Trees for sandy soil

[Nova]

My son bought some acreage with a ton of grass/pasture on it and he wants to plant a bunch of trees this spring. The soil is pretty sandy, but holds enough water to grow decent grass. What are some good trees that will grow on sandy soil plus are a benefit to deer habitat and browse? Faster growing trees would be a huge plus.

 

[Telemark]

Aspen.

 

[ksgobbler]

I wouldnt plant trees. I would be planting sandhill plums. Tallgrass prairie is the most endangered ecosystem on the planet.

 

[homerj]

https://extension.psu.edu/trees-shrubs-and-groundcovers-tolerant-of-dry-sites
https://lancaster.unl.edu/hort/articles/2004/plantssandysoils.shtml
https://extension.umn.edu/tree-selection-and-care/recommended-trees-minnesota
https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/treecare/righttree-shrub.html

 

[Freeborn]

What are your goals, food or cover? Cover I would use white Spruce unless your soil is really sandy and then I would go red cedar. I would be careful with any cedar as it is hard on Apple trees as it causes cedar Apple rust. For food I would plant a mix of American Plum and Red Splended Crabapple. If you plant allot of the crabs a small percentage will provide 1"-1-1/2" apples which deer will eat. You will need to protect the deciduous tress as the deer will eat them quickly as seedlings. Depending on goals 500-1000 of each variety will provide allot of food and browse once established.

 

[PoorSand]

On my sand, red pines and Dolgo seedlings are the easiest to grow.

 

[Tap]

We toured a property in Michigan a few years ago which is known for sandy soil.
They had a lot of speckled alder.
It made great cover.
I planted some here. Bucks like to rub mine but the trees seem to handle the damage okay. They just regrow below the rub.
They browse it a little, but I really didn't want alder for food for fear they would eat it to death. It grows fast and can handle wet feet, too.

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[buckdeer1]

In Kansas I agree plant sandhill plums, but in MN I am sure they have other varieties that survive the temps better.I would check with whatever department in the state that offers programs or assistance in habitat improvement.In Kansas it's WHIP or the NRCS

 

[rocksnstumps]

Native plums are done before Labor Day in WI or assume MN and rot very quickly if they lay on the ground. I would go crab apples over plums as major planting and ok do a few plums for a little variety. Crab apples also grow much quicker than plums on my somewhat sandy loam soil here. YMMV.

Agree that aspen aka popple is a good tree for sandy areas if not beach sand and great browse.

 

[bwoods11]

In MN my sandy soil farm standouts... plum, Black Hills Spruce, Red Cedar, Cotoneaster, Norway Pine, and Bur Oak. Oak needs good moisture.

 

[Freeborn]

American Plums just finished dropping on my place and are a preferred browse. My place is sandy gravel and as part of a 50 acre NRCS planting they planted all the varieties I suggested. If you cage some of the plums so they get established and then Later cut off the leader you will get an explosion of suckers as the shrub starts to Create a thicket. Crabs and American Plum are great browse.

 

[Nova]

He wants food and cover. He is surrounded by ag fields so cover is a higher priority. I thought about aspen, but in 5 years when the branches get above the browse line are they any benefit? I put 1500 aspen on my place 22 years ago and I haven't seen any benefit to deer since about the 5 year mark other than some cover, but the lower branches die off quickly and don't make much of an understory. Maple is another tree that grows good on sandy soil, but again great browse when they are young, but I don't see a benefit after the 5 year mark. Maybe I am wrong, please correct me if I am.

 

[homerj]

He is surrounded by ag fields so cover is a higher priority.

Sounds like planting a mix of pines and spruce would be the way to go to me

 

[j-bird]

My soil is very coarse with very little clay....not sure I would call it sandy. All that said the 2 primary oak species I have on my place naturally are chinkapin and burr. I'm not saying they are a solution for you....but these may be worth at least looking into. I am not sure if they are even native as far north as you may be. Other options would be to see if you can get access to other nearby properties that have trees and see what is growing there. You want something a little different if you can, but sometimes your choices are limited and even if the cover is just like the neighbors.....it beat it just being grass (unless it's native grasses). The department of forestry may be a good place to see what they recommend as well. Just some options....

 

[Freeborn]

If you are looking at cover #1 and you have Ag around you I would think about a central sanctuary of evergreens (spruce/pine/cedar) with continued lines of movement in evergreens that follow any natural trail today. Work in stand locations to intercept the deer along the lines of movement. Your tree plantings (crab/plum) can also be used as lines of movement but they need to be 3 rows or more to be most effective. In my case they planted a cool season grass (Timothy) in between the three row plantings that gets 2-4' tall depending on moisture that helps the deer feel secure. Add food plots where they benefit you and you should have the start of a plan. If you have the opportunity to plant WSG I recommend it as its much faster to establish than trees and provides good cover.

 

[bwoods11]

Red Cedar (although many consider invasive) is almost bulletproof on survival and is great for cover!! Very little brows pressure.

 

[Ben.MN/WI]

If you want thick cover on sandy ground I'd plant lots of American plums, red cedars, ninebark and some wild crabapple varieties. Red cedars are browsed here during bad winters but left alone most of the time and plums are browsed year round. Crabapples will provide both cover and food both when young and when fully established. I would also pockets with red pines for future ground blind (and eventually treestand) locations. Cage the red pines individually for 5 years to prevent rubbing and browsing and then pull the cages to put around something else. I'd add a couple random cottonwoods or hybrid populars in slightly wetter areas for future stand trees. I planted some cottonwoods and hybrid poplars in 2007 and they are big enough to hang a portable stand on now.

Once the above trees are planted you could add random other trees in future years for variety. I'm thinking burr oak, a few spruce, gray dogwood, etc. You'll also likely have a bunch of volunteer trees show up and I'd leave a bunch of them as well provided they don't crowd out the good stuff. Nature is pretty good at filling in the gaps eventually.

I'd also add visual screens by any road frontage.

If you are working with a blank slate, I'd really spend some time thinking about how you will kill the deer on this new place before you start planting anything. It's easy to go overboard and plant so much that the deer have too many options on where to bed and where to feed that it is harder to kill the deer you want.

It sounds like you have a lot of options and hopefully the deer cooperate. Take lots of pictures along the way since it will look way different a decade from now.

 

[Tap]

He wants food and cover. He is surrounded by ag fields so cover is a higher priority. I thought about aspen, but in 5 years when the branches get above the browse line are they any benefit? I put 1500 aspen on my place 22 years ago and I haven't seen any benefit to deer since about the 5 year mark other than some cover, but the lower branches die off quickly and don't make much of an understory. Maple is another tree that grows good on sandy soil, but again great browse when they are young, but I don't see a benefit after the 5 year mark. Maybe I am wrong, please correct me if I am.

You have to cut them when they start getting too mature. They will sucker and stump sprout.

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[broom_JM]

Of all the trees I've planted on really sandy soil, hazelnut seem to be doing the best. They are a very good overall wildlife tree/shrub, although deer won't hit them too hard. Managed properly, they make a great living hedge/screen.

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[Telemark]

Interesting. I just found a bunch of hazel trees in our hunting terrain and am making plans to layer and stool them. I'm getting very interested in hazel and its many uses.