Thinking about growing trees...

[PapaPerk]

Thinking about growing trees on my land. Would start from seedlings and grow till they are around 5 to 6 feet tall.... then dig up and sell.

Does anyone do this? It seems like a good way to make a little money off my land with minimum effort on my behalf.

Tree's I'm considering are apple, white pine, pear, etc.

Thanks for any feedback... positive or not. :laughing:

 

[Stick895]

Don't see why not, although I'm not sure about white pine, but the rest apple, pear, cherry, oak, hickory at least absorb a lot of CO2. I'm doing the same sort of thing when I finally build my place, I'm going to landscape it with the small trees growing elsewhere on the property.

 

[TripleR]

Not the same, but maybe similar. We reforested about 45 acres on a couple of farms and it was actually quite a bit of work. While our sons planted several acres, we hired a crew to do most of it with hand tools. My brother owned and used a tree mover mounted on one of our tractors to get free trees out of fence rows and move others. Our experience was unless you have the right equipment, it is pretty labor intensive.

Our experience might not be typical though, we did not invest in a tree planter which would speed things up.

 

[dave1949]

This is obviously location dependent, but there are nurseries that have growers to produce their stock. FedCo in Maine is one example. Also, look for specialty food/medicinal producers. A few years back, a company was looking for people to grow elderberries for their products here in Maine.

You would have tech support, a known market, etc. if you get involved in this way. Staying below the retail level can avoid a lot of hassles.

 

[forgeblast]

If deer are around you will need to tube or fence them in. If you have voles you will need to tube them. I would also think that planting on a grid that lets you get in to dig them out would be a good plan too. My crep land is planted on a 15x15' grid, but if you were going to dig out with a tractor you might want to go a big larger.
Also like dave said can you make a profit on a 16.oo apple tree? thats what hd/lowes will sell them for. Unless you decide to specialize and go herloom variety/cider variety. Shrubs around outside of your trees might be a good idea too.

 

[Cranky]

Do you have enough water to irrigate the trees?

Don’t know what part of the country you are in, but in Texas many people got into the tree farm business a few years ago. The industry was not heavily regulated and it was relatively inexpensive to do so.

Fast forward a few years to the drought, bad economy, housing bust, etc. The market is over saturated with failing tree farms. People are closing their tree farms and selling their trees for 40 – 60 cents on the dollar just to recoup as much money as possible.

I might consider a cut your own Christmas tree type operation.

 

[greasemonkeyok]

Education and long-term planning are obviously important to success. An interesting story to read relative to the success of transplanting trees using Root Control Tree Bags is:

About Smart Pots - Container Growing, Container Gardening, Hydroponic Gardening

Alex got the idea of using tree bags from watching a road crew lay down Phillips PetroMat, a porous road fabric.

 

[forgeblast]

Cranky is right, I get a newsletter from Lawyer nursery and they often report on the state of the industry. For the last few years it has not been good.
Now if you were just going to do seedlings, contact your local ag dept, have them put you on a list for crep(conservation plantings) stock provider you could get some business that way.

 

[Misfire]

Thinking about growing trees on my land. Would start from seedlings and grow till they are around 5 to 6 feet tall.... then dig up and sell.

Does anyone do this? It seems like a good way to make a little money off my land with minimum effort on my behalf.

Tree's I'm considering are apple, white pine, pear, etc.

Thanks for any feedback... positive or not. :laughing:

OK, that got a good laugh here, especially the minimum effort part. You are describing a nursery operation. They are a labor intensive agricultural business, not something that provides a fast buck for little effort. For additional laughs, price a tree spade for your tractor.

If you want good advice on how to put your property work, you will have to describe it in some detail, including your geographic and political locations. Then folks can offer advice based on local knowledge, not speculation.

 

[Mark Page]

Digging them out is a chore, then you need to ball them in burlap which is a bit of an art. In these parts it's cut your own Christmas trees that will turn the best profit with the least input. A 6'-7' Doug Fir brings $60.00 and you can get ag zoning on your land. You'll put in some long hours during the Holidays and get to see some great family arguements over which tree to buy.

 

[greasemonkeyok]

Digging them out is a chore, then you need to ball them in burlap which is a bit of an art.....

Not if you use tree bags.

 

[Fossil Farm]

What is your definition of minimal effort? You do not just plant trees and sell them when they are whatever size you want to sell. Evergreens need to be sheared to a shape acceptable to your buyers, fruit trees need to be pruned to allow sunlight into the center for good production, there is mowing, spraying (depending on your diseases), digging (then purchasing topsoil to fill in the holes), watering if needed, marketing, and a whole host of considerations if you are planning on making a profit. Talk to a few Christmas tree growers and/or a few nurseries to see how "minimal" the work will be and be profitable. Might be more profitable to cash rent your land to a grain farmer depending on your location and needs. It is your call, but gather as much information as possible before making a decision. Good luck.

 

[PapaPerk]

Very good points gentlemen.

My minimal effort comment is relative. Minimal effort compared to raising tobacco, corn, cattle, strawberries, veg, etc. Mowing around a few trees, watering them and pruning them is "minimal" effort.

We have large consignment auctions around here where people will sell white pines that are burlaped. They usually go for $125 a piece in lot of 6.

My biggest concern is digging the trees. I have move 20' white pines and it's a pain. One consideration is to hire a tree spade but that cuts into my tight profit. But it maybe worth it.

Thank u for the input!

 

[ncnurseryman]

A tree spade is the only way to go and they are expensive. That is the primary reason I have not bothered with growing B&B trees, plus here in nc the trees are so cheap you would have to sell thousands to recoup the cost. There are nurseries that specialize in selling bare root tree liners that some other nurseries then plant into their fields for future B&B sales but this all requires labor, planting equipment, pruning and time before they are ready for sale. An easier way to do it is buy the size and type bare root liners that you want and plant them in containers and sell at a retail price. That is what I do. It's easier and a quicker turn around. However, you still will need an aged pine bark planting media (not soil), commercial grade slow release fertilizer and you will still need to water daily, prune and maintain them. Hope this helps some.

 

[randy41]

there are literally millions of unsold planted nursery trees in the county i live in. a lot were planted and then the market for them dried up. have you thought about growing christmas trees for direct sale?

 

[Misfire]

Any time you decide to make money using your land in any way, you should check on the tax advantages and consequences prior to turning the first shovelful of dirt.

Tax laws vary across jurisdiction, of course, and the US government is, well, the US government. US tax treatment for trees differs whether they are sold "on the stump" or not. Growing trees can be done as either a business or investment. Crops that take over a certain length of time to grow to harvestable size can be a capital gain. It's all quite complicated. Using the residential land attached to your home to grow a crop can change its tax status if you decide to sell it and move.

This website is one of the best resources for timber and Christmas tree growers. Even forest owners who aren't planing to market any timber should read it.

Advice on property tax rates and other state/local tax treatment because of agricultural activities should be sought from competent local sources. Relying on advice and anecdotes from individuals in other jurisdictions is not a good idea.