Tree planting time! For most of our subscriber base your deer hunting season is either finished or about to be done. Either way lots of folks are planting both hard and soft mast trees to add wildlife value to their property. Here are a few reminders from our friends at The Wildlife Group to help you achieve greater success with your trees:
- If you’re planting seedlings, be sure to make the hole large enough so that you don’t smash the root. For larger trees, make the hole twice as large as the root ball.
- Oak and Chestnut trees should be planted 30-40 feet apart with rows at least 25 feet apart and staggered. Fruit trees should be planted in groups 20-25 feet apart. Planting in groups and in many varieties aids in pollination.
- If you plant a tree without protecting it with a tree tube you are pretty much wasting your money. Deer love newly planted, fertilized trees and will eat the entire plant if not protected. Tree tubes also act as a “greenhouse” for seedling trees and most trees will grow out of the top of the tube by the end of the first year.
- In mid-May or early June, spray Round Up around the base your trees to kill off any weed competition.
Good luck with your tree planting efforts and hopefully Mother nature will be kind to us this year!
