Fall rip and relocate conifers?

[SD51555]

I’ve got a patch of white spruce I’ve been eyeballing in a north facing ditch up against the woods. I can never get them in the spring because that ground thaws later. I wonder if I can pull them now and move them, or if I should wait another week or two?


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[SD51555]

I need about 15 more to finish up a second row in my yard. I wanna try it this fall, but I don’t want to mulch and mat them until I know if they’ll survive it.


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[Ben.MN/WI]

I'd go ahead and pull and transplant them now if there is moisture in your soil. Is there any way you can grab some extras as well and take about half of them and just heel them in some dirt by your cabin where you can water them easily? Then you will have some backup seedlings ready to use next spring if any of the other transplants die.

 

[SD51555]

I'd go ahead and pull and transplant them now if there is moisture in your soil. Is there any way you can grab some extras as well and take about half of them and just heel them in some dirt by your cabin where you can water them easily? Then you will have some backup seedlings ready to use next spring if any of the other transplants die.

Oh yes I do. I just pulled the fence on my raised beds last weekend. I’m gonna chop them down and mulch them over this weekend.


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[buckdeer1]

I would alot rather move cedars and my oaks and other trees in winter

 

[BuckSutherland]

Plant now, weed mat now, mulch now. Nothing is gonna happen to them by waiting two more weeks. They aren't gonna survive as good competing with a bunch of grass and weeds. Who cares if a couple die, replace them with another free tree next spring.

 

[SD51555]

I’ve gotta get another couple dump trucks of wood chips brought out before I can do anymore mulching. I’ve got my neighbor lined up to haul me some with his dump truck. Gonna do 20 or 30 yards this time, depending on how much space I’ve got to pile it up.

Not putting it on the yard again. Too many wasp problems with the last pile.


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[SD51555]

Well I went for it. They pulled pretty easy, and I had decent enough moisture.

Digging on my lawn was a challenge. Very hard. I also ran this row into my food plot that’s been no-till for 4 years. Way way softer.

I didn’t grab a pic after I had them in the ground, but this gives you an idea what I’m after. It’s just the second row of my north screen.

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[SD51555]

I may go back and get the rest from the spot I found these and get them moved if conditions are still good over the halloween hunt weekend. I'm running out of room, but I'll squeeze them in somewhere.

 

[Kooch]

I’m hard pressed to come up with any scenario where a guy can have too many.


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[Ben.MN/WI]

It is always nice to have a few extra planted somewhere that you can easily dig up and transplant if another tree dies in the future.

 

[bigboreblr]

They can die from a dry fall. They still need water here n there this year if nature doesn't cooperate.

Much better permanent solution than sudan grass...... Did a bunch last year at camp by a roadisde foodplot. Planting a few apple trees there this fall, so I can get a good peek how they did. I stirred in some pelletized lime and fertilizer when I put mine in. PRetty sure they're red spruce.

 

[Mike O]

I dont know about transplants but I have had very poor luck with white spruce planting them in the fall. From what I have read the small roots do not have enough time to get established and the tree dries out during winter. I have planted 100 seedlings the past three springs and have had pretty good survival. I planted 50 two years ago in October and every one of them died.

 

[BuckSutherland]

Deer season ended for me last Sunday evening. Monday morning 11/20 I decided to start planting some trees again. Second year in a row that I have been able to plant some trees after the MN rifle season was over. Last year I planted in several inches of snow. This year it was 45 degrees and I was sweating hardcore. I worked my ass off to pull and plant most of those trees on Monday. Just did a few balsam and the few cedars on Tuesday.


210 white spruce
50 balslam fir
5 white cedar

 

[bigboreblr]

These are red spruce seedling I transplanted about this tine last year. About 20 out of the 25 took. The ones that died were in a more open area. Secluding a foodplot with a road on the west side.

Gave rhem some lime a triple 15 while i was out there.

Most deer tracks seem while stalk hunting hslf the property were in or near the plot.