Hi - I would like to fill my 5 acres of dirt with trees. I was going
to start with seeds.
Instead of trying to plant the whole 5 acres and haul water all over
the place, what do you thing of planting everything in tight rows to
begin and then transplanting later. The rows would be wide enough for
a rototiller, but the seeds would be very close (1 or 2 feet). This
would give a manageable area to maintain until the trees are a foot
tall. Any thoughts? Thanks.

On Mar 13, 7:50 pm, wrote:

Will they all be the same species? If not, different species of
trees, obviously, grow to different sizes, and some trees like the
shade of others (Dogswoods in particular), so their positioning to
each other and the sun is important. But besides that, rows of trees
won't look very natural when reach mature size. That said, I say mix
them up and mark each planting with a stake instead of doing rows.
Finally, instead of running a rototiller between the plantings to
keep, I'm assuming, the the weeds down, you're better MUCH better off
with a 3-foot circle of mulch around each planting.

Patrick


Hi - I would like to fill my 5 acres of dirt with trees. I was going
to start with seeds.
Instead of trying to plant the whole 5 acres and haul water all over
the place, what do you thing of planting everything in tight rows to
begin and then transplanting later. The rows would be wide enough for
a rototiller, but the seeds would be very close (1 or 2 feet). This
would give a manageable area to maintain until the trees are a foot
tall. Any thoughts? Thanks.

wrote in message
oups.com...
Hi - I would like to fill my 5 acres of dirt with trees. I was going
to start with seeds.
Instead of trying to plant the whole 5 acres and haul water all over
the place, what do you thing of planting everything in tight rows to
begin and then transplanting later. The rows would be wide enough for
a rototiller, but the seeds would be very close (1 or 2 feet). This
would give a manageable area to maintain until the trees are a foot
tall. Any thoughts? Thanks.

Buy trees from the state nursery, they are already one year old, easy to
transplant, and depending on species, should run you about $50 to $75 per
acre. Easier, and in the long run (considering labor) cheaper.

On Tue, 13 Mar 2007 20:10:00 -0600, "dstaples"
wrote:


wrote in message
roups.com...
Hi - I would like to fill my 5 acres of dirt with trees. I was going
to start with seeds.
Instead of trying to plant the whole 5 acres and haul water all over
the place, what do you thing of planting everything in tight rows to
begin and then transplanting later. The rows would be wide enough for
a rototiller, but the seeds would be very close (1 or 2 feet). This
would give a manageable area to maintain until the trees are a foot
tall. Any thoughts? Thanks.

Buy trees from the state nursery, they are already one year old, easy to
transplant, and depending on species, should run you about $50 to $75 per
acre. Easier, and in the long run (considering labor) cheaper.


And, you can plant them into containers and use dripline watering till
you are ready to plant them.

On Mar 13, 8:50�pm, wrote:
Hi - I would like to fill my 5 acres of dirt with trees. *I was going
to start with seeds.
Instead of trying to plant the whole 5 acres and haul water all over
the place, what do you thing of planting everything in tight rows to
begin and then transplanting later. *The rows would be wide enough for
a rototiller, but the seeds would be very close (1 or 2 feet). *This
would give a manageable area to maintain until the trees are a foot
tall. *Any thoughts? *Thanks.

You'd need to be extremely young if you plant seed. It'll be like ten
years before a seed goes from seed to a 1"-2" caliper wanna-be tree...
and that's for most trees worth growing. Without knowing where your
land is located it is difficult to offer more meaningful advice other
than a lot of wild speculation. It would be helpful to know where but
also very helful to know what, like what exactly do you want to
accomplish... an evergreen forest, hardwoods/nut n' fruit, wildlife
refuge, specimen plantings, etc.... plus what kind of soil and
moisture availability exists. All other parameters aside, I strongly
recommend you forget the planting trees from seed concept, not for
five acres. I know I couldn't, the wildlife would make quick work of
those seeds. I recommend sapplings but still you will need to fence
them or they won't be there 24 hours later... I know any I planted
would be eaten by deer that first evening.
If they'll grow in your zone I think softwoods are your best bet...
Norway and blue spruce make a nice mix, with some dogwood peppered
about. Other trees will be planted by wildlife dropping seed,
especially birds... the trick is to get a habitat forest started
quickly, then the progression will take care of itself.

Sheldon wrote:
On Mar 13, 8:50�pm, wrote:
Hi - I would like to fill my 5 acres of dirt with trees. �I was going
to start with seeds.
Instead of trying to plant the whole 5 acres and haul water all over
the place, what do you thing of planting everything in tight rows to
begin and then transplanting later. �The rows would be wide enough for
a rototiller, but the seeds would be very close (1 or 2 feet). �This
would give a manageable area to maintain until the trees are a foot
tall. �Any thoughts? �Thanks.

You'd need to be extremely young if you plant seed. It'll be like ten
years before a seed goes from seed to a 1"-2" caliper wanna-be tree...
and that's for most trees worth growing. Without knowing where your
land is located it is difficult to offer more meaningful advice other
than a lot of wild speculation. It would be helpful to know where but
also very helful to know what, like what exactly do you want to
accomplish... an evergreen forest, hardwoods/nut n' fruit, wildlife
refuge, specimen plantings, etc.... plus what kind of soil and
moisture availability exists. All other parameters aside, I strongly
recommend you forget the planting trees from seed concept, not for
five acres. I know I couldn't, the wildlife would make quick work of
those seeds. I recommend sapplings but still you will need to fence
them or they won't be there 24 hours later... I know any I planted
would be eaten by deer that first evening.
If they'll grow in your zone I think softwoods are your best bet...
Norway and blue spruce make a nice mix, with some dogwood peppered
about. Other trees will be planted by wildlife dropping seed,
especially birds... the trick is to get a habitat forest started
quickly, then the progression will take care of itself.


