Itasca plugs

[ILyotekilla1]

I just received my order of plugs from Itasca Greenhouse. After receiving 8 inches on snow on Sunday how long can I wait to put these into the ground? I was hoping to wait a couple of days until the snow melts. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[scott44]

I would check them and make sure the plugs are damp if not get some water on them. I've noticed in the past that some places seem to let their plugs dry out a little before shipping maybe for weight/shipping reasons, this is just my opinion. I usually give my plugs a good soaking before planting by putting them in a bucket with a couple inches of water. I have waited maybe up to a week by doing it this way so I would say a couple days should be fine.

 

[Bill]

Are they in bags or still in their trays?

I’ve had them live a long time in trays

 

[roymunson]

Interested to hear what you guys have to say on this. Don't know much about plugs or bareroot trees, or where to get my conifers, but the plan next spring is to get a couple hundred and plant them along the road staggered, and 3-4 rows wide for a visual break. What species are you guys liking? I know white pines will grow quick but they often don't last that long either.

 

[Bill]

Interested to hear what you guys have to say on this. Don't know much about plugs or bareroot trees, or where to get my conifers, but the plan next spring is to get a couple hundred and plant them along the road staggered, and 3-4 rows wide for a visual break. What species are you guys liking? I know white pines will grow quick but they often don't last that long either.

Miscanthus giganteus

I gave up on conifers for screens. Unless you have a hill going up from the road I’d go the grass route.

 

[bwoods11]

Interested to hear what you guys have to say on this. Don't know much about plugs or bareroot trees, or where to get my conifers, but the plan next spring is to get a couple hundred and plant them along the road staggered, and 3-4 rows wide for a visual break. What species are you guys liking? I know white pines will grow quick but they often don't last that long either.

Spruce plugs grow very well, and survival is excellent. I plant 90% plugs the past 6-7 years, some bare root, not many,

 

[scott44]

Interested to hear what you guys have to say on this. Don't know much about plugs or bareroot trees, or where to get my conifers, but the plan next spring is to get a couple hundred and plant them along the road staggered, and 3-4 rows wide for a visual break. What species are you guys liking? I know white pines will grow quick but they often don't last that long either.

Plugs are a lot easier to plant than bare roots but if you are looking for bigger trees say in the 3-4' range or bigger you'll have to go bare root.

 

[roymunson]

Miscanthus giganteus

I gave up on conifers for screens. Unless you have a hill going up from the road I’d go the grass route.

It goes out across a valley that was a pasture/crop field.

I hear ya on the MG grass, but long term, I think I want trees.

 

[ILyotekilla1]

The plugs seem damp and are not it trays. The spruce are bundled in groups 10. They are 10S in size and quite a bit bigger than I was expecting. I decided to plant the spruce tomorrow regardless of the weather. The trees are still dormant so they will go in by this weekend. Thanks

 

[BuckSutherland]

The plugs seem damp and are not it trays. The spruce are bundled in groups 10. They are 10S in size and quite a bit bigger than I was expecting. I decided to plant the spruce tomorrow regardless of the weather. The trees are still dormant so they will go in by this weekend. Thanks

Plant them as soon as you can. You will be fine.

 

[tcook8296]

Im thinking about ordering some cedars. First, is it too late to order for this year and 2nd what type of cedars would grow well with moist soils and partial to full sun?
Im in central Nj

 

[bwoods11]

Im thinking about ordering some cedars. First, is it too late to order for this year and 2nd what type of cedars would grow well with moist soils and partial to full sun?
Im in central Nj

Cedars grow anywhere. Fall order is the next option.

 

[Duck Creek]

I've had good luck with Austree Willows. I bought mine from Kelly tree farm in Iowa.
Pros: They grow really fast. They hold there leaves until the 2nd half of November. Once you get them established you can take cuttings from them and you'll have an unlimited supply of free stock. The more you cut off them the bushier they get. They grow great in wet ground.
Cons: Rabbits/Mice LOVE to girdle them when they're young. (A little chicken wire solves the problem)

 

[BuckSutherland]

These white pines were planted early May 2019. ABPs from Itasca. Excellent growth in season one (8-18"), and now season 2 looks even better. Most of them have pushed out 8-12" of new growth already this year, and we didnt have any rain until last week. I am thinking they should get close to 2+ feet of growth this year. 100% survival on them too.

