Giving Tree Farming a shot

beenthere · Aug 7, 2002

IF you are going to work this as a business for tax purposes, I recall that the IRS is pretty fussy about tree farms. Some time ago, there were publications coming from Indiana (University professor) explaining what needed to be done, and in what order they must be done, to get the tree farm properly set-up.
One suggestion would be to contact a woodland owners association hopefully in MD, and also contact Forestry people in your state. They will be able to help you with the tree plan as well as the tax plan if that is what you have in mind.

Alan L. · Aug 7, 2002

Gatorboy: The website is http://www.tree-land.com

The picture of the lacebark elm is one they planted in my daughter's back yard a couple of weeks ago. Those are great trees down here.

Henry · Aug 8, 2002

I bought about 50 trees from Musser's last spring and have had great success. It was a combo of Walnut, Chestnut, Sugar Maples, Grey Birch, Ash, and Hazelnut. Mostly 2-3 year bare root "seedlings".

Even with the bad Memorial Day frost (central PA), which nipped a lot of the new leaves, I only lost 3 trees.

I used the root dip and fertilizer tablets, but also took great care not to expose the roots to the air during the planting process (very important).

Good luck with the Tree Farm! We'll be expecting to see pictures of your progress!

dmccarty · Aug 9, 2002

GatorBoy,

Try to see if you state has any help on starting a tree farm.
NC has lots of information on its Extension Office websites.
From what I remember it mainly directed at Xmass trees which
is not what you are trying to do. But they have lots of info.

In NC the state sells seedlings for pretty much nothing. Pines
are sold in packs of 500 or 1000, I forgot which, for something
like $20. They have an website if you are interested. They
also have various packs to buy different kinds of hardwoods.
Cypress, maple, walnut, oaks, dogwoods, etc. I can spend
a few hundred dollars and have thousands of seedlings to
plant.... We have been trying to do some planting for two
years and next year it might happen... /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

If you started with seedlings I would think one would have
higher survival rates as well as getting a one or two year
head start...

I don't know if you state sells seedlings like this but I would
hope it would.

If you want the NC websites I'll dig them up for you.

Later,
Dan McCarty

Gatorboy · Aug 9, 2002

Yes, Maryland sells seedlings at fabulous prices, but one of the stipulations is that you will not grow them to sell.

MossRoad · Aug 9, 2002

Same way in Indiana. You can raise them for timber to sell, but you can't sell them as Christmas trees or nursery trees.

Fly_Rodr · Aug 10, 2002

I just started this spring, planted 200 seedlings (White Pine), will do another 800 (Pin Oak) this fall. I don't know what I'm doing yet, but I'm going to look for a tax person right away, maybe check the county ag. office. Keep us posted if you find any additional information, I will do the same.

stmiller2 · Aug 12, 2002

A good source for tax issues related to forestry is
http://www.timbertax.org/

Steve Nix maintains an excellent forestry site with a forum at http://forestry.about.com

Gatorboy · Nov 5, 2002

I just thought I'd update this thread with some of the progress (even slow progress) I've been making.

I've planted <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.pbase.com/image/6686136>100 tubes</A> with white oak acorns (2 per tube) with 3' spacing.

I've also started to transplant some trees (a , <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.pbase.com/image/6686134>Black Walnut, among others) from my woods.

I'm still trying to figure out the best way of planting -- I think I will in the future plant the seeds in a prepared bed very close together, and eventually transplant them into <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.treebag.com/>grow bags</A> placed in the ground, so that later transplanting can be done without large equipment.