Where do you get your trees?

[bkln]

I'm trying to update my front and backyard with some nice trees, looking to add some paper birch. I have scouted the web and local stores for prices and they are all over the place from $10 for a baby planter to $400 for semi-mature tree. Which is a better approach? To get them already big (for a price) or start small or even from seeds and hope for the best. What are the pros and cons to either besides the sticker price. What did you do on your property? Any tips on DO's and DON'Ts? Thanks....

[ATbuckhunter]

Id say to start small. The older they are, the less likely they will be to successfully grow. I have moved a few older tree's, but they were out of the ground for a very short period of time. 

[ATbuckhunter]

Heres one thing you can do that helps shorten the growing time. If you can find someone that has a paper birch tree, you can take a cliping and plant that. I have don't that with most of my tree's and it works wonders. My father used to do it back home when he was on the farm. Its relatively simple to do and can take a few years off the growing time. 

[bkln]

Good tip AT, thanks. Does this go also for a wild paper birch growing somewhere in the woods? I can get plenty of cuttings from there. And then what? Normal "growth hormone treatment" in the glass and then plant it when they develop roots? That's easy and cheap too :-) I like it, worth the shot I guess.

[growalot]

Depends on the species and your  needs/ expectations. Some just grow faster than others. I like Musser's, Rain tree, Some Wal-Mart trees.

Edited February 25, 2017 by growalot

[ATbuckhunter]

5 hours ago, bkln said:

Good tip AT, thanks. Does this go also for a wild paper birch growing somewhere in the woods? I can get plenty of cuttings from there. And then what? Normal "growth hormone treatment" in the glass and then plant it when they develop roots? That's easy and cheap too :-) I like it, worth the shot I guess.

Well you could go the route of using hormore treatment, but I never did. All I did was put it in water for a day or two and then plant it in the ground. You could also just take a clipping, make a cut in the bottom inch of the clipping, stick a corn kernal in that and plant that in the ground  and stick it in the ground. Make sure you take a good sized clipping from the past years growth and plant it pretty deep. You want to cover at least half of the clipping in the dirt. Anything covered in dirt will sprout roots. Make sure the cuttings you take are cut at a 45 degree angle. I have planted 15 trees like this and only 3 died (i believe a dog killed those tree's because they did well for months until one day they just died). My father has also done this many times with my grandfather as well as my other grandfather doing it as well more times then he can count. The benefit of this is you can take 10 or more clippings from a tree and you should have a some that make it and just pick the healthiest of the bunch. It also helps that the only cost associated in this is the dirt if you choose to buy it. If you like, I could make a video of this when I prune my peach and fig tree's. 

There is a better and more efficient way of doing it that has been passed through the generations in my family, but its very hard to explain over a message. 

[TACC]

Well you could go the route of using hormore treatment, but I never did. All I did was put it in water for a day or two and then plant it in the ground. You could also just take a clipping, make a cut in the bottom inch of the clipping, stick a corn kernal in that and plant that in the ground  and stick it in the ground. Make sure you take a good sized clipping from the past years growth and plant it pretty deep. You want to cover at least half of the clipping in the dirt. Anything covered in dirt will sprout roots. Make sure the cuttings you take are cut at a 45 degree angle. I have planted 15 trees like this and only 3 died (i believe a dog killed those tree's because they did well for months until one day they just died). My father has also done this many times with my grandfather as well as my other grandfather doing it as well more times then he can count. The benefit of this is you can take 10 or more clippings from a tree and you should have a some that make it and just pick the healthiest of the bunch. It also helps that the only cost associated in this is the dirt if you choose to buy it. If you like, I could make a video of this when I prune my peach and fig tree's. 
There is a better and more efficient way of doing it that has been passed through the generations in my family, but its very hard to explain over a message. 

This I would love to see a video of .

It definitely would benefit the area

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[ATbuckhunter]

13 minutes ago, TACC said:

This I would love to see a video of .

It definitely would benefit the area

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No problem. I'll be pruning them somewhere from mid march to early april based on the weather. 

