Norway Spruce Screen Decisions

This is just as important as the cage. Should get 75 weed matts out of one roll. Usually about $80 when it becomes available.

 
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.
steel electric fence posts. look at tractor supply or rural king if you have one in your area.
 
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?
 
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 like the 4x4 mat and wouldnt even consider 3 x 3. I can cut the entire roll up in under 4-5 mins really easy. Just place it on the ground between your legs and pull and let it spin against your foot and slice it with a sharp utility knife. You are guessing on the length. I pull with my left hand. Roll unrolls against my right foot between my legs, slice with utility knife in my right hand, toss to the side and repeat. Pull whatever you think looks like 4 feet and quickly slice and on to the next one. It goes as fast as you can pull and slice. I usually plant 10-12 trees in an area so I pull off however many I need and quickly slice them.


A 3 x 3 mat is 9sq ft. A 4x4 mat is 16 sq feet. Give me the bigger mat 10 out of 10 times. That is significantly more room for my tree roots and more moisture preserved. With the 4 x 4 mat and a ten foot piece of cage the cage also covers the edge of the mat nicely to help hold it down. I dont use many landscape staples at all. I just use the cage and the mulch mostly to hold the mat down.


As for post watch auction sites, craigslist, facestalk, etc. Many old farmers have piles of post laying around. Just need to find one with a few hundred and take the whole pile. I am going to 1 T post and 3 zip ties per tree this season. I dont care if the zip ties deteriorate. They are cheap as hell, and I can always add more.
 
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.
Face book market place, auctions, and craigslist you can usually find them for $1-2 each.
 
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?

 
This has been great information! I've been following this thread since it started. Glad to have some like minded habitat nuts in one place.

I own a cabin and 140 acres in NW Wadena county near Sebeka that I bought strictly for deer hunting. I'm looking to convert 21 acres that is currently in corn(5 acres-chopped because of drought in fall of 2021) and alfalfa into deer habitat in NW Wadena County of Minnesota. It's currently "rented" to a local farmer that plants and uses the 21 acres and leaves me around 2 acres of beans or corn every year as payment, so the remaining 19 acres is basically worthless come rifle season when deer don't want to enter a wide open space during day light. The prior owner also installed a long drive way and positioned the cabin in middle of the property, so going in and out always disturbs the local wildlife. I need screening trees planted like yesterday! I own about 1/4 mile along a gravel road that seems to have a lot of "road hunters" creeping around right at prime time(evening during bow or during rifle season) checking on my field for deer activity. I was too impatient last year for trees to grow along the road, so I had an excavator come in during the summer time and build a berm that you can't see over while driving on the road. I do need to add some trees to the NW corner as the topography is a bit lower and you can see a little bit into the field from that angle, but it worked great this past fall.

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.

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?

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?

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?

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.
 

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Is this the same stuff?



The stuff that I have always got has been advertised as 5oz. The stuff you have listed here says 3.2. If you cover it good with mulch I'm not so sure it matters that much. I would expect the stuff you have shown will easily last 5+ years with mulch on it. More then anything the sun is what destroys it.
 
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 responded to some of your questions in bold above. When you pick your trees up get them planted ASAP. You have all spring and summer to do the weed mats. You should leave a few trees WITHOUT weed mats so you can run an experiment for yourself.
 
One thing I've done for bulk watering is to fill up a 110 gallon stock tank in the back of my pickup about 3/4 full, then I drive around and water if necessary. I've only had experience with mulch and no weed mats, and just having the mulch substantially lowered the amount of water I needed than without mulch.

I bought some bulk mulch from one of the local tree trimmers because I couldn't get any free stuff near me. I still got it very reasonably priced compared to store bought. I want to say 25 yards cost me about $250 delivered. It was just a bunch of busted up chunks, nothing pretty. Be sure to check with the company to make sure they didn't have any black walnut jobs because of that chemical they put off called jugalone. It can be very poisonous to some tree and shrub varieties, especially at a young age.
 
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Interesting idea on using the utility / tree trimmers for mulch. I’ve used the free stuff from various town or city halls before but that requires you to shovel it in your truck.
 
Lots of green in most mulch from Asplundh and similar. Better let it cook for awhile before putting around/near your trees
 
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.

With the volume I might buy, the rolls @BuckSutherland linked are less than $1/each for a 4’x4’ so I’ll probably go that route. I think I’m still going to attempt a hybrid willow screen from cuttings inside the spruce screen so need 1200’ of rolls for that too.
 
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 have used just about everything I could think of for weed suppression. I started by using a bunch of cardboard and old desk calendars. That worked, but deteriorated within one season. Then I tried synthetic roofing underlayment (synthetic tarpaper). That worked too, but doesn't cut very well and was a little too stiff. Then I went to the 3x3 stuff that came in the roll, but that was VERY SMALL and the material sucked. I even tried using leftover seed bags from the farm. After 3 years of experience, 100s of trees matted all different ways, and one hell of an intense D3 drought last summer I can tell you without a doubt that the 4x4 Dewitt mat has SUPERIOR performance to everything else I have done. Cost is roughly $1 per tree. Learn from my mistakes.....

3x3= 9sq ft
3x4= 12 sq ft
4x4= 16 sq feet

The 4x4 is nearly twice as big as 3x3. Its 33% bigger then 3x4. If I have time this summer I will be redoing all 200 3x3 mats that I have cause they are no longer up to my standards. Anything that is a cloth like material like my 3x3 stuff is completely worthless. Love my dewitt weed mat. Took lots of trial and error to finally figure out what in my eyes is the superior way to do it.
 
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?
 
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?

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.
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.

Interesting. I had assumed a main benefit of mulch was moisture retention, how do rocks compare in that regard?
 
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?

I dont have any experience with rock. I use "mulch" mainly cause its readily available laying all over my woods and I know it does a good job of holding the mat down, killing weeds/grass and preserving moisture underneath the mat. If you had timely rains all season I think rock would work ok. Mulch isnt near as heavy as rock. Try a dozen or so trees and see how it works and let us know. I'm guessing you will find more success then the trees that dont have a weed mat.

Sometimes I use a pail, sometimes I use a tote to collect "mulch". In areas of my woods that dont have many down trees I just go to the store and by 2 yard bags. They work good too.

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