The Woods ... mistakes I'v made

[OakSeeds]

The use of conifers (e.g., Blue or Norway Spruce) as road screens or thermal cover bedding areas is a topic often discussed on deer-habitat related sites. For folks not employing apple trees as part of their habitat management efforts, or those incorporating CAR resistant apple cultivars, ERS might be a good choice for a variety of reasons. ERC are extremely drought resistant, will grow much better than spruce/pines in high shade areas, thrive in poor soils, are impacted very little by disease or insects, and are equally-or-more -dense (with much less width) as a screen than other conifers. Their ability to handle drought (especially when newly planted) and grow reasonably well in moderate to dense shade are attributes worthy of consideration. Many folks probably believe their growth rate is inferior to spruce/pine; however, it can be enhanced greatly with 2 simple steps. Reducing competition by employing a 4' X 4' piece of landscape fabric at planting, and fertilizing correctly to ensure good growth and hearty development. Here is the secret ... for fertilizer use limestone rock (aka white rock) as mulch on your landscape fabric and a couple of handfuls of triple-13 for the first 3-4 years. Soils where ERC grow well include .... dry, limestone soils (adaptable). sandy, sandy loam, medium loam clay, clay, rocky, Limestone-based, Caliche type. In m any areas they are readily available at low or no cost. Try them, I don't think you will be disappointed.
These trees were relocated about 6 years ago (transplants .. probably a couple years old when transplanted)... using fabric and limestone at relocation. During most of the year, they receive very reduced sunlight.

Update ... attached are 3 photos - #1 shows a BS and a ERC that were planted 20' apart on the same day several years ago (at least 6 yrs). They are planted just inside the edge of a woods and receive way less than full sun for most of the growing period each year. #2 photo exhibits the BS ... please note it's size and lack of density (can pretty much see through it) ..., #3 photo reveals the larger size and density of the ERC. Since the growing conditions were pretty much the same - if not identical - for both trees, this very small experiment provides support for the discussion above.

 

[Mortenson]

That's great growth for a 6 yr old cedar! Your plan works well. Treestand behind them too? They volunteer here in most open places. We let a few pieces of pasture fill in with them, but the locusts are right along side when the mowing ends.

 

[OakSeeds]

Transplanted some dormant chestnut trees today; these were 2 yr old container trees with good root development. The trees have great structure and caliper; they should really take off this spring and summer.

 

[OakSeeds]

Another miserable mistake .... not advising a landowner against transplanting several clumps of pampas grass from his yard (wife liked them so they lined the north edge of their yard with PG) to an open area near the edge of a woodlot. He moved them 3 yrs ago and now he wants to plant shrubs like wild plums or ninebark. I told him he could hit them a couple times with gly after they started growing, but the best way to be sure to get all of their root materials (he wanted to replace them this spring) is to dig them ... especially in early spring when the ground is mellow and plant roots are not tightly bound with the soil.
Biggest (and dumbest) mistake was me offering to show him how to dig a couple of them to get all the roots. Yuk! Check out the root balls on thse 2 plants. While many consider PG to be an invasive species, I haven't ever heard of anyone who had it reproduce from seed in the area; still, I told him I would destroy the PG and replace with MG if he wanted to screen the area.

 

[OakSeeds]

Frequently people ask questions about growing chestnuts and especially Chinese chestnuts. Attached is the best read about selecting, growing, prunning and maintaining Chinese chestnuts that I have ever encountered. Please pay special attention to planting requirement and care during the first couple of growing years. Hope this piece is an enjoyable read for you and helps you in your efforts to successfully grow Chinese chestnuts. Good luck to all!
http://www.centerforagroforestry.org/pubs/chestnut.pdf

 

[Davewp]

hey oakseeds, thanks for sharing article. very nice

 

[Davewp]

Biggest mistake...PROCRASTINATION. Sometimes just getting project started has helped most. AND Most take more time than I have.

 

[Telemark]

I feel like I'm procrastinating, but the weather really is awful.

