Tree planting

[IthacaJeff 151]

Hi WH'ers:

We are looking to plant as many trees next year as we can afford -- privacy

evergreens, fruit, and some hardwoods. Any of you folks out there know of

some good spots in central NY that sell reasonably priced balled and burlaped

trees?

Our county soil and water dept sells cheap trees, but they are 1'-2' in height. We

are looking for a bit bigger to start.

We a pondering trying to trade trees -- you dig ours, we'll dig yours. We've got

a bunch of wild chokecherries and some other sort of hardwood off in the corner

of our property that I cannot identify. Anyone have any luck with this kind of

endeavor?

Thanks,

Jeff in Enfield NY

[theoldwizard1 2]

Our county soil and water dept sells cheap trees, but they are 1'-2' in height. We

are looking for a bit bigger to start.

Y

I understand not wanting to wait 10+ years to see some growth, but I suggest you buy some of these little ones any way, even if you use them to start your own nursery.

When I drive by my Dad's old place (infrequently) I can say I helped plant some of those grand specimens.

Non-professional transplants are difficult because most people do not have the knowledge or equipment to properly dig a tree, even a small one.

[farmer 1,078]

Jeff,

I can't help you out as regards where to buy, but what i would say from

experience is, container grown, bigger trees seem to take much longer to establish.

I had a planting session nearly ten years ago, had a mix of "big" container and smaller bare root, the smaller ones did much better. They were cheaper, suffered less from wind rock etc.

Maybe my climate is different to yours, but over say, a five year period, growth wise, small bare root wins IMO, of course aftercare is key.

Hope this helps.

[W9JAB 156]

Fruit trees are a pain, I had at one house eight apple and five pear trees.

To mow the lawn I had to pick up garbage cans of rotten fruit, with wasps

hiding under most of the fruit, a day latter it looked like it was never touched,

with more on the ground.

[Lane Ranger 11,096]

Jeff: The state tree nursery is a good place to buy. These seedlings are usually top quality but they are small.

When you buy large ball and burlap tree you get into some real money and other issues like disease and damage.

You can buy a good variety and watch them grow!

http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/9395.html

:banghead:

[IthacaJeff 151]

Okay guys, I get the point. We'll go the county soil and water conservation

route and buy the bulk seedlings. Perhaps we'll try a few older fruit trees just

to get fruit sooner, but I guess patience is the key.

BTW, I grew up in So. Cal and we had orange and lemon trees, and a huge old

peach tree. There is nothing nastier than rotting peaches on the ground, and I

hated picking up after that thing when I was a kid. But now I've got a bucketload

of kids who all love fruit, and the food bill is large. Fruit trees are pure survival!

Jeff in Enfield NY

[Raider 2]

You can get larger bareroot trees in Spring from some nurseries also. I've had good luck with bareroot fruit trees in the past. And I also agree with bareroot seedlings and transplants from state or county programs working well. I've planted thousands of them over the years and am always surprised at how quickly they establish and thrive.

I usually have a nursery section going in my garden that consists of seedlings I've started from seed or cuttings or whips I've just pulled out of the ground somewhere they don't belong. I end up giving most away to people who need some trees or shrubs, word gets around when I've got a crop ready :banghead:

[stoneman 10]

You may be able to get in with a local tree farm's order. Many of them order what you're looking for in bare root form out of oregon and washington. Especially ornamentals. and you should be able to get them for a few bucks each. If there are some tree farms near you, do yourself a favor and stop by. most of these guys are hard working and down to earth and won't mind b/s ing with you, and they will offer a weath of information pertaining to the best trees in your area, and which ones will respond best to your local soil conditions . . . and what you may need to do to ammend planting areas based on what you want to plant. local fruit growers can help you with info on growing the fruit trees you desire. if you want a fast growing shade tree, look into the new disease resistant cutivars of north american elm. these are amazing trees . . . they grow quickly. a litte due diligence and willingness to spend the required time, and you should be able to get what you're after. i find that the berry bushes (blue, black, ras,) can produce great results in a matter of a few years, and the kids should be able to get to them before the birds. :banghead:

[can whlvr 993]

i have transplanted many trees,shrubs,plants,you name it,i have used my skid steer,a backhoe,and also i made a steel handled shovel that works great,watering is the important thing after the move.