2003:
2003 is a year of replanting fields that haven't taken hold. The stand levels were so low from the first transplanting that we decided to just plant the whole area over again and try to go between the original rows so as not to dig up any trees that did survive.
We will be working on the 8 acres in the bottom land. This land is extremely fertile and grass and weeds are a real problem. The last crop before trees was alfalfa but that had been crowded out by grass and weeds. (The giant ragweed can reach 15 feet in height).
Spring:
April 23: Email exchange with county forester:
From: Stuart Baker To: [co forester] Sent: 4/22/03 7:20 AM Subject: planting
We're getting set to plant. I'm hoping the bottom field has dried out enough by Saturday to plant. There's about an acre down there that's been pretty wet for trees for about a year. I ordered a selection of species to try some more wet tolerant trees down there. I plan to plant right down the same rows we planted before so we retain alleys that can be mowed.
I am buying a mower to use during the season and hope CRP will allow us to keep those weeds down.
I was thinking about band spraying princep again this year (at the right rate this time). Am I correct to think we should spray the furrow over the newly transplanted trees? Would you rather we apply a general spray over some or all of the remaining land? Would there cost-sharing available for some or all of this land?
Roland will pick up the trees Friday. We are planning on starting to plant on Saturday -- probably not until noon because we have a bowling banquet Friday night -- unless we skip that. We'll plant as much as we can with the planter and fill plant the rest as fast as we can (maybe the next weekend).
Thanks, Stuart
No problem with CRP and keeping the weeds down.
Yes, spray the furrow of the new trees. You can broadcast spray if you want also.
You can request cost sharing on the CRP replant. I don't think so on the release spray elsewhere. Call FSA ASAP to see what you have to do to request cost-sharing.
I'll have the planter at the farm, probably Friday. I'll try to stop in on Saturday probably 11 or so and see if your there.
Trees that you have that tolerate seasonal flooding are black ash, green ash, and cedar (slightly)
See you later
Order in for 2003 trees from DNR Nursery. About 6000 total and a pretty good mix:
- 1000 Red Pine
- 1000 Wh. Pine
- 500 Wh Spruce,
- 500 Burr Oak
- 500 Wh. Oak
- 500 Red Oak
- 1000 Black Ash
- 500 Gr Ash
- 500 Wh Cedar
April 25, 2003:
Roland will pick up trees at Balsam lake after 1:00 today
We should plant between rows on BOTH the bottom and the strips. This will give us enough places to put 7k trees without hand planting. this means we probably don't need to mow.
We should spray Simazine on both the bottom and the strips.
Tree planting collage.
This is a collage of pictures from the 2003 planting. So far it's all I can find for pictures. Click on this picture to display a version that is large enough for you to read.
Letter 4/28/03:
No rain. Warm and sunny! Hope you had a good trip back to Madison.
The gal came to pick up the planter today and look over the lower field. She said there were some trees that were not planted deep enough and some that were planted too deep (pines). I told her the planter depth kept changing because of all the grass and it was difficult to gage the depth of the trough. She said we will just have to wait and see how they survive. I hope this is not a huge problem.
Questions for Forester on 4/30/2003:
- The person who picked up the planter said some of the trees weren't planted right (too shallow or too deep) We tried hard to get this right -- under some difficult conditions in places -- but I didn't have enough people to have one follow the planter the whole weekend.
- I'm bringing up our scout troop on the weekend of the 11th. Is that too late to reposition the serious problems (re-plant)?
- I plan on spraying this weekend. I see that Oust is approved for tank mix with Simazine. Is Oust restricted? I imagine it's expensive -- but so was replanting. We have been putting on Simazine at 3 pounds (quarts). The label says up to 4.4 pounds (4 quarts). Can we go towards the high side? Green and White Ash aren't listed for simazine on in the document I am reading. Will they tolerate this?
Answers:
- For stepping in the trees, the 11th is not too late. The earlier the better, so there will be some that you won't save, but better than not at all.
- We have used Simazine on ash with no problems. You can up the rate, your soil is fairly heavy so it shouldn't hurt anything.
- Do not use Oust. The rate is so low (1/2 oz per acre) that it is tough to regulate and Baron County killed 300,000 red pine one year.
- The hardwoods will be fine, but don't spray it on pine.
- If you want to mix something with Simazine, try Pendulum again. Used with Simazine, we have had decent luck. Again at 3-4 lbs per acre. It's expensive though.
May 4, 2003 - Fixing planting errors in bottom field:
[ from field notes ] Win and I walked the newly planted rows all the way across the 40 - from the road to the woods. We each took a row or two and walked with shovel . stomping plants were the dirt hadn't been properly closed around roots. [this mounted planter did a very poor job at closing the trench after the tree was planted ] We found spruce that had been planted too deep and hardwoods that hadn't been planted deep enough . but most of all it was good . Much better than I thought.
Hardwoods were out 2 - 3 inches. Where root was exposed we dig a little trench 'down stream' (in the direction of travel -- away from the trailing root. The tree could be pressed down into that trench and covered in such a way to cover the exposed root and then stood straight up again. Many of the trees that had this problem had a diameter of 1/2 inch or bigger (these ere supposed to be 2 year oak -- I don't think so) and the roots were huge. Amazing we could get them in with a planter at all.
Win and I covered 6 rows in our trip up and back. There are 26 rows all together in the bottom.
May 10, 2003: - Host Boy Scout troupe at farm to help 'fix' tree planting.
Scout troupe setting up tents at farm.
Playing "Magic the Gathering".
We invited my son's scout troupe to spend the weekend camping out at the farm. They were interested in this project and eager to help us finish the planting process. They all traveled the 300 miles from Madison and and set up camp next to the barn.
During the night it started to rain and it rained all the next day. Lucky we had a big shed that we could move everyone in to for eating and to dry off. It was too wet to do anything with the trees (the furrows were full of water) so everyone packed up and drove back to Madison.
It was a memorable experience for us all.
Scouts shelter from the rain.
Weekend rained out.
After it dries out a little, there's still work to be done.
Richard and I walking the rows and fixing the misses.
Of course this meant we had to fix the trees ourselves.
Richard and I worked on it this weekend - after it dried out a bid.
Win, Kelly, and Roland walked many rows as well - as their schedules allowed.
Fall Planting in the old strips
Oak seedlings raised in Madison
ready to transplant in Centuria
Fall: (October 25&26) Work on Strips (west facing hillside)....
Plowed furrows 6' to 8' apart starting west of old field road and working down towards Hurley's woods. This area was never planted - it ran just north of the first 'five mile walnut' planting. We were hoping to have some luck with fall planting - something we hadn't tried.
Transplanted seedlings from 2002 seed collection in Madison(See Link).
Oak Seedling in D40 tube
Approximately 425 seedlings grown in [See more about these D40 tree tubes].
Parent trees for these transplants:
- Burr Oak (Schlichter Hall)
- Ohio Buckeye (Lake Street)
- Ash & Maple (Madison Streets)