 

[Davewp]

I feel like I'm procrastinating, but the weather really is awful.

was tired, road muddy, worked full time job, was snowing, only 33 out...yep. So went out and only planted 25 of my trees. didn't want to, but time is limited. Today, sunny temps up to 50, finished last 65, took a lunch, made a day of it. But tree planting (for this yr) is done. point being, always an excuse, Im guilty of having done that too many times

 

[Davewp]

not learning the value of a wedge sooner when using chainsaw.

 

[OakSeeds]

Protecting young trees from damage from deer or other critters is essential for the health and development of the trees. Virtually all of you probably know that. Even though I know that, my procrastination could have cost me as couple of good oak trees. Photo #1 (bad news) shows pretty severe damage of a young oak tree (couple of years ago) by probably a mouse (height of damage and location suggests a mouse); note the trunk of the tree was not surrounded by grass or weeds where a mouse could live/nest. Photo #2 (good news) shows the same tree is recovering nicely after 2 yrs with wound healing nicely (oak trees grow from the inside outward). Photo #3 indicates I made the same goof this spring by removing the protective wire from around the trunk of another columnar oak tree (after greenup with lots of clover, etc available and the trunk needed a bigger piece of wire). It appears Mr. bunny decided he still liked chewing on oak bark ... my fault for not putting the larger wire on the trunk. I believe this tree will make a recovery but it will probably retard growth for a couple of years. Hate to possibly loose trees after they have been in the ground for a couple of years. Fellows ... protect those trees!

 

[Bill]

It's always something

At first I thought your ground cover girdled the tree. I've had that happen.
On a side note, if I get time I'm trying your transplanting 1/2 a mature clump of MG this week. I need 8 full plants in just the right place.

 

[TreeDaddy]

My biggest problem has been field mice in tree tubes

Less so with cages

bill

 

[OakSeeds]

Today I discovered another rabbit chew; thought I would share it to show how damaging the effects. I planted a row of 7 Regal Prince (columnar white oaks) last fall to create one leg of an L-shaped screen (I am planting the second - staggered - row this spring) plus 5 more in the other leg of the screen. The trees in this row of 7 are 18 mo old. Photo #1 shows the line of RP trees, photo #2 shows the healthy tree next to a tree that has barely leafed out (slow uptake of nutrients and water). Photo 3 shows the weak tree, photo 4 shows the last 5 healthy trees, and photo 6 shows the rabbit damage. The effects of this minor chew are severe and strongly retard growth.





Ouch!

 

[OakSeeds]

The trees in the photos of the previous post are all columnar white oaks; thought you folks might appreciate an update on these tree types. It turns out there are two versions of the hybrid cross between columnar English White Oaks and Swamp White Oaks. While both are columnar shape in form, there is one important distinction ... their respective "spreads."
The CWO sold as Regal Prince is a cross between a columnar English Oak (Robur fastigiata) X Quercus bicolor (SWO) titled warei 'long' Another CWO is sold as Kindred Spirit - a cross between an English CWO (Robur) fastigaiti X bicolor (SWO) titled nadler. The Regal Prince - 'long' - grows taller than the nadler and has a spread of 18-25.' The Nadler is 20-35% shorter and has a spread of only 6-8' ... probably much better for use as a screen (maybe on the north side of a food plot). The CWOs in the photos in the last post are "Nadlers" ... I'm experimenting with using them as a living screen with mast. Attached are photos of specimen Nadler trees that all have grown to over 7' in 5 years or less .. all have full, tight structures with heavy leaf production. From my experience, they grow robustly when protected, devoid of competition and fed.



I am planting two rows of Nadler CWO with the trees in the second row "offset/staggered" so they fill the gaps between the trees in the 1st/front row. I figure in 7-8 years,
the living screen should be at least 9-12' tall (plenty tall enough for hiding deer) AND capable of providing mast over time. Since they could be an attractant to deer (food source)
it probably wouldn't be wise to use them for road screens or to separate boundry line with neighbors who hunt deer. They would be great for interior screens.
Note, the Nadler version seems to be harder to locate in urban settings than the Regal Prince. Try contacting larger landscaping firms and ask if they have incorporated any CWO in projects they comlpleted and the location of these trees. Best of luck!.

