Got some trees, now have questions...

[nwmn]

So I got some sugar maples (bare root) and autumn blaze (plugs) a little early because my coworker picked them up for me. my goal was to burn the field around our new cabin so that it gets clean since there is so much garbage under many years of thatch buildup and I'd rather burn it than to risk mowing rocks or glass etc under the layers of grass. haven't been able to burn yet due to restrictions, so I'm hesitant to planting the maples quite yet.

so my questions...I've got the sugars in water sweating right now in the basement. after 24 hours I'll lay them in moist peat moss anf cover them. will I be able to keep them in the basement for over a week, two weeks? will I be able to let the plugs sit in the garage for the same time period, or should I force myself to plant them asap? the plugs didn't come jn the flats either. hoping for some greenup/rain so we can burn and get the ground cleaned up a bit.

ideas on what I should do with these? I wish we weren't so dang dry

 

[Bill]

Personally I wouldn't burn. Burning will stimulate new grass and weed growth. If it were me I'd spray the area off with gly and us the thatch as mulch.

 

[j-bird]

If you wanted sugar maple - you should have said something - I could get you bushels of the seeds from my house gutters. Just disc, scatter and drag and walk away - damn things grow like weeds around my place! Probably got a few growing up in the gutters now and just don't know it!

 

[scott44]

Heeling them in is an option if you want to wait, dig a trench and backfill with the root in the trench.

 

[nwmn]

I'd think the maples would be fine if the basement is cool and dark. How are the roots on the plugs packaged if not in flats ? Are the loose open to air or individually packaged in plastic? If they are moist in plastic then I'd say they are ok as well. If they are exposed then I'd try to get them in the ground.

They are wrapped in plastic. plenty moist still when I checked them today. should last a while longer yet.

 

[nwmn]

Personally I wouldn't burn. Burning will stimulate new grass and weed growth. If it were me I'd spray the area off with gly and us the thatch as mulch.

Valid point, it doesnt look like I'll get to burn if I wanted to anyways. The grass truly doesn't grow all the much in this area. I may just plant trees right in.

 

[nwmn]

If you wanted sugar maple - you should have said something - I could get you bushels of the seeds from my house gutters. Just disc, scatter and drag and walk away - damn things grow like weeds around my place! Probably got a few growing up in the gutters now and just don't know it!

I may take you up on that offer! I've got about 5 acres that I will be direct seeding acorns this fall if there is a crop. I think I plant these because there are noNE in our area. closest naturally occurring maples are about 60 miles from our camp.

 

[j-bird]

I may take you up on that offer! I've got about 5 acres that I will be direct seeding acorns this fall if there is a crop. I think I plant these because there are noNE in our area. closest naturally occurring maples are about 60 miles from our camp.

The biggest issue with sugar maple is once they mature they produce a dense canopy and create a lot of shade and thus stifle understory growth. They are a good valued timer tree here and I know some folks tap them as well. In my opinion once they exceed the reach of the deer they are no wildlife value. They are also prolific seeders. In my area the once oak/hickory forests have changed to mostly maple/beech because of poor forest management. Folks cut off the high value oak and then left the maple and beech to run wild and these both shade out and out grow the smaller oaks and as such we see a shift in forest types.

Seriously if you want them I can get sugar maple seed by the pound at the right time of year.

 

[nwmn]

I'm more going towards the aesthetics than timber/wildlife value. all planting done along road and driveway/yard. we live in a flat wide open country, so I like to break up black dirt fields with our woods and spice it up with color for fall

 

[bwoods11]

I'm more going towards the aesthetics than timber/wildlife value. all planting done along road and driveway/yard. we live in a flat wide open country, so I like to break up black dirt fields with our woods and spice it up with color for fall

Sugar Maple and hybrid maple are extremely nice trees for yards and driveways!!

 

[j-bird]

watch the spacing as they can and will create enough shade that the grass won't even grow. The leaves and seed create issues with gutters as well. Great orange fall colors though. If you really want some seeds I'll be glad to help.