Tree planting sweetspot... and recommendations requested

[Dadnatron]

We purchased 84ac of beautiful mildly rolling pasture in the Lexington KY area. It was row cropped for several years and tobacco before then. Most of it is cleared field, with only a few large trees. I have a spot which has around 20 4-500yo blue ash which are on their last legs (They'll likely outlive me, but there are no young ones at this point.) There are also a few other trees (black cherry unfortunately for me). I have a spring in one are that has many black walnut and buckeye. And then there are the few scattered oak of various sorts and ages here and there.

I would like to plant MANY more trees of all sorts. But unfortunately, I didn't think of this 20 years ago, so I am a little behind. I'm running up on 50yo, so I will be around for a while hopefully, but I'm not going to get the Mature Tree benefit from most of what I plant. However, I would like some decent trees of decent size ASAP. But... I recognize my wallet might not be in favor of transplanting 12" oaks and whatnot at this point.

So... I need recommendations and opinions.

Kentucky forestry has seedlings 1yr old predominately, available for $35/10. This is a great price, but I likely wouldn't see any benefit overall before senility kicked into my life. I am thinking about planting an area to serve as a nursery though. Never know when I might want to be planting some 10yo trees down the road.

But what I'd like from you is to know where you think the 'sweetspot' is for $$$ vs tree size? I recognize that is a vague question given the sweetspot varies depending on the size of the bank account. And while I'm not swimming in $$... I'm certainly willing to put some money into this endeavor. How much... well... I really can't say because I don't really know what I need.

I'd like to have some LARGE trees along my driveway. I'd like to have some large trees scattered throughout my property, along fences, etc. All in all, I suspect if I could snap my fingers, I'd like an additional 70-100 trees over my acreage. If I could pick, I'd choose LIVE OAKS... heh... but then I don't live in that area. But I KNOW I don't want Evergreens.

I'm not to particular on 'what' type of tree if it fills my thought of what a tree should look like. I'm thinking about oaks and whatnot for my ideal shaped tree. These will be primarily separate from one another. This will be more of a 'land scaping' type planting rather than a woodland type planting. I want them far enough apart in their locations to grow into the typical rounded single tree shape or a rough approximation depending on location. (ie the trees along the drive will probably be a little closer together at maturity.) I've looked at Tulip Poplars as a quick growing tree.

I'd also like ideas about planting fruit/nut trees. I grew up with a small orchard at my Grandparent's house, but haven't dealt with them since. I don't really want lines of trees (except along the drives/roads).

Basically... I can use any and all thoughts about trees, planting, timing, and whatever else you can think about to help me make these decisions. The most desired thought however, is what type of tree will meet my 'size' needs early and then I can intermix a lot of the slower growing trees. Cost vs size vs outcome is really what I am looking at.

I will have a hydraulic auger on my FEL and can rent up to a 36" tree bit. I've even thought about purchasing a used tree spade if it would make sense, and sell down the road. I would be willing to purchase 'excess trees' from neighbors and move them to my place, if it made sense. It would make MUCH more sense if I had a large spade.

I have so many thoughts and so little information, I'm hoping you all can set me on the straight and narrow.

 

[joeu235]

My grandfather planted pecan trees from pecans when he was 70. They are now a beautiful grove and I think about him every time I see the trees.

Those super inexpensive trees from the forest service will be something to remember you by for generations.

 

[Streetcar]

I planted a mixture of evergreen and oaks. 100 trees
Got 4 yr old trees that can be seen from tractor
Bought at cold stream farm out of Michigan
Bought some fruit trees from stark brothers

 

[Redlands Okie]

Nice thing about a mix tree of types is less issues with disease or insect problems later.

 

[fishheadbob]

I've planted maybe 20,000 trees over the decades; mostly conifers (Christmas Tree grower) but that number includes perhaps 2,000 hardwoods, and I manage about 20 acres of mature northern hardwoods. I started with 400 walnuts 45 years ago and am still planting.
For large trees I'd start scouring local nurseries and garden shops. Winter is coming those places don't want to overwinter inventory and might be agreeable to a large scale deal. They won't be #1s as they're leftovers but they should be decent and keep you busy for a while, and they will be varieties appropriate for your area.
Buy the large auger. A tree spade is mostly for transplanting. Expect to pay $5000 and up for a decent used 36" spade, more for a larger one. You may want to surf around looking for one but I don't think you need it at present unless you go ahead and buy trees with large rootballs. Most spades are set up for skidsteers and while converting them to FEL or 3 point isn't hard there's a reason guys who use them a lot use skidsteers. There's also a question of how much spade your 5100 can handle, they're heavy.. A fair sized spade, but just how fair I cannot guess.
I never liked the state nursery in New York. While the prices are a little less than commercial nurseries, so is the quality. None of the professionals I know use it; I cannot speak towards the Kentucky state nursery.
The internet is crawling with commercial nurseries selling every sort of tree under the sun; familiarize yourself with who is out there, what sells for how much, and the hard part, who is good and who just has slick web pages. For larger trees a semi load can make sense, but you have to unload them in a hurry and keep them healthy until you get them in the ground, and then you still have to keep them happy for a few years until they're established enough to go it on their own.
Smaller trees will probably need weed control, maybe deer protection, maybe fertilization. Larger trees will need staking and maybe some of the aforementioned stuff.
Anyway you have your work cut out for you physically and mentally. Start learning, try to avoid mistakes cause we all make them, and most of all, good luck.

