Spruce Plugs

[bowhunternw]

Yup, DNR trees will be bareroot. Absolutely you can plant bareroot with a tree spud/bar/whatever. As Jim noted....bareroot are indeed way more work. That said...I planted bareroot evergreens with a tree spud every year for several decades...until last year when I finally got smart and listened to CrazyEd and bwoods and bought plugs. Night and day difference in ease of planting and how my back felt when done ;)

btw...it would be a waste of time to spray before planting unless what you're spraying has greened up and is actively growing.

What would be the difference in work involved to plant bare root vs. plugs? Have you noticed any difference in survival?

I guess live and learn, hope it works out. Guess I will have to be a little quicker on tree decisions in the future. Thanks guys

 

[wiscwhip]

Our survival rate with bareroot conifers was around 75%-80%, but it wasn't like we planted 1,000's of them, a couple hundred over the years in strategic locations. We were covered up in mixed age jack pine as it was, so we didn't really "need" to plant any conifers, we did it more for variety.

 

[scott44]

Yup, DNR trees will be bareroot. Absolutely you can plant bareroot with a tree spud/bar/whatever. As Jim noted....bareroot are indeed way more work. That said...I planted bareroot evergreens with a tree spud every year for several decades...until last year when I finally got smart and listened to CrazyEd and bwoods and bought plugs. Night and day difference in ease of planting and how my back felt when done ;)

btw...it would be a waste of time to spray before planting unless what you're spraying has greened up and is actively growing.

I went to plugs a couple years ago, much easier than bareroots. I can't give you a survival percentage but I would say it's better just because towards the end of a day of planting I just wanted to get them in the ground and with plugs IMHO it's easier to not screw them up compared to bareroots. As far as prepping I've done both and I don't think it matters much either way for me.

 

[SD51555]

Here's a thought on the spraying question. You're going to have to wait for green up like Stu said for it to have any effect. I would not wait. People smarter and bolder than I are getting geared up for a dry year. I would trade the spraying for getting your trees in as soon as possible so you can hopefully get a few spring rains to help settle the air out of your planting hole before the drought and heat kick in.

I would entertain the idea of stove pipe and spot spraying later. If I get extra time, I want to try that this year as well on last year's seedlings.

 

[SD51555]

And we've slipped into drought conditions already...

http://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/Home/RegionalDroughtMonitor.aspx?midwest

 

[SD51555]

You can only do what you can do.

*plant early
*don't skimp on root stimulants and water gel
*pray

 

[Bucks&Ducks]

One disadvantage to spraying is they can burn up from sun exposure. I have planted MN DNR bareroot and NCR plugs. NCR plugs are way easier/faster. The biggest problem with bareroots was doing everything properly when you get sore and tired.

I haven't planted long enough to give you a good number on survival rates. I think if done right, both will do just fine.

 

[bwoods11]

I am planting 500 white spruce this spring, some will be going into sod and the others intermixed with other trees. My question is do you think that it is worth the time and effort to spray roundup in the grass locations before planting. I would like to not have to but if it is deal breaker, then I will get it done.

Sometimes that really helps, other times lots of invasive weeds take over in the roundup area later in the summer.

 

[bowhunternw]

With the plugs, do you have a tool that just takes a little core of soil out big enough to slip in the plug, or is it still done with a dibble bar? Oh and where do you get this root gel at?

 

[wiscwhip]

You can order a plug tool and Watersorb from a few of the nurseries and off Amazon.

 

[Jim Timber]

I don't think rain would help us much right now with how much frost is in the ground. I'm also surprised it took that long to declare the drought. We're 8" below average on snow which is something like 2" of rain.

I guess my "ideal" scenario would be a few 1/4-1/2" showers spread over a couple weeks to just moisten things up and help chip away at the ice below. If we got any real accumulation in a short span it'd just run off down the rivers.