[bkln]

+1 on the video I would love to see that too. I read whole bunch of stuff about it and they all pretty much repeat what you already said. Unfortunately no one around has birch trees but I found today nice cuttings in the wild just couldn't get to it (too thick and too high), will get some more gear and get them tomorrow. The fun starts now :-)

[ATbuckhunter]

5 hours ago, bkln said:

+1 on the video I would love to see that too. I read whole bunch of stuff about it and they all pretty much repeat what you already said. Unfortunately no one around has birch trees but I found today nice cuttings in the wild just couldn't get to it (too thick and too high), will get some more gear and get them tomorrow. The fun starts now :-)

I wouldnt risk planting them now as it can be very stressful this time of year. Unless you want to start them off inside your house or heated area. It might be fine to do it now, but I personally wouldn't take the risk. But since its free, I guess go ahead and try it. Shoot me a reminder in about 2 or 3 weeks so I don't forget to record it. 

[bkln]

Got this baby today, a little bigger than I thought, it's about 8 ft. I will keep it warm and wet for a week or so then it will get planted, some freezing temps coming up tonight my shed will keep it safe I hope.

 

Edited February 26, 2017 by bkln

[bkln]

Why is it sideways? How do I rotate this thing, this is not the original pic.

[ATbuckhunter]

What you'll want to do is plant it at least a few feet into the ground and prune off some of the lower branches that will not be covered with soil. You shouldn't have to worry much about the ones that are being buried as its more surface area for roots to develop. I never kept it more than a few days in water, but a week should be alright. 

[bkln]

How deep should it go? I already trimmed some bottom stuff, you saying the next two branches can also go?

[ATbuckhunter]

Bury it at least 4'. When me and my father planted our fig tree's we covered 75 percent of each branch. The reason is you expose more surface area to sprouting roots. The better the root's the better the tree. Although we didn't have 8' branches to plant. Id bury those two branches if possible. You don't have too, but it can help. 

[sailinghudson25]

Did you check out the NYSDEC nursery plant sale?   They ship to most counties' soil and water district office around april 21st. 

I got 100 10" or so arborvitae, 100 red dogwood, 100 praire willow, and 25 red cedar for about $150.   IT's enough to surround 2 1/4 acre food plots 2 rows thick.

They got tons of other goodies. Soil and water districts also have their own plant sale.  Some got nice extras the DEc doesn't like permissons, fruit trees, plum trees.  Also, with most shrubs, plant some, then clip them in a few years to get 10 times as many.

 

Their site explains each tree and shrub and have great tips on spacing and prep.  I highly suggest you buy dutch white clover if your preparing ground around the tree or shrub.  It grows slow, so you dont need to mow it often.

Look up agriform tablets.  Also, start looking for mulch.   Keeping thos translant moist helps a ton.  Having a means to water them during dry spells makes a huge difference.  Plants go dormant dont wake up right away.

 

Deer like seclusion to get comfort.  I am plant this to break up a huge open area.  I am making two corridors to get to the food plot too.  A 10 ft wide hiking path between an exisitng hedge row with 2 rows of preffered edible shurbs on the other.

Odd shapes and encouranging deer to walk a bit different than the prevailing winds.  I have limited treestand sites due to few trees.  I'll see if this will work.

[bkln]

wow, I checked NYSDEC nursery plant website and the prices are amazing, too bad paper birch is out but I will keep an eye on it. How's the quality, do they reach like 80% of growth rate per container? (as in 8 out of 10 will grow just fine). This is a great resource, thanks.

[sailinghudson25]

They do not post a success rate.  You are the success rate.  IF you plant it right in the right area and the proper way.  I've seen 2 or 3 die out of 100 planted.  IF the critters get into it, or you planted it wrong, or you whack a couple when moving, then it goes down.

 

Willows and dogwood.  They're easy.   The willow like water, so you need to get them down enough.  

White cedar or arborvitae, they're trickier.  They need to be planted the right depth, they need to not be choked out by weeds, they could use a fertilizer tablet, or agriform tablet as its called.

 

The animals will try to kill them.  Rabbits munch on the trunk of arborvitae, so I got to cover them somehow.  The same goes with fruit trees  Dogwood and willow no worries.  IF you look around locally, you can find wilows to harvest.  Now is the time before the plant wakes up.

