Consider potential
animal damage when you select your trees, white pine may be suitable
for your soil but if deer numbers are high they can severely damage
your trees. Rabbits and mice can do series damage to hardwoods if
the weeds between the rows are not mowed.
Plan to order 700 to 900 trees/acre if your goal is to market the
timber in the future
Mixing trees in your plantation can have advantages and disadvantages.
Many hardwood plantations are mixed with 50% white pine.
|
| Step
3: |
Prepare the area
for tree planting |
| |
Preparing
the site is commonly over looked and the biggest reason plantings
fail.
Your tree planting sites should be: weed free, loose soil and free
of grubs. Some aspect
of tree planting are out of your control, like rainfall but good
site preparation can greatly increase your odds of success. Hardwood
seedlings are more sensitive to weed competition than conifers |
| |
The
ideal planting site is a field that is weed free, tilled and planted
to a cover crop
such as winter wheat at 1.5 bushels to the acre. This should be
planted prior
to planting the trees. The cover crop will reduce weed competition
and control soil
erosion. Planting into corn stubble or wheat stubble is also ideal
for planting young
trees if the field is relatively weed free and not compacted
DO NOT PLANT INTO HAY OR SOD!
The trees will have tremendous competition for water and sunlight
from hay, sod and weeds. White grubs commonly live in old hay and
grassy fields, they can feed on young trees roots which cause serious
problems. If your plating site is in hay plant corn or
wheat and than plant the trees. Or you could kill the hay with a
herbicide than plow and disk the field. Kill boxelder trees that
are in the fencerows surrounding the planting
area so they do not overtake the site with newly planted trees.
|
| Step
4: |
Sources of nursery
stock |
| |
a. |
Sheboygan County Land and
Water Conservation Department, 650 Forest Avenue, Sheboygan Falls,
Wisconsin 53085, phone (920) 459-1370 |
| |
- Minimum order of 25 trees
- Can be planted for any use
- Order forms are available late summer and early fall
|
| |
b. |
b. Wisconsin Department of
Natural Resources: State trees are sold for the establishment of
forest plantations, wildlife habitat, control soil erosion and windbreaks.
These trees may not be planted in subdivisions or platted areas
or for the Christmas Trees for future sale. |
| |
- Minimum order of 1000 trees
- Order blanks are available October 1st
|
| Step
5: |
Care of nursery
stock before planting |
| |
a. |
If you can plant your trees
within 7 days of delivery, keep them cool below 50 degrees F. |
| |
b. |
Use refrigeration if you
must store the trees more than 7 days, refrigerate the trees 35
- 40 degrees F with high humidity |
| |
c. |
DO NOT store
trees immersed in water or "heel in"
|
| Step
6: |
Planting your
trees |
| |
a. |
Plant seedlings at the proper
depth, often hardwood seedlings are not planted deep enough. You
must plant the seedlings with the root collar at the same depth
or slightly lower than it grew at the nursery |
| |
b. |
If you order in bulk cull
the runts or poor quality seedlings |
| |
c. |
Plan for roads,
trails, and walkways. Leave a minimum of 16 foot
openings for roads.
|
| Step
7: |
Plantations require
follow up weed control |
| |
Follow up weed control is
needed especially for the hardwoods to survive and grow. Herbicide
provides good weed control. Some herbicide can be applied directly
over your trees by either band spraying or broadcasted. The first
application can be done immediately after the trees are planted
or the following spring.
|
| |
WHAT HERBICIDE
SHOULD YOU CHOOSE? |
| |
|
There are several herbicides
labeled to spray over trees for weed control. A custom sprayer can
help select the herbicide best suited for your situation here are
several options.
|
| |
|
Oust -
A herbicide that provides good weed control over a variety of conditions.
It can be applied at a rate of ½ to 1 ounce/acre. It can
be used over white pine and a variety of hardwood seedlings. Apply
early in spring or late fall. It would be recommended to hire a
custom applicator.
|
| |
|
Simazine alone - Princep
or common name, simazine has been in use for many years. On light
or sandy soils use an application of 3 lbs./acre. On heavy soils,
clay apply simazine at a rate of 4.5 lbs./acre. Be sure that the
seedlings are planted well in the ground because simazine could
injure the roots.
|
| |
|
Oust and Simazine Mixture
- A mixture can be used to give a wider range of weeds controlled
and to provide longer residual control. While oust controls grasses,
simazine will provide increased control of annual perennial broadleaf
weeds. The recommended rate is 1 ounce of Oust with 2.2 to 3.3 lbs./acre
of Simazine 90 % dry flowable or 2 to 3 quarts of Simaxine 419 %
liquid. It would be recommended to hire a custom sprayer.
|
| |
WHEN SHOULD I
SPRAY? |
| |
|
It is critical to spray herbicides
at the correct time for them to work. There are two times of the
year that Oust and Simazine are effective: early spring (April to
Mid May) before weeds emerge or late fall (October 15 to November
15) after a hard frost and before the ground is frozen.
|
| |
WHO CAN SPRAY
FOR ME? |
| |
|
Attached is a list of custom
applicators that have experience in this type of work. Hire
a professional and contact them as soon as possible. They can also
give you advice on weed control.
|
| Step
8: |
Controlling Animal
Damage |
| |
Animal damage control can
be done through a number of measures: |
| |
- Mowing between rows helps reduce damage from mice
and rabbits. It also can reduce some weed competition but is
not a substitute for herbicide.
- Tree shelters can help protect the trees from rabbits
and deer. Controlling the deer herd is the better alternative.
|
