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Keeping bare root trees…

SWIFFY

SWIFFY

5 year old buck +
So I’ve got 125 bare root trees different varieties, I got them a week ago and since then we’ve had 9 inches of rain. I got the tractor buried today trying to get to where I need to go… So it’s gonna be at least a week. What would you guys do to keep these trees that long? Currently they’re in woven sacs. Do I keep them inside or outside? Put soil on them? Straw? How do I keep these things in good shape until I’m finally able to plant? Thanks for any suggestions!image.jpg
 
I got myself a bale of peat moss this spring. When I picked up my crab apple bare roots I wrapped them pretty tightly with a thicker wad of newspaper and then zip tied it shut. Put them in a 5 gallon pail and then got the peat moss and newspaper fairly moist. It appeared to have worked really well. I kept mine like that for a week. Try not to let the roots get too much oxygen and keep them moist and cool as possible. I walk in cooler would be ideal, but a cool basement or garage floor is more likely.

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And you could accomplish more if the tractor was the correct color.....:emoji_thinking::emoji_thinking::emoji_stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes:
 
Keep roots damp and tied up, find someone you know that owns or has access to a walk in cooler and they can keep for weeks.
 
BuckSutherland said:
And you could accomplish more if the tractor was the correct color.....:emoji_thinking::emoji_thinking::emoji_stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes:
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Thanks Buck… hey if you saw the swamp donkey hell that I got out of you’d be singin a different tune! I should’ve said… almost stuck…
 
You could also dig a trench with your FEL and put the tree roots in it then cover the roots with dirt.
 
Just make sure whatever you do that the roots don't get waterlogged. We have to do this about every other year for when trees are delivered to when they get in the ground. We put them in large pots with holes that can drain. We then use sand as the media to keep them moist. Cool, moist, and dark is ideal.
 
Hoytvectrix said:
Just make sure whatever you do that the roots don't get waterlogged. We have to do this about every other year for when trees are delivered to when they get in the ground. We put them in large pots with holes that can drain. We then use sand as the media to keep them moist. Cool, moist, and dark is ideal.
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General advice from nysdec is to put them in sand. However, I've seen sand hold too much moisture. Some kind of dirt than can easily encapulate the roots would be good. MY heavy clay at home can't do it well. MY trees came packed in sawdust from Saint Lawrence nursery this year. I have a large amount of cactus potting soil I mix up for my cacti collection. That stuff works well for me.
 
Keeping the trees are covered. My neighbor and I. :emoji_fearful:

That’s friggin stuck. Took another track hoe to get it out.

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That’s awesome! When I was in my early 20’s I was working for a large local farmer combining. I had got his huge 4wd combine buried about 5 feet deep. I wish I had a camera with me back then to take a picture. That was the last day he had me work for him. We had his 4 wheel drive tractors out there and it wouldn’t budge it. We had called the local John Deere deeper and they brought out a large tracked tractor and had that and his large 4wd tractor hooked to it and it came out. Lots of head damage. He had to just buy another one to keep working, but I was never asked to work for him again.
 
I have dug a trench and buried 100-150 bare root crabapples. I have left full sized bare root apple trees in a hole in my swamp. I have also left bare root apple trees in trash cans full of water for a week or two. I don't buy bare root conifers anymore but the plugs are easy to keep moist by placing them in plastic containers (jet sled, etc) and keeping a little water in them. If I anticipate that it will be really hot I put them in the barn where they are cooler and shaded.
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I didn't get all of my spruces planted and now the birch and `briars have leafed out and it's thick. I think I'm just going to dig a ditch and plant the rest in there for the year.
 
BuckSutherland,

Where did you get those bareroot crabapples from? great roots there.
 
bigboreblr said:
BuckSutherland,

Where did you get those bareroot crabapples from? great roots there.
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I got them from the SWCD sale in Meeker county, MN. Pickup only. $40 for a bundle of 25. I put 18 of them in tubes and then gave the remainder to one of my buddies. I expect some of them to make the top of 5' tube by the end of summer. I planted several of them between a nice conifer bedding area and my second year switchgrass. They will get premium sun in the places I put them. I still have to do most of my weed mats from this years trees. These spruce will take a massive leap this year if we get rain. Should make one hell of a hiding spot some day.


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I wish I’d of taken a photo last summer. I was burying an old silted farm pond and broke threw the crust with my Cat 951. I ran the 951 and had two of my boys each on a 100hp tractor both pulling on the 951 one 13 and one 17 years old it was a good time had by all.
 
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My oldest boy said I have a photo of it and this was after digging behind it with a bucket tractor to get down to hard bottom just to hook the chains to draw pin.
 
BuckSutherland said:
I got them from the SWCD sale in Meeker county, MN. Pickup only. $40 for a bundle of 25. I put 18 of them in tubes and then gave the remainder to one of my buddies. I expect some of them to make the top of 5' tube by the end of summer. I planted several of them between a nice conifer bedding area and my second year switchgrass. They will get premium sun in the places I put them. I still have to do most of my weed mats from this years trees. These spruce will take a massive leap this year if we get rain. Should make one hell of a hiding spot some day.
Click to expand...

I got all mine from Meeker SWCD as well Buck. They look incredible!
 
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