I ordered, praire willow, american chesnut, white cedar, red stemmed dogwood, and red cedar.  The red cedar is to fill in open spots in a privacy stand.  The chestnut is from corner trees in a open area foodplot.  This is for the buck to have hanging branches over scrapes.   I'm putting then in corners of the property as well as the food plot. 

The praire willow is an experiment in a remote area I hunt where little grows.  I have tons of space to plant these.  I'm trying these willows, some dogwood, and some pussy willow someone is harvesting for me.

I got a .3 and .1 acre plot Thats is a large yard.  I'm making a surround for it with these plants, and making 50 yard travel corridors to connect active trails coming from the brushed up old farm fields in the back where I can;t hunt.  I'm trying to fool the deer their daylight secure place is a bit closer than it was........   I don't mind shooting the dumb ones......

The Delaware county soil and water district has good info on planting instructions.  go to their plant sale page, then scroll down to the bottom for link on planting and fertilizing.  Also, you local county has their own plant sale, so they might have some goodies NYSDEC doesn't.  Black berries, permissons, and plums are good.

https://www.dcswcd.org/

I prepped my spots.  I liightly tilled and limed the top 3 inches last week.  In 3 weeks I will seed and roll in dutch white clover, but be a bit easy on the fertilizer and only use 6-24-24.  Too much nitrogen will make the weeds perk their ears up.

I am also mulching aroung these plantings.  I got wood shaving and straw cleaned out from a goat pen.  Old stuff sitting around.

Old leaf clippings, grass clippings, or formal bulk mulch will be good.  They say keep 2 or 3 inch circle clear, than much around that maybe 6 to 8 inch thick circle.  I'm doing some of the dogwood and all the arborvitae like that.

I am experimenting with 18 inch square cardboard cut outs as a way to keep moisture in and weeds out.  One solid piece and another variety with some holes poked into it.  See if that works.  I can get all the cardboard I want from work.

 

The dogwood and willow could be seeders...   You plant them in the most ideal area in groups.  Then in 2 or 3 years harvest the cutting to spread them around.

[Otto]

I know this is true of larger trees, and probably true of seedlings too......Don't push the mulch right up to the bark, it will encourage rot and kill the tree.  You want to make a little volcano around it.  

[ATbuckhunter]

Just figured I'd see if anyone is still interested in a video of me showing what to do with clippings? I'll be doing it either this weekend or next weekend weather permitting.


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[monahmat]

Just figured I'd see if anyone is still interested in a video of me showing what to do with clippings? I'll be doing it either this weekend or next weekend weather permitting.

I'm interested. I have a couple apple trees that are coming down when the snow is gone but I'd like to take clippings to start new ones.

[chas0218]

On 2/25/2017 at 11:46 AM, bkln said:

I'm trying to update my front and backyard with some nice trees, looking to add some paper birch. I have scouted the web and local stores for prices and they are all over the place from $10 for a baby planter to $400 for semi-mature tree. Which is a better approach? To get them already big (for a price) or start small or even from seeds and hope for the best. What are the pros and cons to either besides the sticker price. What did you do on your property? Any tips on DO's and DON'Ts? Thanks....

I got my apple, and pear trees through chemung co. soil and water district. I also bought some raspberry, Concord and Niagara grapes. Good prices on them. They had all sorts of different trees from oaks to maples, and ornamental shrubs.

Edited March 23, 2017 by chas0218

[TACC]

Yes absolutely the video is what I would love to see the correct procedures

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[sailinghudson25]

Deadline for the county soul district sale is coming.  Get an order in?

Check out the Delaware County soil and water district, they have good instructions with seedling transplants. 

Get some rooting hormone from a garden center.  This will help with transplants from cuttings like tips of birch trees.

Collect a bunch of gallon jugs, cut the top open, poke a hole on the bottom, put a few rocks on it.  Go around and fill the jugs with water at the base of the planting.  Best way to water them.  Get a way to move 50 to 100 gallons of water to the plants.  

Watering fruit trees during a hot spell helps too.  5 gallons on a tree can make a huge difference in yield during a dry spell.

Edited March 25, 2017 by sailinghudson25

[ATbuckhunter]

I'll probably be doing it this week. Weather after today should be favorable for pruning. I'll have videos with both peach and fig trees. The idea will be easier to understand with the fig tree as the branches will be around the same size as what you'll be planting.


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