 

[OakSeeds]

Since many folks visiting this site are planting chestnut trees, I thought some may find this Michigan State Univ. article about pruning chestnut trees helpful. Enjoy! :-)
Many of the chestnuts I planted when I first started planting them have less than desirable shapes; I go after the pruning shears much sooner with experience. Much too easy to end up with a "raggity" bush if some are merely left alone.

http://www.canr.msu.edu/chestnuts/horticultural_care/pruning

 

[OakSeeds]

Japanese Beetle alert .... they are out in full force in the central midwest ... . trying a new method this year on neighbor's pear (ornamental) using Dominion 2L (Imidacloprid / termitacide ) as a systemic insecticide (soil drench in late March). This article indicates this method will work; however, I don't believe I would use it on mature chestnut trees if I intended to eat any nuts off a treated tree. Nice thing about the systemic method .... one and done. This will work great on small chestnut trees (1-6" caliper) and oak trees .... 1/5 - 1/2 ounce in a 5-gal bucket of water spread around the tree 12" from trunk. Bingo - dead bugs! 27 oz of Dominion 2L is about $20 at do your own pest control. For sufficient uptake, chemical must be applied 2-3 months before bugs appear. Good luck.

Chemical insecticides FROM THE WEB
Chemical insecticides are available that kill adult beetles (and many other insects as well). Two of the more common choices include carbaryl, found in the product Sevin, and acephate, found in Orthene. Active ingredients such as these can be found in many different product names. I've just listed two of the most common.
Unfortunately, chemical controls such as these are non-selective. A chemical is very effective in controlling pests but can kill just about any insect that comes in contact with it, including beneficials and pollinators. If you resort to these control measures, please exercise appropriate care. Be sure to apply late in the day or evening and when winds are calm to minimize the adverse impact.
A more "selective" control method against adult Japanese beetles is a systemic insecticide named imidacloprid. This active ingredient is sold under various product names, including Bayer Advanced Tree and Shrub Insect Control. (only .74% solution & expensive compared to Dominion 2L - 21% solution) This product is applied to the soil as a drench, and it is taken up through the roots. The active ingredient is not transmitted to an insect until foliage is penetrated or consumed. In this way, non-pest insects such as lady beetles and honeybees are not harmed.

Here's where I get mine .... read label for mix rates very carefully
https://www.domyown.com/dominion-2l-termiticide-concentrate-p-1223.html

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Thanks for the info OakSeeds. ^^^^ I'm using the Bayer Advanced Tree & Shrub Insect Control on my trees at home for Protection against Spotted Lantern Fly. Soil drench.

 

[OakSeeds]

Your welcome BnB's; I try to post ideas and information that might be useful to fellow habitat junkies. The Bayer product had a solution concentration rate of 1.47% until a little over a year ago. Don't know what happened to influence the change (now .74%); perhaps they got skiddish about some liability aspect. Their product also has a small amount of nitrogen in it ... to help with the uptake of the insecticide. That's why they say the product also feeds your trees/shrubs ... just not very much! Anyone who chooses to use the Dominion 2L should throw a handful of triple 10 or 30 under the drip line to assist uptake of the chemicals. I suspect the larger the tree/shrub, the greater the lead time for application since it will take longer for dispersal of the chemical throughout the tree (especially to the outward parts of the crown where new flushes of tender leaves attracts the beetles). For 3 to 8/9 year old chestnut trees, it won't take much chemical (one to a couple gallons of solution) to provide year long protection against jap beetles and other insects.
Using Dominion 2L as a soil drench will also protect against spider mites in spruce trees in the same fashion. At any rate, I find it safer and more convenient than spraying foliage; especially in years with frequent rainfall that requires multiple sprays. Hope you have continued success with whichever product you use.

 

[Mortenson]

I noticed they changed the concentration of the Bayer blue jug also. I have a yard ash I'm trying to keep alive. Think it'd be advised to up the rate a little, ya know, since they got skittish?