Fall plug planting

[bueller]

I'm considering planting a row or two of pines or pine/spruce for screening next year. The spots are pretty much full sun and bare ground. Less than ideal conditions for a spring planting in my dry sand. I'm thinking planting plugs in the fall may give me a higher percentage of survivors under these conditions. Thoughts??? I have had pretty good success planting in the spring but those spots were partially shaded and had grass/weeds covering the sand.

 

[rocksnstumps]

I'd say go for it especially with plugs. We had a replanting of almost 40 acres done with plugs one fall (Sept maybe?) in southern Waushara county which is plenty sandy and they did way better than bareroots I planted the following spring in better soil up in Shawano and had a terribly dry summer that year. Probably a 30% loss with the fall planting and early establishment and pushing 85% loss of 3500 trees with the spring planting.

Think they were 4a from Itasca, all red pine. The bareroots were white spruce.

 

[chummer]

Never planted plugs but I transplanted about 30 spruce trees last November and all but one lived. That was with our driest summer I can remember. 90% of the bare root trees I planted this spring died. I planted a road screen this fall but I have to pull it in the spring. In Laws don't want to block the field:mad:. First project they have balked at. I guess they like road hunters and poachers. I guess that is why I bought my own 70acres to play with. Rant over. Plant away.

 

[H20fwler]

I think Fall planting has many advantages over spring planting, the only draw back I have seen with planting in Fall is it cuts into my hunting time.
I planted 45 spruce 8 arborvitae 2 juniper 20 8' chestnut all potted and 16 apple and 10 pear bare root this fall from mid September to last week.

 

[bueller]

I'm still going to plant some conifer plugs in my wooded areas this spring. But as far as the screening in open areas I think I'll take a good look in the spring to determine how many plugs I need and I'll plant them in the fall. Shouldn't interfere with hunting as the number will be low enough that I should be able to get them all in the ground the same day.