I am planning on planting some bare root seedlings (hard wood trees like oak and hickory) on my property in the Catskills. Since I am not at the property on a regular basis (only a few times per year) - What is the best way to make sure the seedlings will survive (besides protectors).
Since I will not be there every week to water the seedlings - Should I consider potted trees instead or use mulch?
Since I will not be there every week to water the seedlings - Should I consider potted trees instead or use mulch?
Hi Bill. The majority of my tree planting has been bare root seedlings, so I don't have much experience to compare against larger/potted/burlapped options. This has been my approach to tree planting on my property - planting as many low-cost trees as I can and see what best establishes itself. For your situation, I think bare root seedlings are a good choice because you are not always there to monitor them. (ie better to gamble on inexpensive trees). That's my opinion.
Back to my experience, I planted softwood (spruce/pine/larch) and hardwood (sugar maple/red oak) trees in 2006 in an old field. I was concerned about the trees drying out due to extreme sun and wind exposure. So I used tree tubes for everything, including softwood trees. The tree tubes collect dew/condensation most mornings that would drip down to the soil. For the softwoods, I would cut the tubes in the largest lengths I could without interfering with the branches. I then aggressively cleared out surrounding vegetation so they wouldn't be siphoning away limited soil moisture. Lastly, I mulched the areas I cleared of vegetation. The "mulch" I used consisted of heaping wheelbarrows of bark and other wood debris from beneath my wood splitter. It too did an excellent job of raising soil moisture. I didn't use weed mats but they could do the same. I'll end by saying that I still lost trees to desiccation. But considering I didn't provide any other care, I considered it acceptable losses. My losses due to the forest tent caterpillar outbreaks were much more profound... none of the hardwoods survived.
Back to my experience, I planted softwood (spruce/pine/larch) and hardwood (sugar maple/red oak) trees in 2006 in an old field. I was concerned about the trees drying out due to extreme sun and wind exposure. So I used tree tubes for everything, including softwood trees. The tree tubes collect dew/condensation most mornings that would drip down to the soil. For the softwoods, I would cut the tubes in the largest lengths I could without interfering with the branches. I then aggressively cleared out surrounding vegetation so they wouldn't be siphoning away limited soil moisture. Lastly, I mulched the areas I cleared of vegetation. The "mulch" I used consisted of heaping wheelbarrows of bark and other wood debris from beneath my wood splitter. It too did an excellent job of raising soil moisture. I didn't use weed mats but they could do the same. I'll end by saying that I still lost trees to desiccation. But considering I didn't provide any other care, I considered it acceptable losses. My losses due to the forest tent caterpillar outbreaks were much more profound... none of the hardwoods survived.
Always plant bare root: the root system is fibrous and spreads naturally, optimizing form, health and wind firmness. Carefully root prune to ensure that roots spread out in the wedged-open hole, which you can make with a tree planting shovel(designed for reforestation) that you turn around backwards and drive straight down-then back cut to close the wedge. You can also place jiffy peat pellets in the woods to collect native seed, and grow for 1 Summer and plant.
Plant the root collar slightly above ground so that you can feel the top lateral roots spreading out. Do not bury the stem. Microsite selection: select the shaded side of a log on really exposed sights, plant a collective of trees together so that they can share nutrients, increase wind-firmness, and diminish buck rub. Roll the log away after the summer to eliminate mice habitat. DO NOT MULCH-mulch prevents the soil from warming enough for early root growth and it prevents all but the biggest rains from moistening the soil. It rots the stems, absorbs nutrients, and it is NEVER done in British Columbia where they plant millions of bare root and plugs. Instead, dip roots in a mycorhizzae dip to keep them moist, and carry seedlings in a bag-never a bucket of water. Scrape a micro-V trench uphill of seedlings to direct more rain to roots. Plant mounds which warm up earlier, helping root growth, especially if you are planting a species that likes drained soil. Never plant potted or BandB-defective root form. AND, NEVER EVER PLANT A TREE ON ITS OWN. There is a book on the hidden life of trees.
Plant the root collar slightly above ground so that you can feel the top lateral roots spreading out. Do not bury the stem. Microsite selection: select the shaded side of a log on really exposed sights, plant a collective of trees together so that they can share nutrients, increase wind-firmness, and diminish buck rub. Roll the log away after the summer to eliminate mice habitat. DO NOT MULCH-mulch prevents the soil from warming enough for early root growth and it prevents all but the biggest rains from moistening the soil. It rots the stems, absorbs nutrients, and it is NEVER done in British Columbia where they plant millions of bare root and plugs. Instead, dip roots in a mycorhizzae dip to keep them moist, and carry seedlings in a bag-never a bucket of water. Scrape a micro-V trench uphill of seedlings to direct more rain to roots. Plant mounds which warm up earlier, helping root growth, especially if you are planting a species that likes drained soil. Never plant potted or BandB-defective root form. AND, NEVER EVER PLANT A TREE ON ITS OWN. There is a book on the hidden life of trees.
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