How to get forest harvested saplings ready for my yard?

9 years ago

I snagged a couple small saplings from a buddies property. They were collected from the shaded undergrowth of a dense stand full of mature (100+ year old trees). The larger sapling is a shag bark hickory and the smaller is a white oak. I tried to get as much of the roots as possible but the ground was hard and the only digging implements I could find were branches of earlier toppled Oaks.

This is how they have been kept until Saturday where my wife put them back into the three seasons room and the hickory is pretty dried up now, doesn't take much indirect sun to scald these guys after being ripped from the ground...

Im just looking for the process that will get me from forest harvest to where I can plant them in the full brunt nature offers in my yard.

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Comments (17)

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
9 years ago
nice wrist band

most of us.. dont call the zoo..a buddies property... lol ...

they will die in a glass of water...

put both in a one gallon pot.. full of pre-mostened soil.. and put in full shade ...

and hope for the best... plant in october or so ...

if you can go back.. with the pot.. and harvest them.. or even better.. dig them in october.. and bring them straight home.. even better ...

it would be best to go hunting.. at leaf color time... so you could at least ID the plants.. and then when the leaves fall off.. so be it ...

ken
j0nd03
9 years ago
What Ken said and your hickory is most likely an ash

John
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Just looking at your picutures of the leaves, they look like Acer rubrum (red maple). Do you have a picture of the Samaras (maple seeds)? The specimens you show in the pics will most probably live BUT the better the specimen, the more chances it will survive the winter, push buds in the spring and grow vigorously next year. The weaker ones will take longer to establish if they make it. What usda zone are you in? The harshness of winter can determine how you do things, like how to winter your trees. If you are in a zone where the ground freezes and has temperatures below the high 20's F., you probably need to keep your pots inside a cold building that stays 30's and 40's all winter. Doing this will keep the roots from freezing and keep the tree from coming out of dormancy too early in the season. Or you could bury your pots in the ground outside to regulate root temperature. If you have better specimens in your yard, I would dig those but wait until they are dormant. Again depending on your winter, dig and transplant after leaves turn fall colors. Take as big of a dirt ball as you can and those little trees won't hardly know that they've been moved. If you have harsh winters, wait until spring, then dig as soon as the soil will permit, before the trees bud out. Here's a link that will be helpful to you planting your new trees:https://sites.google.com/site/tnarboretum/Home/planting-a-tree-or-shrub
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Brandon Smith
Original Author
9 years ago
Yeah the zoo band was from this past Friday when I took the pics and the trees were harvested last Sunday at my buddies.

There were no ash's to speak of really. These both came from a very close proximity to an adult version of the tree.
Iris GW
9 years ago
The "hickory" has compound leaves. If those leaves are opposite on another on the stem, and they appear to be, then what you have is an ash. Hickory leaves are alternate.

Anyway, they should have been planted right away in soil. That's how you get them ready.
scotjute Z8
9 years ago
I usually put seedlings like that in a pot right away and leave in semi-shade. Uusually get some dirt with the roots. Once the seedling has grown about 6" in the pot check the roots and plant it out if they are at the bottom of pot, If it doesn't grow in the pot, it most likely would not have grown in the ground. Bare rooting is something I would only do in spring/fall/winter. Summer is a harsh time to bare root something. Good luck with it.
homegroan
9 years ago
Hard to get them out of the zoo with a lot of soil clinging to them. ;)
lucky_p
9 years ago
Ash. Just because it was growing in proximity to a hickory doesn't make it a hickory any more than standing in a garage makes you a car.

Both of these seedling are probably toast - but it's possible that if you plant them, either in a pot or permanent location, and keep them well-watered, that they may resprout next spring, or possibly even this season - but I'm betting the leaves currently on 'em die - and the whole thing may die back to the root collar.
Brandon Smith
Original Author
9 years ago
I appreciate the help but I'm going to have to disagree on the Ash id's.

I get the garage/car analogy but that's a bit overkill. I'm not sure what exactly is leading the belief that this is an ash sapling but I'd love to hear them.

