Tree Planting Season Starts Soon

[Bureaucrat]

What's everyone planting this year?

I'm putting in mostly cover and browse species this year; spruce and dogwood. Beyond that, I'm adding 25 siberian crab and 6 american mountainash and 6 more serviceberry.

I'm hoping I can learn how to graft in the next couple years and add to the crabs when they get bigger. Not sure if you can do it, but i've heard its possible.

[Dotch]

I've got to see how the stuff under the snow banks planted last year came through the winter first. There were a fair number of dark green arborvitae replacements put in that looked good last fall but won't know how the bunnies, deer and voles might've treated them for a while yet. I'll probably see what they've got leftover at the SWCD when the time comes and decide what might fit.

My Dad learned how to graft back in the day. He was able to save several apple trees that had been girdled by the voles by grafting the suckers into the main trunk. Looking at them some 45 years later you'd never know.

[hockeybc69]

1500 conifers(Norway pine and white spruce)

100 plums

25 elderberry

5 apple trees

And whatever else comes up between now and mid May.

[Scott K]

I am going to add another 10 crab apple, and 5 more apple for my consumption.

[Crow Hunter]

I am hoping to plant some Dolgo crabapples this spring, but the nursery recommended by folks in this forum (Burnt Ridge) is sold out. Anybody have another place to get them? Or is there another variety I should consider? I will be planting in central Minnesota. Thanks for any help.

[hockeybc69]

Check with Big Rock Trees in Wisconsin.

[minky]

I am planting 25 white pine, 25 redosier dogwood and 3 apple trees.

I ran low on money when I was ordering trees so I hope to pick up a few left over trees.

Would it better to plant white oak or red oak?

I know the deer love white oaks but red oak grows faster.

[Crow Hunter]

My understanding is that oaks typically take 20-50 years before they produce their first acorn, white oaks longer than red oaks. That is no reason not to plant them, but you are typically doing it for the next generation.

[LABS4ME]

Not true... I was in the nursery / landscape trade for 26 years. Oaks will begin regularly producing acorns around 2.5 - 3" caliper. you can easily get a red or swamp white oak there in 10-12 years or so... 15 on less than ideal soil. By the time they are 6" cal, they will really be producing...around 20 or so years... But that is not their 1st acorns.... Burr Oak will take twice as long...

Good Luck!

Ken

[Crow Hunter]

Thanks for the clarification, Labs. Your guidelines have not been my experience with the red and bur oaks on my land, but it is sandy soil, and they are depending on rainfall for moisture, likely happens faster with trees in better soil, landscape situation, etc. My larger oaks really produce some years, at the right time in a good year it can sound like it is raining with all the acorns dropping.

[AaronM]

This might be best as a separate topic, but here it goes. If I live in Northern MN and am looking for quick growing wind breaks for my home, what are my options? 5 acre lot - not the best soil. It would be a plus if the plantings could produce some type of berry or nut for wildlife.

[LABS4ME]

Buffaloberry, American Cranberrybush, Elderberry, Chokecherry, Red, yellow or Gray dogwood, Rugosa Rose, zone 3 Crab apples, Hazlenut all produce fruit/nuts that wildlife will enjoy. the crabs will for sure need trunk protection for rabbits.

To that list, Amur maple would be a good choice,along with Arctic Willow and Ninebark. These would be good choices for quick growth/color but no fruit. These will all be very large shrubs.

Large Trees? try Nor'easter Cottonwood (no cotton - sterile) or basswood. Both quick growing large trees.

Good Luck!

Ken

[Crow Hunter]

Labs, what crabapple varieties do you recommend? My land is in Wadena county, sandy soil. I have been looking for a place to buy Dolgo crabs but the suggested places seem to be sold out. DO you know a good source for crabs? Thanks.

[LABS4ME]

Two older varieties I like are Selkirk and Professor Sprenger. They may still be found at nurseries or garden centers. Both are very hardy and have medium to large fruit.

Red Splendor and Prairiefire will both be easy to find and will be zone 3 hardy.

Any of the Siberian Crab apples will be hardy up north... If you need more varieties to look for let me know.

I have friends in the landscape and garden cnter trade. I no longer have access to the wholesale nurseries as I have left that industry. I can ask my friends, but they typically sell finished plants, not liners. Let me know what you need and I can put a feeler or two out.

Good Luck!

Ken

[LABS4ME]

If your soil is extremely sandy, mix a large amount of compost into each of the planting holes to give them a good start and some organic matter...

