to the next and so on.
A person can come behind you and place the little tree roots straight down in the hole. Might need a little stick to put the root straight down. Then put a little dirt over the roots and tamp it closed. Those suckers grow much faster when the roots are straight down, as they are in the moisture.
Too often the soil conservation plants the trees, they are not going deep enough and the roots are horizontal and not verticle. Defintely use the fabric if you can.

Yeah its a good idea to walk all the rows after soil conservation plants nad make sure all the trees a straight and none of hte roots are showing, I always have to replant a few.

 

[Davey Crockett]

If hand planting, it goes fast with a cordless drill with a 3'' auger bit.

 

[Lycanthrope]

If hand planting, it goes fast with a cordless drill with a 3'' auger bit.

Ive got a cordless drill with a 2" earth bit thats long enough so I dont have to bend over to drill, pretty handy. I drill a bunch and then go back and plant.

 

[Davey Crockett]

Ive got a cordless drill with a 2" earth bit thats long enough so I dont have to bend over to drill, pretty handy. I drill a bunch and then go back and plant.

That's what I have too , and a long bamboo pole the same length of the spacing and aim it at the white jug at the end of the row . Rows get as straight as a laser beam and can plant a bunch of trees in no time.

 

[snowcat]

They charge the same no matter how close or far apart they are planted, so I would have them plant at the recommended spacing and then once they are established, either cut them out as they get too big, or move them. Its not too expensive to rent a skid with a tree mover for a day or two and move a lot of trees yours

If having to hand plant some little trees, get a skid steer or tractor loader, and put 1 palled fork on it. Then measure up about 1 foot and put bright tape around the pallet fork at the 1 foot mark.
Then just go along and stick that fork in the dirt, up to the tape and go on to the next and so on.
A person can come behind you and place the little tree roots straight down in the hole. Might need a little stick to put the root straight down. Then put a little dirt over the roots and tamp it closed. Those suckers grow much faster when the roots are straight down, as they are in the moisture.
Too often the soil conservation plants the trees, they are not going deep enough and the roots are horizontal and not verticle. Defintely use the fabric if you can.

I till it all up, then use bobcat and drill a 3' hole down into our clay, then fill & pack with water to settle it back up to the level I want the tree. I leave a 2" to 4" depression, I also run a drip line. I plant 300 to 500 ponderosa every year. After tilled and drilled, I have them put down fabric, and I hand plant.

 

[snowcat]

They charge the same no matter how close or far apart they are planted, so I would have them plant at the recommended spacing and then once they are established, either cut them out as they get too big, or move them. Its not too expensive to rent a skid with a tree mover for a day or two and move a lot of trees yourself.

When they planted my first rows in 2010, they said only would plant at 12' . After I measured and none were at 12', most at 16' on up to 20'. They will never grow in my soil to stop snow or wind. Since then I measure and hand plant at 5'. I bought a 44" tree spade and will start removing every other one this spring, leaving at 10'. At 5' they really start banking up the snow in just a few years. My first rows, the snow just blows past.

 

[Wall-eyes]

If you have 40 acres, check with your county soil conservation district. In burleigh they will put down fabric and plant trees VERY cheap, outdoor heritage fund pays 75% of the cost

Correct and might be able to qualify for well drilled. Not sure I did mine 30 years ago. I have 7 rows on four sides. Caragana on ouside row every 4 feet then next row amur maple bush 4 feet apart next rows all 10 feet apart cotton less cottonwood next row green ash than scotch pines next row ponderosa pines last row inside blue spurce. Have to replace some over time I did not do fabric I tilled with my tiller. Labor of love for sure now they are full grown for many years and doing great.

 

[Lycanthrope]

When they planted my first rows in 2010, they said only would plant at 12' . After I measured and none were at 12', most at 16' on up to 20'. They will never grow in my soil to stop snow or wind. Since then I measure and hand plant at 5'. I bought a 44" tree spade and will start removing every other one this spring, leaving at 10'. At 5' they really start banking up the snow in just a few years. My first rows, the snow just blows past.

