White Spruce VS Norway

[Foggy47]

I got some bare root white spruce trees on order from our county SWCD spring sale. I think I need to cancel these and instead get some plugs. Not sure where I can order plugs for this spring (in central MN). Suggestions??

 

[Cool Hand Luke]

I live at 5000 ft of elevation, avg rainfall of 13 inches. Zone 5 A, pH of 7.3 and a heavy ish clay. Its gravity irrigated “ so there is intermittent total soil saturation. I have Blue spruce, black hills spruce, Norway spruce, jack pine, ponderosa pine, Jeffery pine, Doug fir, Balsam fir some unidentified conifers I dug up and transplanted and finally Austrian or Black pine.

The Black Pine has the best appearance of a privacy screen. It also grow as fast as any.

As a side note, I am really excited about the red cedars I transplanted from Minnesota.

I would like to find a tree that produces edible pine nuts.

But if I buy any more conifers, it will be black pine.

Never heard of black pine. I’ll check into it!


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[BuckSutherland]

I got some bare root white spruce trees on order from our county SWCD spring sale. I think I need to cancel these and instead get some plugs. Not sure where I can order plugs for this spring (in central MN). Suggestions??

I went away from plugs. Back when I did mass planting the deer would simply jerk the plugs out of the ground. Most young plugs are quite desirable to the deer. I think bareroots get anchored a little better. My poor success with plugs was a major reason I switched to bigger trees and cages. I got sick of wasting money. Had 1,000s of plugs fail mostly to deer browse. Dinner mints.


If you are set on plugs you could order from Itasca Greenhouse if you have a minimum $250 order (tree total). Otherwise I think that Jake Blow and some of those other local habitat guys get some of their own plugs. I'd rather plant 10-15 potted trees (1-2 gallon) over 100 plugs all day long.

 

[Foggy47]

I went away from plugs. Back when I did mass planting the deer would simply jerk the plugs out of the ground. Most young plugs are quite desirable to the deer. I think bareroots get anchored a little better. My poor success with plugs was a major reason I switched to bigger trees and cages. I got sick of wasting money. Had 1,000s of plugs fail mostly to deer browse. Dinner mints.


If you are set on plugs you could order from Itasca Greenhouse if you have a minimum $250 order (tree total). Otherwise I think that Jake Blow and some of those other local habitat guys get some of their own plugs. I'd rather plant 10-15 potted trees (1-2 gallon) over 100 plugs all day long.

Maybe that is what I should do. Good advice. I just need to screen the area where my shed and pole barn are located. Two rows of spruce about 40 - 50 yards long. Where do you buy the potted trees??

 

[bigboreblr]

I have read white spruce is best for heavy clay. Spruces are not fans on clay soil.

Ive had one or two die over the winter. Might of fungal needle cast.

will post some pics when i get back home next week

 

[Bowsnbucks]

I'd recommend taking lots of pictures before and during the planting process since it is always nice to be able to look back at the old pictures years down the road

I wish I'd have taken pics back then. What a difference from then to now!

 

[BuckSutherland]

Maybe that is what I should do. Good advice. I just need to screen the area where my shed and pole barn are located. Two rows of spruce about 40 - 50 yards long. Where do you buy the potted trees??

I order all of my potted trees from the local SWCDs. Most of those sales are on right now and pickup is usually towards the end of April. Every county is a little different. 1 gallon pots are about $12. 2 gallon pots are about $18. Some SWCDs are more expensive than others. Sometimes I also see potted trees at Runnings, Menards and sometimes Costco. Menards and Runnings are expensive. The trees at the SWCD sales are always very nice. Excellent quality.


If you want fast growth white pine is probably the fastest, but they should likely also be protected with a cage. All of my pine grows way faster than spruce. I have pretty sticky clay. White pine getting full sun should keep their bottom branches for a couple decades.

 

[bigboreblr]

I wish I'd have taken pics back then. What a difference from then to now!

