Actually, custom work is on the agenda. Tree planting of seedlings is an eight month project and most people don't realize the preparation needed for a good outcome. Ideally, in september ( this is for central Wisconsin) I like a hay field that's been cut short. In May, I spray with Round-up just as the clover/timothy is starting to take off ( you need a growing green plant for Round-up to work) but not so tall that a Round-up laden plant touches a newly planted green conifer seedling and kills it( with decidous "whips" that's not a problem). I usually spray 4 to 24 hours prior to planting- they reccomend spraying 7 to 10 DAYS before planting but I find that impracticle unless I'm planting into tall vegetation. I tried fall plowing but it's hard to get in the field early May because of poor footing and get the seedlings started at the front-end of that all important first season. One year I hit everything right only to have a more late appearing weed(morning glorys) choke out the trees. There are sprays that can be sprayed over the top but by planting a mix of conifers and decidous that precludes that.
You have to line up your trees in the Fall for spring delivery. Generally, you want the biggest seedlings you can get( 2 year transplants decidous, 3 year transplants conifers). For example, I ordered 1000 white oak 2 yr transplants ,$330; 1000 green ash 2yr transplants,$330; and 1000 white pine 3yr transplants,$150 from the Wisc. DNR Griffith Nursery at Wisconsin Rapids the firdt weekend in Oct to be picked-up April 27, 01. For each species you have to list a couple of preferences ( white/ red oak; white/ green ash; white spruce/ pine). If you buy from a private nursery you got make sure they are able to come up with the species and AGE of the seedling you want- they have catalogs that look great but can't deliver in the spring. A 1 yr red oak seedling is going to do poorly compared to a 2 yr transplant and it's just as much work for you ! Trees from the state nurseries, especially if you get into various assistence programs have restrictions about not reselling them or not developing the land they're on. Some paper companies sell seedlings ( Trees for Tomorrows, Eagle River WI) that come in a styrofoam container with cells about the size of a test tube and several hundred can be in a block of styrofoam 20 x20". The are handy to store as they have holes in the bottom and can be set in a shallow pan of water for weeks if necessary. They,however, are only 1 yr seedlings and I've had poor survival out in the field. I would reccomend these only for landscapings projects that lend themselves to ongoing watering and weed control for 2 or 3 yrs. Also I've seen these containter plants 1/2 out of the ground the next spring as the ground thaws- they have an artificial soil with peet and vermiculite and literally float out of the ground with surface water. Bare root stock doesn't do that.
I got some nice photos for the tree planting process that my computer savvy kid has to help me scale down and edit for the internet. The big unknown re tree planting is the weather. A local cheese plant has a big drive-in cooler and has stored the seedlings for up to 2 weeks until I can get in the field. Sometimes, the decidous trees will leaf out and a late frost will hit. Some will recover, some wont. A dry July/ Aug is hard on newly planted seedlings since they have little drought resistance. One year, after planting, it turned cold and rainy for 3 weeks and they never took off. Every year is somewhat of a crap shoot. There is a saying; if you want to be happy for a year plant a garden, if you want to be happy for a life time, plant trees. I believe it. There is all that equipment and tractor time, and those trees look better every year.
See " Tree Planter" under Attachments
RCH
RCH