Ive got a bunch of ponderosa that are growing into each other, they are probably 15' tall now, I was going to start cutting them out, do you think they are too big to move at that point?

 

[Allen]

Thoughts on Rocky Mountain Junipers over E. Red Cedars? Buffaloberry, Skunkbush Sumac, or Caragana?

On that list, there's a big drawback to cedars if you enjoy berries like juneberries. Cedar trees are a carrier of Cedar-Apple rust, a type of fungus. The juneberry plants look fine, fruit out nicely, and then the fruit dries up into little pieces of gravel right before you're ready to harvest. Cedars have this known effect on Juneberries for up to a mile, or so.

Note, my honeyberry plants seem to have some immunity to cedar-apple rust as I have noted no problems with the fruit.

 

[snowcat]

On that list, there's a big drawback to cedars if you enjoy berries like juneberries. Cedar trees are a carrier of Cedar-Apple rust, a type of fungus. The juneberry plants look fine, fruit out nicely, and then the fruit dries up into little pieces of gravel right before you're ready to harvest. Cedars have this known effect on Juneberries for up to a mile, or so.

Note, my honeyberry plants seem to have some immunity to cedar-apple rust as I have noted no problems with the fruit.

Yup, my reason for not doing cedars, I have 32 different verities of apple, pear, berry bushes around the out side of my pines.

 

[snowcat]

Ive got a bunch of ponderosa that are growing into each other, they are probably 15' tall now, I was going to start cutting them out, do you think they are too big to move at that point?

I would get a big tree spade and start moving them. If they are to big to move, have a big truck mounted spade do it, I'm sure they would buy them from you also. I had a 27' weeping birch tree moved and they came all the way across the state with a 96" spade.

 

[NDSportsman]

I would get a big tree spade and start moving them. If they are to big to move, have a big truck mounted spade do it, I'm sure they would buy them from you also. I had a 27' weeping birch tree moved and they came all the way across the state with a 96" spade.

What's something like that cost?

 

[snowcat]

What's something like that cost?

What's something like that cost?

It cost me around 500, but worth it to me.

 

[Tinesdown]

On that list, there's a big drawback to cedars if you enjoy berries like juneberries. Cedar trees are a carrier of Cedar-Apple rust, a type of fungus. The juneberry plants look fine, fruit out nicely, and then the fruit dries up into little pieces of gravel right before you're ready to harvest. Cedars have this known effect on Juneberries for up to a mile, or so.

Note, my honeyberry plants seem to have some immunity to cedar-apple rust as I have noted no problems with the fruit.

Sad thing of the tree rows is nobody is planting any new ones
The best bird spots iv had was in tree rows the roosters loved em for spots to hide. Hard to kill birds intree rows hunting singualar but could always get a stragler rooster that messed up

 

[Tinesdown]

Sad thing of the tree rows is nobody is planting any new ones
The best bird spots iv had was in tree rows the roosters loved em for spots to hide. Hard to kill birds intree rows hunting singualar but could always get a stragler rooster that messed up

Have hunted birds in alot of areas id say the electronic posting has killed my hunting indefintly unless i just want to hunt and not give a shit hunt the old spot that were always open!

 

[Allen]

It cost me around 500, but worth it to me.

Oddly, I would have guessed much higher. Both given the cost of an eight foot replacement, and current wages.

 

[Lycanthrope]

I wasnt aware of this program, but for cheap trees its worth looking into... You can do it anywhere in ND.

https://ndpetroleumfoundation.org/programs/plantingforthefuture/

 

[Wall-eyes]

Sad thing of the tree rows is nobody is planting any new ones
The best bird spots iv had was in tree rows the roosters loved em for spots to hide. Hard to kill birds intree rows hunting singualar but could always get a stragler rooster that messed up

Correct they tear them out and plant crop now.