I take winter and summer pics of each fruit tree. I take general pics of my mulberry and spruce trees. Same with food plots, overall and a closeup. Also take pics of problems, like new fruit tree pests.

Great for pruning reference. Pics also spruce up conversations better on here too

 

[Foggy47]

Buck......Thanks for posting that price list and the info on potted trees. I'm going to call my County SWCD and see if they will get me some potted trees like that. Seems worth it to me. I got a post hole digger with a 12" bit....and sandy ground. Should go quick and easy. Gotta figure how many trees and get this done.

 

[bigboreblr]

Prepping spot is better than dibbling.

I got a 13hp 20" hydraulic rototiller. Spread lime n a little fertiluzer and peat mods. Run down the line. Dip the tiller in about 4ft for each spot 2 wide. Rough dig out rhe loose stuff. Then spread a little more line n fert n peat.

If doing right before planting pass on fert. Or lighrly spribkle fertilizer away from roots in hole. Easy to make awesone plant sites sonewhat quickly.

if ypu can prep a few months before planting, resulrs are really good. Can fully corrext soil pH. Right before planting keep the lime like 3/4 ton acre max for site in clay. My roughly 36"x48" long spot needs a little less than a 1/2lb of line. About 2 ounces is a 1/2 lb.

If waiting for lime a few months i do a fukl coffe cup to a spot.

 

[BuckSutherland]

Buck......Thanks for posting that price list and the info on potted trees. I'm going to call my County SWCD and see if they will get me some potted trees like that. Seems worth it to me. I got a post hole digger with a 12" bit....and sandy ground. Should go quick and easy. Gotta figure how many trees and get this done.

Here is a sample of the trees I get from Meeker SWCD.


These were 2 gallon norway spruce from a couple years ago.






On the left is a Meyer spruce and on the right is white cedar. 2 gallon pots.

 

[Foggy47]

Here is a sample of the trees I get from Meeker SWCD.


These were 2 gallon norway spruce from a couple years ago.

View attachment 73970




On the left is a Meyer spruce and on the right is white cedar. 2 gallon pots.

View attachment 73971

How many pots can you get in that pickup truck bed?? No doubt this is the way I need to go. I'm too old to wait for years and years of growth to happen.

My red pine (regen) trees will grow 2 to 3 feet per year on my sandy soils in many years. The reason is....most of my land is only a few feet above the water table. Once the tap root gets down a ways....those trees grow like gang-busters. Even young trees here seem to grow pretty fast.

 

[BuckSutherland]

I would easily be able to get 100+ 2 gallon pots into my truck box if I wanted to. They stack together nicely.

 

[Cool Hand Luke]

I’m sabotaging my own thread. Can anyone tell me what the Earth Way spreader rate selector piece thing is supposed to look like mounted l? I ordered mine from Amazon a few months ago. Unboxed and cheap plastic piece with the wing nut was never punched out for the bolt. I have no idea what it’s supposed to look like mounted and it’s all Chinese to me.


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[bigboreblr]

I’m sabotaging my own thread. Can anyone tell me what the Earth Way spreader rate selector piece thing is supposed to look like mounted l? I ordered mine from Amazon a few months ago. Unboxed and cheap plastic piece with the wing nut was never punched out for the bolt. I have no idea what it’s supposed to look like mounted and it’s all Chinese to me.


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Lets see a pic of the part and the overall model earthway makes several different ones.

 

[Cool Hand Luke]

Says it’s a 2750. The first pic is the part I drilled out. The second shows the part that was loose in the box.

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[Cool Hand Luke]

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[Tree Spud]

Says it’s a 2750. The first pic is the part I drilled out. The second shows the part that was loose in the box.


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Doesn't the "L" bracket go on the backside of the gauge with screw through gauge center?

 

[Cool Hand Luke]

Must be like this to act as a stop?

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[Cool Hand Luke]

Though online it shows a big hole in the “gate handle”?

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