BuckSutherland
5 year old buck +
This is just as important as the cage. Should get 75 weed matts out of one roll. Usually about $80 when it becomes available.
steel electric fence posts. look at tractor supply or rural king if you have one in your area.Ordered 16 rolls for in-store pickup. This is from various twin cities locations.
Now what is the most economical way to stake all these cages out? I might be able to salvage a bunch of t-posts from old fallen down fences but not nearly the 150+ i'll need.
This is just as important as the cage. Should get 75 weed matts out of one roll. Usually about $80 when it becomes available.
I planned on buying from Benton County SWCD - They have 3'x3' tree mats listed as $30 per bundle of 25. Figured that would be nice if they are already cut to size. Looks like that's a little smaller than the 4'x4' you're saying though. I figured 3' would be big enough?
Face book market place, auctions, and craigslist you can usually find them for $1-2 each.Ordered 16 rolls for in-store pickup. This is from various twin cities locations.
Now what is the most economical way to stake all these cages out? I might be able to salvage a bunch of t-posts from old fallen down fences but not nearly the 150+ i'll need.
Is this the same stuff?This is just as important as the cage. Should get 75 weed matts out of one roll. Usually about $80 when it becomes available.
Is this the same stuff?
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I just ordered 300 one gallon BHS from Kandiyohi County at $8.50 and the remaining one gallon red pine(16). Whoever made the suggestion on here I appreciate it! They look like great trees and the price was right! I will also be ordering enough mats to smother the weed competition.
Few questions!?
1. I own a JD 1025R subcompact tractor. Has anyone used a post hole digger attachment for predrilling the holes for one/two gallon container trees? Auger size(8, 9, 12, 18in)?
300 is going to keep me pretty busy if I don't get any help and also plan on putting mats down along with mulch. Yes you can use a post hole auger. Tree Spud on here uses one. I would not pre drill the holes. Wait until the day you plant. You could turn the hole into a sun baked brick if you drill or you could turn your tailings into mud lumps with lots of rain.
2. The area around the cabin(green roof in aerial) was planted in corn last year and was chopped this past fall and the ground is bare dirt. Can I simply plant right into the field, put a mat down, and mulch? If I mat/mulch, do I still need to mow around the trees the first few years? I would love to plant into a bare field. I would plant, mat, mulch with a 4x4 mat and be done. They will still get great sun. You will want a little surrounding cover to grow up and help them catch snow in that first winter.
3. Mats: This question is regarding the mat. Do you plant the tree first, then splice a slit in the mat and install and mulch? Or do you cut a circle hole in the middle of the mat for the tree? Do the mats ever need to be removed? I transplanted a lot of white spruce this past fall, how do I put the mats down now that they are already planted with grass around them? Spray around the tree, wait for weeds to die down, then splice a slit on the mat and slide around the trunk of the trees? I plant my 1 and 2 gallon pots and then I cut a small T into the matt with a utility knife and slide it over the tree. This allows you to maneuver the matt on the ground to get it centered and then throw mulch on top. I dont let mulch or weed mat rub onto the trunk of the tree. I plant my pots slightly deeper (1" approximately) then the surrounding ground so they can funnel a little water directly into the tree. I clear all vegetation for the mat with my silky zubat so the ground is nearly bare.
4. Mulch: I just signed up for www.getchipdrop.com. Has anyone had any mulch successfully delivered this way? Maybe I could chat with the county and powerline company to get put on a list to have mulch delivered for free? I'm assuming those guys are always looking for a place to dump? Bulk mulch sounds perfect for you. Call your local power companies....
5. Some of the areas I'd like to plant trees this spring is currently alfalfa. What could I do to prep the land for planting this spring? Or should I wait until next spring(2023) after spaying, tilling, and spraying again this summer to get the ground more ready. Plant your trees right into the alfalfa in April. Then mulch and mat. The mulch and mat should kill the competition.
6. Watering-How are you guys doing that on areas not close enough to run a hose? I will be able to get a truck/atv to all the tree planting areas. I do have two blue 60 gallon plastic drums available. 5 gallons per tree at planting. After that you might get enough rain that you never need to water again. All depends on the year. Last year I filled about 1,200 5 gallon pails with lids to save my trees in the fcuking drought. It sucked.
7. Volunteer ditch trees under powerlines- I think someone suggested it on this thread earlier? I was literally thinking about doing it this spring before seeing this thread.. Across the road are hundreds of white spruce growing that will eventually be cut or sprayed anyway. Can these also be dug and transplanted in the fall? Yes, fall planting should work fine. Success will be higher with adequate rainfall. I dont dig them out. I just tear them out and plant whatever comes with. 16-18" trees work the best.
8. In addition to the BHS, RP, and WS, I'd like to plant some native hardwoods for deer browse and cover. Has anyone been successful in direct seeding hardwood trees? I'm going to try it this fall. The DNR is will to pay half the cost for land prep, seeds, and planting. I plan to spray the areas early this summer, disc, then spray, then disc again and have the soil ready to plant with tree seeds this fall. I imagine this route will also look a lot more natural than hand planting hundreds or thousands of trees. No experience.
I'm glad I'm still barely in my 30's so I'll have an opportunity to see these trees once they get closer to maturity. I'm also looking forward to the day that I find deer beds in the trees that were once a wide open field. My kids will also hopefully enjoy them for years to come as well.
I bought a couple rolls of 3×300 foot mats from the SWCD and I think they'll be fine. If nothing else, you can always cut them at 4x3 for a little extra size.I planned on buying from Benton County SWCD - They have 3'x3' tree mats listed as $30 per bundle of 25. Figured that would be nice if they are already cut to size. Looks like that's a little smaller than the 4'x4' you're saying though. I figured 3' would be big enough?
I bought a couple rolls of 3×300 foot mats from the SWCD and I think they'll be fine. If nothing else, you can always cut them at 4x3 for a little extra size.
I bought a couple rolls of 3×300 foot mats from the SWCD and I think they'll be fine. If nothing else, you can always cut them at 4x3 for a little extra size.
What are your thoughts of using river rock instead of mulch?
I had 20 yards hauled in for some decorative landscaping in and around the yard, and only used about half of it. I did use the rock on a few apple trees in my yard, but not sure if rock would heat up on hot summer days and do damage?
wondering if those bags of mulch I can get at the big box stores would suffice for one tree..I am going to try and cage, weed mat and mulch each of my pines/spruce (total of 17 trees) or would the bagged river rock do just as well? I have limestone screening around my fruit trees that has worked beautifully so far to discourage rodents from digging towards the new roots but getting alot of bulk material up to where my screen is going will be problematic (might be able to get a 4X4 truck up there but not a full load on dump truck).Many consider rock to be better than mulch. It doesn't decompose, it discourages rodents, and the heat absorbed during the day radiates out at night.
Many consider rock to be better than mulch. It doesn't decompose, it discourages rodents, and the heat absorbed during the day radiates out at night.
What are your thoughts of using river rock instead of mulch?
I had 20 yards hauled in for some decorative landscaping in and around the yard, and only used about half of it. I did use the rock on a few apple trees in my yard, but not sure if rock would heat up on hot summer days and do damage?