[Dotch]

Agree with 99.9999+% of what Labs has said. The only thing you may want to be careful with is amur maple which was put on the DNR's "naughty list" a few years back. Bummed me out as I really wanted to put some in for color. Not long after that, they decided Freedom honeysuckle was a "bad guy" too. I had some of that planted already and can see how it might get loose in a wooded situation. Out in the middle of prairie pothole country? I wonder about that sometimes.

http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/invasives/terrestrialplants/index.html

Had to laugh as several of the plants on this list are commonly used as cover or forage and are sold at many seed houses. I wish them luck if they try to limit use of things like smooth bromegrass or birdsfoot trefoil.

[LABS4ME]

Nobody has probably planted more crown vetch than the state of MN! Too funny. Now they want it gone! And 75% of the grasses at WMAs is brome... They better get after that!

I agree Amur maple can spread seeds, but overall, it is a Relatively good plant for sturdy winter cover and song bird nesting. I wouldn't say its as invasive as Plants like buckthorn, but seeing it made the list, prob best to avoid planting it. Too Bad. Tough as nails! Good catch Dotch

Good luck!

Ken

[Dotch]

No sweat. I think the renowned Mr. Foss and I might've had this same discussion once upon a time. That is particularly amusing about the vetch. Not to hijack the thread but with the recent "save the bees" focus, it might be wise to consider the usefulness of some of the species especially the vetchs, sweetclover, even Freedom honeysuckle and their position on the landscape. All are bee candy. Not many whole fields of it planted anymore but in the soil bank days it was interesting when Dad drove by a field of blooming sweetclover to watch the honeybees splat off the windshield. And ya, I wish I had planted that amur maple sometimes, too. Low maintenance like me.

[minky]

How important is really good winter cover to deer survival?

I was planting trees on my land today and it just jumped out at me that next year I need to plant spruce for cover.

Over half of my land is willow and tamarc swamp where the deer like to bed.

The land looked to have been logged around 8 to 10 years ago.

I have good popular and birch regrowth.

This spring I found the most over wintering sign on my land since I have owned it, about 3 and half years.

Thanks for any advice,

Minky

[LandDr]

Minky...how important are walls, heat and the fridge being full through the winter to you? Excellent "thermal cover" adjacent or protecting excellent "food sources" are critical for reducing stress and increasing body weights for deer through MN winters.

Is thermal cover and food required? No. You will still have "some" deer, but those deer will be subject to the highs and lows of MN's winters and therefore you will see highs and lows with your deer population. If you want to see more deer, better deer and have more stable populations, then focus on thermal cover and food first and foremost...after you have those components properly designed and installed, then you can start putting in more fruiting trees and browse.

Excellent question Minky.

Land Dr

[Dotch]

Plopped in some replacement trees last night. Stuck 5 techny arbs in where some dark greens that had bit the dust. Not impressed with how they have handled the winters here since we put the corridor in although when they croak, it gives me an excuse to go out and play. Last year's replacement dark greens look good however so am keeping my fingers crossed. The techny's have been bulletproof. The bare root stock we planted back in '98 or '99 in the windbreak are getting to be 10' - 12'. Major league snowfence along with the red osier dogwood. Also stuck in 10 more Siberian crabs in some areas where they fit. I figure it should be done raining now for 2 years. Had to make a stop down in the wetland area just to see what was going on there. Checked the dryland wood duck house while the hen was off the nest and counted 11 eggs. They almost fell out of the observation door. After seeing a wood duck pair up in the tree by the house last weekend, probably not a bad idea to place another house down there. Plenty of willows to snuff out yet too. All this play turns into work after a while.

[minky]

I read an article last fall about using every piece of land when the area being improved is small.

I have a small sliver of land with swamp on one side and a dirt township road on the other.

I decided to add some white pines to the area for cover and maybe browse.

I have food plots, white pines and a few spruce, red dogwood and 5 apple trees planted on other areas of my 40.

Any other ideas for what I could with the small sliver?

Thanks,

minky

[delcecchi]

Just a couple of things. Be sure to put the paper things on to protect the leaders from deer. Also, with the apple trees, fence with a cylinder of hardware cloth up as high as you can, maybe 4 feet. I lost two apples and a plum to rabbits and mice/voles last winter, and they had plastic protectors. Voles got at the bottom and the rabbits got on top of the snow and got to the top.

Oh, and deer will eat them too, and thrash them in the fall.

[Bowfin]

Labs, what crabapple varieties do you recommend? My land is in Wadena county, sandy soil. I have been looking for a place to buy Dolgo crabs but the suggested places seem to be sold out. DO you know a good source for crabs? Thanks.

For bigger crabapples that will fall to the ground for deer and turkey try Dolgo, Whitney, Chestnut, Centennial varieties. I have had good luck with all even in wooded conditions if they get light and I fence them from deer browse and put a white plastic tube around stem to prevent damage from rabbits, mice and bucks. The chestnut crabs seem to do the best.