When?

[buckvelvet]

So I have trees in the nursery, snows going away rapidly. Starting to really think about when I need to get these trees moved by. I am taking about 15 or so out of the nursery to their final spots if the weather holds up as projected after being so inconsistent this winter i'm wondering if I can even wait until March.

 

[Neahawg]

Man BV I'm in a whole different climate then you and have been planting since December. But whenever you think your past the point of the soil constantly freezing and unfreezing is when I would plant.

 

[chummer]

If you can dig a hole you can plant. I am usually planting when there is still snow on the ground, although it is usually end of April.

 

[Tree Spud]

Trusting the long term weather forecast for me would be today till the end of the week. Planting this early I would worry about a cold front moving in with unexpected below freezing temps. If they are dormant and then start breaking bud, may be a problem.

 

[Jhoss]

Just instinctively...my ground is still frozen. And we still have 6 weeks of winter and always the possibility of an Alberta Clipper bringing 10 below for a week or more. I wont start pruning until mid March - just to let the coldest part of winter pass. I dont think there is any rush.

 

[Corey Peterson]

BV Isn't the ground froze solid right now in Michigan? I'm in zone 5 in NH and you' need to shovel a couple feet of snow and get a jack hammer to plant anytime soon!

 

[buckvelvet]

BV Isn't the ground froze solid right now in Michigan? I'm in zone 5 in NH and you' need to shovel a couple feet of snow and get a jack hammer to plant anytime soon!

Nope we got bare ground all over here. Wild weather, 50s from friday to tuesday. :(

 

[4wanderingeyes]

Right now I am hoping we in the north dont end up with a repeat of last year, early thaw, and everything greened up and started to bloom, then had a late frost. Wiped out any chance at apple, or acorns around me. Because of that, I went hard on fall foods to try to help supplement the herd some. I know my couple acres dont make a different though.

 

[DeerfieldApples]

I'd give it another couple of weeks. If the forecast still looks warm after that then go for it. I'm in SE MI and think we are 3 weeks away from green tip at earliest. Hopefully more like 5-6 weeks but I do think its going to be an early one.

 

[buckvelvet]

I'd give it another couple of weeks. If the forecast still looks warm after that then go for it. I'm in SE MI and think we are 3 weeks away from green tip at earliest. Hopefully more like 5-6 weeks but I do think its going to be an early one.

The next few days of 50+ won't help slow it down.

 

[bueller]

I'd be willing to bet that it will be a bad year for apples in the north again. Even if it gets cold in the coming weeks everything is going to be ready to pop earlier than average and a late frost/freeze is bound to happen. I just hope it doesn't kill the acorn production like it did last year.

 

[buckvelvet]

We had a bunch of acorns last year, kind weird aint it? Fruit was a huge year too last year on the lake shore. However we had 10 degree temps all of February last year, this year well, its 57 on Sunday, WTF? Sometime late next week gives us the start of 2 weeks of 30s during the day and teens at night. I'm not sure what to expect but if this warm spells gets any of my nursery trees to pop, i'm in trouble.

 

[bueller]

We had a bunch of acorns last year, kind weird aint it? Fruit was a huge year too last year on the lake shore. However we had 10 degree temps all of February last year, this year well, its 57 on Sunday, WTF? Sometime late next week gives us the start of 2 weeks of 30s during the day and teens at night. I'm not sure what to expect but if this warm spells gets any of my nursery trees to pop, i'm in trouble.

Are any of your nursery trees currently in individual containers? If not and assuming you don't have an insane amount, do you (or anyone else) think it could be beneficial to dig them up now while they are dormant and put them into individual pots before they "wake up" until you are ready to put them in their final resting places? At least then there would be less disturbance of the roots at planting time vs trying to plant bareroot trees that are no longer dormant.

 

[buckvelvet]

Are any of your nursery trees currently in individual containers? If not and assuming you don't have an insane amount, do you (or anyone else) think it could be beneficial to dig them up now while they are dormant and put them into individual pots before they "wake up" until you are ready to put them in their final resting places? At least then there would be less disturbance of the roots at planting time vs trying to plant bareroot trees that are no longer dormant.

I have a little over 50 in my nursery, 16 of them i am moving this spring. I'm not gonna individually pot them now. I will mass transplant them when the time comes but I see what your getting at though. It make sense...

 

[roth2000]

My ground is definelty frozen but we are projected in the 50 and even touching on 60 by the beginning of next week. Very little snow cover at the moment and sure to be all gone by next week. I hope this warm spell doesn't last to much longer, though I wouldn't be caught dead saying that around here.