 

[scott44]

With the plugs, do you have a tool that just takes a little core of soil out big enough to slip in the plug, or is it still done with a dibble bar? Oh and where do you get this root gel at?

I had this same question a while ago, some other members here have made their own plug planting tools. I have used a dibble bar in the past and it worked but wasn't the easiest with the size of the plugs I had. Here is the thread I started and some responses I got. I'm going to try a bulb planting tool on a cordless drill this year and we'll see how it works, the auger is around 3" for the plugs I'm getting. If you're going with the smaller plugs you could try a smaller auger.
http://www.habitat-talk.com/index.php?threads/plug-planting-tool.2497/#post-48753

 

[Bowsnbucks]

If you're using a battery drill, I guess you have sandy soil ?? I'd need a gas powered one for the soil at camp - and that would be around the fields. In the woods - way too rocky. We have to spread the rocks w/ a dibble bar and tuck the seedlings into gaps with topsoil and mushroom compost. Tough going !! The trees ( mostly Norway & white spruce ) do fine once planted. It's the planting in the timbered areas that's time consuming - but well worth it !! More deer hanging around now !!

 

[sandbur]

Batman-my trees are coming from Itasca. You are welcome to piggyback, but I am not picking them up. Better check with Jim.

Jim Timber makes a nice plug planting tool. Lightweight and strong. I think Brooks should try it out on about 600 plugs on my place before he orders plugs.

Brooks-in all seriousness, I would order 2 or 3 species of spruce if they are available.

White, black, andnorway spruce might be good choices for you. You probably do not need black hills spruce in your heavier soils.

My order was balsam fir (for in the woods), black hills spruce for a screen along a filed edge, and white spruce for a clear cut of a few years ago. They will be somewhat mixed up as the location varies.

A mixed species stand MIGHT give disease protection/reduction int he future.

 

[Jim Timber]

I'm actually getting a mix of white and Norway for my higher ground, and blacks to feather the edge of my black ash swamp. I might plant some in the muck too, but I'm mainly looking to fill in the transition zone where the soil stays wetter but isn't inundated.

 

[sandbur]

Jim-I should have showed you the blacks I planted. I am satisfied with them and put them along the wetter edge of the white spruce planting.

 

[Jim Timber]

You've got a camera. :)

 

[nwmn]

Commercially available plug tools do exactly what you state. The one I have does not, it pushes the soil to the sides of the soil and leaves a pointed hole (in the shape of a plug). You can still plant plugs with a dibble, but IMHO that kind of defeats the purpose of using plugs.

Root gel can be had at a number of places under a number of names. Google or Bing "water absorbing gel" and you can find the amount you want at the price you want. If you were closer, I'd give you a half pound as I don't use it like I used to.

edit..just a tip on the gel...start slow. Fill a 5 gallon bucket 2/3 of the way and add the powder (buy the powder/fine gel...not the larger size particles) s...l...o...w...l...y. It takes awhile for the gel to absorb it's full weight in water. When you're done you want the pail to have the consistency of pudding. The stuff has to stick to the roots to be effective.

Stu-For each gallon of water, how much watersorb is needed? Also, I'm planting plugs, how much gel should I need? Rough ballpark figure as i'm sure i'll go heavy on the watersorb.

 

[nwmn]

Got it, i'll be placing an order soon. Thanks for the help, Stu. Doesn't hurt to try it with plugs. worst case, it makes no difference :)

Go with the smallest crystal size? Fine crystals?

Oh I know. I plan to plant trees forever. Even after the last two years of Norway spruce getting bright red. My success hasn't been very high, but something has to work out sooner or later is my theory. DOes it make sense that even after last summer with ideal tree growing conditions and such a weak winter that this would happen? It even affected my red pines and scotch pines, but not as severe as my norway spruce. Easy winter and i'm still struggling with them.

 

[SD51555]

I'm curuous how mine faired. I dipped mine is a stimulant/watersorb type product last year.