Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Around the Campfire => Topic started by: bjrogg on April 23, 2017, 05:52:51 pm
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Was a beautiful day here today. Been to wet to plant any crops but I did plant some White Oak trees. Sometimes it seems like you might not get anything from the trees you plant but 25 years ago this spring I planted a couple miles of pine trees in my fence rows. Last fall I put tree stands in two of them and this year I plan on hanging some more. All the rain has my pond I dug a few years ago full to the top. You can see Lake Huron through the trees in the background.
Bjrogg
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Looking good BJ.
So a guy can hunt in the morning, fish Huron during the day and then hunt at night. A sportsman's paradise for sure.
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Yup Jeb it really is a sportsmans paridise. You gotta be pretty close to the Lake Michigan shore
Bjrogg
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Nice work BJ. I really should plant some myself. I certainly cut enough down! )W(
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Correct BJ. We can hear the waves on a rough day. The dunes are chuck full of deer but the problem is most of the property is own by tree huggers and rich ones at that, lol
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Good going BJ.You know things are good when you see lots of wildlife.Trees are great for that.Plus all the other benefits they can give you.Nothing like smelling the soil during spring field work but trees are great.Back in 2001 we put in over quite a few oaks of all kinds,maples,walnuts,KCT,and ash on around 15 acres.They are a good 20' to 25' feet tall now.Starting as a little sprig 2' tall.The oaks are bearing nuts already too.In 2012 planted another 4.7 acres into trees again.No tree stands in them but the wildlife of all kinds is entertaining.I must not forget too volunteer osage a bunch too.Along with that forsaken tire flattening honey locust thorn tree.
One thing I like seeing here is the quail that are coming back good.They never left but their numbers are greater.I never shoot em.
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Upstate I've been planting trees since 1984 when I moved back to the farm from Detroit. About 4 years ago my brother and my youth group went to Detroit and planted 1800 trees. There are something like 156 square miles of mostly abandoned houses. There's a man there that has stared planting trees on 10 square miles he bought up. My brother has gone there every spring for 4 years now. Many FFA and 4-H groups help too.
Jeb, I know your area really seems to be growing. Been to the Grand Rapids area a few times doctoring with our daughter. Lot of new houses that way.
Ed I love the smell of fresh earth in the spring. I have some Black Walnut trees I planted in 1984 that are getting pretty tall now and have been producing nuts for several years now. The squirrels love them. Hope I can live long enough and healthy enough to hunt some white tails under the Oaks I planted today.
Bjrogg
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Beautiful place BJ. :)
Pappy
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Thanks Pappy I'd love to show it to you in person some time. Gotta get down to your little piece of heaven someday to.
Bjrogg
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Yep I think we are both very Blessed men. :)
Pappy
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Nice :OK.
Planting trees is something I have been doing for a long time as well, usually trees I find useful. I generally don't plant ornamental trees, except for Pine trees which are ornamental to me :)
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Marc's post reminded me that 4 years ago we planted 1000 pine tree starts and about 50 grew. The drought was awful that year.
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Yes Jeb sometimes it can go poor. If you can get them to about Christmas tree size they will grow pretty fast then.
Marc. I enjoy my trees I planted very much. Mostly pines but they make a very nice wind break and place for the wildlife. I never realized how many birds roost in those pine trees till I put a tree stand in one. Just before dawn literally thousands of birds fly into those trees for the night.
Pappy I'd say you are very right and I'm very thankful of my blessings.
Bjrogg
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That can be the thing with planting large numbers of trees that are small.Say 2 to 3 foot tall.A person has to overcompensate the planting numbers to work the odds.They all don't make it.Planting close to 10' to 15' apart.It's surprising though a dead stem standing you think is dead will have life in the root and sucker up when conditions are better for it.This year is a good spring to plant.Cool conditions with enough moisture.The spring and summer drought of 2012 was for tough on my new plantings.Maybe 50% made it I'd say.
Individual personal trees on the yard and lawn by the home I've tree spade planted pin oaks of 2 to 3 inch trunk thickness.Bearing nuts for years now.Beautiful fall red colors plus deer are right up on the yard browsing.
Planting large numbers of trees at a time in the 1000's which is very hard to nuture watering yourself.The Farm Service Agency here sometimes will compensate the cost for people.
Lately it's been fruit trees I've been planting.Apple/Peach/Pear/and cherry.Blooming and bearing fruit too.
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I'm really wanting to get some pear trees to Ed. I'd like to get some that ripen earlier and later. I know guys that planted them for deer and the deer eat the trees. They love pears. The best method I've found for planting smaller trees is just stab a round point shovel in as deep as you can get it. Pull back and forth. Pull shovel out and put tree in slot. Then just push slot closed with your foot. I've had really good results using this method and it's pretty fast too.
Bjrogg
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Yes planting by hand I call that one at a time is the way I'll do it too with good success.Planting larger numbers of trees into the thousands with a tree planter in rows I'll drive back over the edges of the furrow to make sure the furrow is closed good over the roots.
Some pear trees need a pollinator and some don't.We planted bartlet which does'nt need one and moon glow which does.The moon glow will mature before the frost and the bartlet will mature after the frost.Best not to put all your eggs in one basket.Farming I'm sure you understand that.I'm sure you could grow some really food fruit trees up there of many different kinds.We got red cedars growing here that provide good roosting and wind breaks for wildlife.
We got some hazel nut bushes making good headway too but no nuts yet.
Life is good as they say.Always something going on on the farm.
Seems the goal is to leave the place better then you got it.Hoping others can enjoy the bounty later.
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Yup Ed, that's pretty much my same game plan for the pears. We can grow pretty much any kind of fruit tree around here. I'd like to plant some pears by my hunting spots because my wife doesn't want them by the house. We already can get as many as we want from neighbors. You have to be careful picking them especially windfalls. They always have 🐝 and wasps eating them and it's easy to get stung. I like picking windfalls when it's cooler and the bees and wasp are slower. I usually give the pears a little roll with my hand to get them off before I put pears in my bucket.
Bjrogg
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Yes my neighbors have pears too.Too many of them.Picking them up off the ground there are a lot of flies around on a warm day.Some pear trees here are ripe before the frost in late august early september and some don't get ripe till after the frost clear into october.Both kinds are good as ever though.