 

[Bill]

These white pines were planted early May 2019. ABPs from Itasca. Excellent growth in season one (8-18"), and now season 2 looks even better. Most of them have pushed out 8-12" of new growth already this year, and we didnt have any rain until last week. I am thinking they should get close to 2+ feet of growth this year. 100% survival on them too.





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That’s awesome! I’ve literally planted about 1000 pines in the last 13 years. With the exception of red cedar “0” have survived. But it looks like you protected them better than me. I put in countless Norway spruce because they’re deer resistant. My problem was the deer didn’t know they didn’t like them until they pulled them up and spit them out.

 

[bwoods11]

That’s awesome! I’ve literally planted about 1000 pines in the last 13 years. With the exception of red cedar “0” have survived. But it looks like you protected them better than me. I put in countless Norway spruce because they’re deer resistant. My problem was the deer didn’t know they didn’t like them until they pulled them up and spit them out.

I had that happen this year. Bought a different farm that borders a no hunting park and the deer numbers are very high in the area. Of the 150 Norway and White Spruce, I bet more than half are either dead or were simply pulled up and left outside the hole. They hammered them. Live and learn. Might have to try something else in that location or go with bigger spruce or cedar.

Drought did not help either.

 

[BuckSutherland]

I had that happen this year. Bought a different farm that borders a no hunting park and the deer numbers are very high in the area. Of the 150 Norway and White Spruce, I bet more than half are either dead or were simply pulled up and left outside the hole. They hammered them. Live and learn. Might have to try something else in that location or go with bigger spruce or cedar.

Drought did not help either.

I probably have 40-50 of my 200 cages are not staked down at all. All I did was make the cage and set it over the tree and walk away. Its enough of a deterent to keep the deer from messing with them. No problems making it through any type of weather either. Any time I have let Norways without protection the deer killed them all. I bought most of my welded wire for $60 a roll this year (4ft). I get 10 cages out of a 100' roll. For $300 you could make 50 cages if you can find the wire that cheap. I spent more then that in a night of partying on several occasions.


It goes on sale sometimes at Blain Farm and Fleet. Tractor supply or Fleet Farm will always price match them. Few weeks ago I go 5 rolls for $54.99+ tax each. I think I could easily make the 50 cages in about 2 hours with just a snips and tape measure if I was working in a wide open area.


I wont even attempt to grow a tree without a couple of things anymore:
1. 4x4 weed mat
2. cage
3. excellent sunlight
4. Just a little fertilizer for oaks


Give me 10 well-cared for trees over 100+ that you just plant and walk away any day of the week. Its abundantly clear to me after 8 years of doing it both ways of which one flat out smokes the other one.

 

[Rit]

I rather plant 10 trees a year with proper protection and weed control than 500 left to chance. I’ve killed hundreds of trees trying the latter.

 

[williams111]

BuckSutherland What will you do once your trees bottom limbs begin to grow into the cage? I planted 50 Norway Spruce this year with 3' wide cages and I am not sure what to do when start to get to the cage.

 

[BuckSutherland]

BuckSutherland What will you do once your trees bottom limbs begin to grow into the cage? I planted 50 Norway Spruce this year with 3' wide cages and I am not sure what to do when start to get to the cage.

When they get that big I am going to simply undo two cages and combine them into one to protect my highly desirable trees and have bigger cages. Those would be mainly my white pine, white cedar, and cannan firs. I have a handful meyers spruce, red and scotch pine as well. Once the black hills spruce, norway spruce and white spruce are big enough to not have the central leader browsed and they have harden off needles the deer by us really seem to leave them alone (especially white spruce). Those will likely continue on with no protection. I have several hundred white spruce transplants and for the most part the deer leave them alone and they have no protection. They will browse fresh plugs however.

I want some of them to be unprotected so the deer can rub them. I dont like when they rub and kill them like they did to this balsam fir, but some is acceptable for me. I want to create a buck playground and bedding property above all else. I feel like I am about 5 years away from having a really thick nasty buck property. It will have very high stem count, lots of hard and soft mast trees, conifer travel corridors with conifer bedding pockets, mixed in with switchgrass bedding pockets and across the road from the destination food source. When I need more food I can fire up the chainsaw and buzz down a bunch of ash, poplar and basswood trees and make browse pockets.


Leftover cages will be reused for additional plantings or used to protect apple and oak trees if I decide to remove the tubes. I could always prune off some of those lower branches as well.