But other that this sapling growing in very close proximity to a mature shag bark I have a bit more reason to think this is not an ash. The "grove/swath/wooded area" it came from was a specific area where shah barks and black/white oaks were specifically grown by the previous land owner for harvest. Also in Bowling Green where the property is, Ash trees just aren't that prolific. Especially in an area like this where many of the trees are "mature". A google search of "shagbark hickory sapling" yields pics of the exact same make up of what I have posted.
j0nd03
9 years ago
Just look at the leaf arrangement like esh suggested. If they are opposite, it's an ash. If alternate, it could be a hickory. Now post a close up and prove us wrong! ;-)

This post was edited by j0nd03 on Fri, Aug 30, 13 at 7:24
florauk
9 years ago
The seedling in the glass vase appears to have opposite leaves from what I can see.
edlincoln
9 years ago
You've created bare root trees at home! So, you can look up all the instructions for bare root plants offered by companies that sell them online. Most of these companies say plant them as soon as possible. If you have to wait a couple days, wrap the roots in moist paper or towels. If you can't do that, temporarily plant them in a ditch.

I don't have bad luck with bare root trees, in general. From my perspective, the whole point of taking trees from the zo...buddies's property would be so I can take the root system. Also, I understand this is best done when the trees are dormant. I'd go back to my friend's property in October with a shovel and some flower pots.

As to what to do with these...I'd dust the roots with a tiny bit of rooting hormone, then plant them in flower pots with potting soil and a dash of biotone starter fertilizer. That, or put them directly in the ground. Either way, keep them watered. Putting them in water is probably not a great idea. I understand oaks in particular are very sensitive to having part of their trunk surrounded by water.
greenthumbzdude
9 years ago
in case your unaware.....collecting anything from the wild is generally frowned upon.....seed/nut is okay but when your start digging up actual trees things can get messed up....I am sure you have not thought about the those consequences such as lowering the biodiversity in that spot...but that okay its a simple rookie mistake....we all have to start somewhere.

Oaks and hickories are notorious for having very long roots....these are called tap roots. They do not transplant well because of this. I recommend collecting acorns and hickory nuts and directly planting them in the ground this fall...they will sprout up next spring. Because they were not transplated they will actually grow a bit faster than those that are.....oaks take a few years to recover after transplanting which means a loss of growth.
* make sure you protect the planted acorns/nuts form squirrels with some sort of mesh.
Brandon Smith
Original Author
9 years ago
Are you frowning upon my collecting tiny saplings from a friends property, really? Should I not walk across my lawn, scold my daughter when she pulls her power wheel slightly onto the grass or perhaps just refrain from having bbq's in my back yard where we play washers in my yard???

Get real buddy.

I'm hoping that your lack of grammatical/punctual command stems from English not being your native tongue and perhaps your point was incorrectly conveyed...
wisconsitom
9 years ago
Not exactly a serious attempt at transplanting trees! Not bothering to learn beforehand even the most basic aspects, things like time of year, method-"digging" accomplished via fallen branches?!?-but here you are, all angry at people, most of whom are serious about trees and growing them, when they point out the various weak points about your post and what it represents. A strange one for sure.

+oM
Brandon Smith
Original Author
9 years ago
Pretty sure your the one getting all fired up here buddy.

How often in life are we able to do anything at the exact point when it could be considered "the right time"? I think a few of you may need to step out of the bubble for a minute and realize the vast majority of people on here aren't treeophiles like yourselves. Life (i.e. family, work things like that...), will ALWAYS take precidence over when the perfect time to harvest/plant a tree for me.

That's why I was here. Already planning on doing the things that have been suggested and just hoping for that little bit of knowledge from the treeophiles that may just allow me success in this venture.

Pull your underwear from your bumm, get a grip, or else at the very lest keep the whining out of this thread.
j0nd03
9 years ago
"Life (i.e. family, work things like that...), will ALWAYS take precidence over when the perfect time to harvest/plant a tree for me. "

Are you insinuating the rest of us sacrifice our finances and let our SO's and children go hungry during prime planting and transplanting season? Because if you are, I really need to reevaluate my planting strategy. I knew the kids and the wife would lose weight that time of year, I just assumed it was in preparation for the holiday feasts. Who would have thought it was because I spent 2 months planting and transplanting trees when I should have been at work?!
Brandon Smith
Original Author
9 years ago
I was talking about me, clearly. If you want to assume otherwise thats your call.

How to get forest harvested saplings ready for my yard?

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ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5

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