Where I live, an old cornfield got reforested by white "paper" birch
trees standing 10 feet tall in about 14 years naturally. Sugar maples
grow fairly quickly as trees go too. If you want oak, figure on it
being your children or grandchildren enjoying the mature trees.

--
Remove the TOS star ship captain to send me a private message.

BR wrote:
Sheldon wrote:
On Mar 13, 8:50�pm, wrote:
Hi - I would like to fill my 5 acres of dirt with trees. �I was going
to start with seeds.
Instead of trying to plant the whole 5 acres and haul water all over
the place, what do you thing of planting everything in tight rows to
begin and then transplanting later. �The rows would be wide enough for
a rototiller, but the seeds would be very close (1 or 2 feet). �This
would give a manageable area to maintain until the trees are a foot
tall. �Any thoughts? �Thanks.

You'd need to be extremely young if you plant seed. It'll be like ten
years before a seed goes from seed to a 1"-2" caliper wanna-be tree...
and that's for most trees worth growing. Without knowing where your
land is located it is difficult to offer more meaningful advice other
than a lot of wild speculation. It would be helpful to know where but
also very helful to know what, like what exactly do you want to
accomplish... an evergreen forest, hardwoods/nut n' fruit, wildlife
refuge, specimen plantings, etc.... plus what kind of soil and
moisture availability exists. All other parameters aside, I strongly
recommend you forget the planting trees from seed concept, not for
five acres. I know I couldn't, the wildlife would make quick work of
those seeds. I recommend sapplings but still you will need to fence
them or they won't be there 24 hours later... I know any I planted
would be eaten by deer that first evening.
If they'll grow in your zone I think softwoods are your best bet...
Norway and blue spruce make a nice mix, with some dogwood peppered
about. Other trees will be planted by wildlife dropping seed,
especially birds... the trick is to get a habitat forest started
quickly, then the progression will take care of itself.


Where I live, an old cornfield got reforested by white "paper" birch
trees standing 10 feet tall in about 14 years naturally. Sugar maples
grow fairly quickly as trees go too. If you want oak, figure on it
being your children or grandchildren enjoying the mature trees.

Depends on what you mean by "mature". When I moved
into a house in Altadena, CA in June 1990, there was an
oak sapling underneath a centuries-old oak tree in the
front yard. The sapling probably had a diameter at the
base of about an inch and a half, at the most. Unknown
to me at the time (the seller was a crook who concealed
significant material damage to the house), the old oak
tree was diseased, and I had to have it removed some
time around 1994. The tree removal crew managed not to
damage the young sapling. I sold the house in 2000.

Today, that former sapling has a base a good nine
inches (at least) in diameter, and the tree is close to
17 feet tall, and about as wide. It obviously has a
good way to go to match its parent, which had an oblong
trunk about six feet in one dimension and about four
feet in the perpendicular direction at the base, but it
is well on its way.

On 13 Mar 2007 17:50:11 -0700, wrote:

Hi - I would like to fill my 5 acres of dirt with trees. I was going
to start with seeds.
Instead of trying to plant the whole 5 acres and haul water all over
the place, what do you thing of planting everything in tight rows to
begin and then transplanting later. The rows would be wide enough for
a rototiller, but the seeds would be very close (1 or 2 feet). This
would give a manageable area to maintain until the trees are a foot
tall. Any thoughts? Thanks.


To what end? Are you looking for a tree-farm, low maintenance
yardage, a privacy barrier, an orchard, a nursery, or animal habitat?

I agree with Patrick
Contact some local tree people and see if you can get wood chips delivered.
Leave them in a pile for a year and then you will have some great mulch.
I would stay away from fresh chips.
Look up mulch http://www.treedictionary.com/


Sincerely,
John A. Keslick, Jr.
Arborist
http://home.ccil.org/~treeman
and www.treedictionary.com
Beware of so-called tree experts who do not understand tree biology.
Storms, fires, floods, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions keep reminding us
that we are not the boss.

wrote in message
oups.com...
On Mar 13, 7:50 pm, wrote:

Will they all be the same species? If not, different species of
trees, obviously, grow to different sizes, and some trees like the
shade of others (Dogswoods in particular), so their positioning to
each other and the sun is important. But besides that, rows of trees
won't look very natural when reach mature size. That said, I say mix
them up and mark each planting with a stake instead of doing rows.
Finally, instead of running a rototiller between the plantings to
keep, I'm assuming, the the weeds down, you're better MUCH better off
with a 3-foot circle of mulch around each planting.

Patrick


Hi - I would like to fill my 5 acres of dirt with trees. I was going
to start with seeds.
Instead of trying to plant the whole 5 acres and haul water all over
the place, what do you thing of planting everything in tight rows to
begin and then transplanting later. The rows would be wide enough for
a rototiller, but the seeds would be very close (1 or 2 feet). This
would give a manageable area to maintain until the trees are a foot
tall. Any thoughts? Thanks.