Lucked out on some spruce!

[H20fwler]

A friend of my oldest sons family owns a local nursery. Texted earlier wondering if I would be interested in some potted Black Hills Spruce, Norway Spruce and Blue Spruce that were just a little to rough for yard planting..5'-6' for $10 and some 2'-3' for $5 he had 33 of them.

In about one second I texted back HECK YES! I'LL TAKE THEM ALL!

He dropped them of earlier tonight, they will be perfect for out at the farm as part of a privacy strip along the road. I'm planning on putting them in the ground in late October early November.

 

[bueller]

Nice score

 

[wiscwhip]

You can't beat that with stick! Great find!

 

[MoBuckChaser]

Sweet!

 

[wiscwhip]

he had 33 of them.

A privacy screen for the driveway is a great use of these larger trees, that way, if needed, they can be babied for a while after planting so they can set good roots with a high success rate. But I have to admit that I would have a REALLYYYYYYYYY hard time not taking 6 or 8 of them and planting in a few clusters in the woods to promote a couple small bedding pockets............:oops::);)

 

[wiscwhip]

Keep in mind, the blue spruce are the most finicky and will need babying the most, maybe keep them close for easy access of watering. The Black Hills spruce can go in the driest areas and will need the least amount of watering, and the Norways are the most forgiving/flexible of the 3 as far as site/soil and overall growing conditions. Good luck and a couple pics of the "finished" product would be cool if you don't mind sharing!

 

[sandbur]

Were those just recently dug?

You will need to keep them alive if left out of the ground for 2 months or so. It might take lots of water if just recently dug.

 

[H20fwler]

A privacy screen for the driveway is a great use of these larger trees, that way, if needed, they can be babied for a while after planting so they can set good roots with a high success rate. But I have to admit that I would have a REALLYYYYYYYYY hard time not taking 6 or 8 of them and planting in a few clusters in the woods to promote a couple small bedding pockets............:oops::);)

They are actually going to be planted along a county road about fifteen/twenty yards into the field to help block view from the road, I just hope some goof doesn't Christmas tree shop on me as soon as they get bigger!
I have a bunch of white pine and hemlock ordered for next spring just for little islands of bedding cover in the field behind where theses are going, these kind of just fell into my lap yesterday.

Keep in mind, the blue spruce are the most finicky and will need babying the most, maybe keep them close for easy access of watering. The Black Hills spruce can go in the driest areas and will need the least amount of watering, and the Norways are the most forgiving/flexible of the 3 as far as site/soil and overall growing conditions. Good luck and a couple pics of the "finished" product would be cool if you don't mind sharing!

Yep, where I'm planting I'll be able to drive right up to them to take care of them. I sure will post a pic of them up when I get them to their permanent home. I think there are like twenty something in the pic it's all that would fit in his pickup, he is dropping the rest off tomorrow afternoon.

Were those just recently dug?

You will need to keep them alive if left out of the ground for 2 months or so. It might take lots of water if just recently dug.

I think they have been in the pots for at least six months, as soon as it starts to get cool out I'm going to get them planted and watered in good. I've got around ten apple trees to replant that are heeled into the garden and some chestnuts in pots that will be going to the same farm then too.

 

[H20fwler]

Question, we have had pretty good rain here past week and a half after a crazy dry summer. Maybe 6"-7" total so the ground is pretty moist.
Would it be OK to go ahead and plant these trees in now or should I wait a couple months?

I would have no problem being able to water these a few times a week where I'm going to plant them, or I could just hang on to them till fall and take care of them at home. I just don't know how sensitive conifers are this time of year.

 

[sandbur]

Can you keep the deer from browsing the hemlock and white pines when you plant them for the bedding area?

 

[H20fwler]

Can you keep the deer from browsing the hemlock and white pines when you plant them for the bedding area?

I don't think so. I preordered fifty of each dry root 4'-5' for early next spring. So hopefully with the larger trees and volume they won't get hit too bad. They will be planted in a fifteen acre native grass field a couple hundred yards from the woods.

 

[j-bird]

Awesome score for you!

 

[JFK52]

I had problems with deer browsing the white pine I planted in real bad winters. They take out an area of the tree at the height they can reach. It did not kill the trees, but left a bare area on the trees, a so called ''sandwich spot".
Pines are not a preferred browse, but a food of last resource when there is nothing else for the deer to eat in the winters. Since then, I have always left up at least 5 acres of corn and what ever soy beans not already eaten for the deer to get through Wisconsin winters.

 

[1yellowdog]

Great score! If you are planting along the road, please make sure you find out what the county road easement. I planted 7 rows of white pine at 30' from the center of the road; my county easement was 35'. Trees at that point were 20' tall, and with no warning the county cut 25 of those white pine. That was like a punch in the gut. I'd hate to see you bust your tail getting those in the ground and have them removed/cut.

 

[bueller]

Great score! If you are planting along the road, please make sure you find out what the county road easement. I planted 7 rows of white pine at 30' from the center of the road; my county easement was 35'. Trees at that point were 20' tall, and with no warning the county cut 25 of those white pine. That was like a punch in the gut. I'd hate to see you bust your tail getting those in the ground and have them removed/cut.

That had to suck :(

 

[H20fwler]

Great score! If you are planting along the road, please make sure you find out what the county road easement. I planted 7 rows of white pine at 30' from the center of the road; my county easement was 35'. Trees at that point were 20' tall, and with no warning the county cut 25 of those white pine. That was like a punch in the gut. I'd hate to see you bust your tail getting those in the ground and have them removed/cut.

That truly does suck! Thanks for the heads up, I think it may be different here but I'll definitely check to make sure.

 

[Weasel]

Yep deer are not supposed to eat spruce, firs, Norway & red pine. I planted hundreds of those seedlings one year. I won't do that again. Deer ate every single one.

Good score on the potted plants. I've switched from buying tons of small trees and hoping for some survival to less, bigger trees that I cage immediately. Been much further ahead since I changed.

 

[tooln]

Great find. As far as the white pine a bud cap works wonders to keep them growing.

 

[H20fwler]

Ended up putting the 33 spruce and two juniper in yesterday morning while it was cool out. The weather looks nice and cool all week and it gets them all out of my back yard, I'll water them a couple times a week until it gets cold out.
I spaced them close about ten feet apart and staggered the second row behind the first so they will close up and form a good privacy screen. I watered them in good and tried to keep them back from the road and phone lines so they wont end up being a problem.

Along road




I put the bigger trees in corner along drive for privacy at our fire ring.



I've got 150 bare root Hemlock/Norway's/white pines ordered to fill in along the road the rest of the way to the woods early next spring.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Great job H2O !! Staying back from overhead lines and staggering the rows is perfect. A camp up the road from mine did that very thing ( no overhead lines there ), and you can't see 5 feet off the road. We've done the same thing at our camp ( following their example ) and now WE have a green wall. They make a great screen and a super nesting / resting spot for all kinds of birds, grouse, etc. I think you'll be very happy.