 

[Ford850]

I've purchased from Cold Stream Farm and had good luck. In higher numbers they have excellent prices and the stock I received has been very healthy. For my property, Tulip Poplar and Black Cherry are probably the fastest growing trees. I have planted many hundreds of bare root seedlings, some that I started from seed on my own. I have also planted thousands of nuts/seeds which works out well for broad areas. I found a good source for seedlings is under large maple, hickory, and oak trees, near the edge of a woods so there is lots of light on the ground, and in soft soil. In early spring you can pluck hundreds of little seedlings and replant them while they are fresh.
Wholesale Shrub & Bare Root Tree Nursery in Michigan | Cold Stream Farm

 

[Dadnatron]

What size of tree is the best to be planting?

What I am trying to determine is whether I get a reasonable 'bang for my buck' purchasing a larger tree and at what point is a 'bigger tree' not going to be appreciably better than a smaller tree?

If I purchase a 3" vs 1" caliper vs a seedling... Where (in your opinion) is the sweetspot?

Maybe a better way to ask is... Will a 3" tree be appreciably bigger and more mature than a seedling in 5 yrs and 10yrs, given equal care and conditions? Say for Oak, sycamore, and black walnut? And what I mean by 'bigger' is driving by... will it be a big difference in overall 'appearance'... not specific measurements. This is more of an aesthetic question.

Also what about for nut and fruit trees? How much do I gain by purchasing larger nut and fruit trees and would it be much different in 5 yrs? 10 yrs? This is more of a production question.

And does anyone have any experience with Chinese chestnuts? Filberts, Hazel nuts, etc? Other generally eaten nuts? I've never had a nut that didn't come out of some container, but I'd like to give it a go. I have tons of black walnuts, but this year I'm too busy to deal with them. Hopefully next year I'll at least get to give it a try. This is purely for personal/family enjoyment, not for sale in any way.

 

[rd_macgregor]

I gave up buying seedlings, since the price didn't yield very many trees in the ground. For the past couple of decades, I've been planting from seed. Mostly, I've planted red oak, but also English oak, English/Persiann walnut and butternut. I have little oaks all through my woods and along the lanes through the fields. The biggest that were planted from seed are probably only 10' high. My biggest oaks are a row of English oaks planted along a lane nearly 20 years ago from 8' tall saplings; these are now over 20' tall with nicely rounded canopies and DBH approaching 12".

WHERE they are growing makes a huge difference...shade, soil type, soil moisture, competition.
Seedlings planted back in the woods 20 years ago aren't much over 6' high, but ones planted at the same time, but getting more light, might be 20'. Wildlife can be problematic for young trees' survival as can competition from other vegetation (especially when planting from seed or with very small seedlings).

 

[forgeblast]

I am in my 9th year of a CREP planting, Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program. We enrolled two acres of old pasture land that was eroding. In that we were cost share the amount of the trees, tubes and labor. I then get a rental payment for the 15 years. Once thats done I can do what I want with the property.
I planted a mix of hardwoods that were appropriate for the moisture issues in that part of the property. I planted butternut, black walnut, pin oak, sugar maple, white oak, and bushes (required so many trees and bushes). 5' tubex tree tubes were a must. The deer would have eaten everything down, while the voles would have taken out the rest. I did all my buying through Lawyer Nursery. The trees are all out of the tubes now and doing great. I have been able to reuse the tubes to plant more black walnut in other parts of my property.

 

[Dadnatron]

All of these trees will be basically 'full sun'. Mostly, I am trying to improve the aesthetics of my property but also to add a bit of fruit/nuts as well. But most trees will be purely aesthetic in nature. I don't have wind problems, but I do have a short 80yd spot that I'd like to grow a tree break to block the neighbors grain silos. They are within 10yds of the property line. I was thinking about those long skinny poplars... can't think of the name right now.

Water and fertilizer is up to me, so I can do it optimally. When established, I suspect they will get all the water they need simply by rain. Area is within 15m of Lexington KY. I think the area is ideal for most of the trees I am interested in, basically because I want only trees which will do well here.

But overall, I can't believe I will be adding more than 100 or so trees to the entire place. That might not turn out to be accurate in the end, but it seems about 'right in my thinking'. Might be short and 200 might be where we end up. Just depends.