I have struggled a bit with tree tubes because my little saplings are often quite bushy when they go in the ground. Redwoods, sweet chestnut, acer campestre and alder all tend to look like mini trees rather than the slender maiden whips I had been used to planting. A field maple was as wide as it was tall (2 feet or so) and so were the walnuts...so I have had to improvise a bit since even the odd solitary water deer has munched a good few of the unprotected things. I used wire cages a couple of times (although I didn't much like the look of them and I remain unconvinced that they will remain in place or not simply be squashed against the tree by a nudging deer head) and, as both hazel and willow osiers are abundant, I have woven little hurdles as tree guards...which look lovely but are fiddly to do. Finally, I decided to try to work around the prevailing circumstances by using the brambles as nurse bushes. Cutting out most of the old wood but leaving a vague framework, then tying in the long new season canes makes a kind of living fence which, so far, has deterred the deer (although water deer are tiny and probably can't see above the bramble. I clear a space and plant the saplings in the middle of the bramble (which is surprisingly shallow and small rooted and doesn't shade out the trees. As a last resort, I have simply stacked brash around the saplings, especially useful in winter. Fencing anywhere is not really an option. I suspect this will be an ongoing battle - somewhat like the mollusc wars, but this one must be won since tiny trees from seed are my most practical option.

I've been doing a germination container for 3-6 months and then a 5 or 6" community pot of 5-10 plants for about 6 more months and then individual 5" pots. For a while I was doing a lot of repotting, but now it's slowed down as I've caught up with my backlog. Yeah, I'm out of space, but I'll figure something out. I do usually just end up giving most of them away as an alternative to direct culling. My landscaper/brom grower friends are trying to grow them out and they don't mind free plants. They have no problems with noid's. They'll just stick them in somebody's yard along with dozens of others that aren't marked. Do you drink red or white with potting mix?

Thanks Spruce. I've been known to hold plants so as to try and match up with a rain. I've also taken the step of having the forester order up an inch of rain per week and moderate temperatures for next year! This whole thing represents a departure for me-from my first plantings there in which I would hand-dig holes, mulch with woodchips and yes, even do some initial watering as best I could. I also used to trim around my trees and spray glyphosate rings. The trend has been away from all of that finally arriving at this machine-plant operation I've got lined up. Forester is not the guy I originally worked with, that guy retired, and this one was much less willing to reimburse me for my cadillac methods. Initially, I was peeved. I'd expected, and documented work hours to the tune of something like $1500 that year of transition. His offering was something like $150! But once we met up there and got talking, I decided his ideas had merit. Among them, the machine, which he says will do a really good job and a tighter stocking rate than I'd been doing, to allow for losses. Obviously, mulching will too be out of the question. When I began, that planting area was alfalfa. He said that a corn crop in the prior year would in effect give one year of free weed control, so when my farmer guy wanted to do corn, I said sure. He's into Roundup Ready which I do realize there is considerable legitimate question about, but I do think in the case of this planting, it too should be helpful. And while that area is at the very north limit of meaningful agriculture in this state, it is interesting to note that the corn up there did great, my field included, unlike the major growing areas further south. He's also big on an over the top herbicide spraying in year two, which I will also look into. There's guys that contract work like that out. I don't recall the chemical off the top of my head but I've got it here somewhere. All in all, this is a much bigger scale planting method. But for what I'm trying to accomplish, it sounds good. +oM

Here is one source. Here is a link that might be useful: stuewe and sons