I’m still kinda pumped about my new little trees so this time I’m going to talk about planting them!
The old method of planting whips in the field started with aggressive root pruning. The theory was that increased root growth. It also meant we didn’t have to dig as big a hole. That’s right, we used to plant over 1000 trees by hand! Fortunately we have a much easier method now and we no longer root prune as aggressively. Root pruning does increase root growth, but as trees store their nutrients in the roots, over pruning can cause reduced vigor and in some cases death.
So this is how we do it now. This method allows us to plant 500+ trees a day. The black line in the middle of the picture is drip irrigation tubing that is being installed while planting. When the planter is empty, we step the soil down firmly around the trees, trim and stake them. Then it’s back to the barn for another load. We plant in rows 12’ apart and space the trees 5’ apart in the rows. The reason for these spacings is that we hope plant an alfalfa mix as a cover crop, and I want the option harvest the cover crop into small square bales a couple of times each year. I’m excited to be learning about biological fertilizers and soil amendments. We plan to begin incorporating these organic treatments this year by means of root drenches immediately prior to planting, application through the irrigation system as well as post plant soil drenches and foliar applications.
It’s always inspiring to watch these little trees begin to leaf out. It often involves some fingernail chewing and praying, but when we’re rewarded with rows of little trees with new green leaves, it’s always a time of thanksgiving and hope. These little guys have no idea what they’ll have to endure. Neglect, drought, heat, wind, insect pressure, occasional herbicide drift… And yet they reach for the sky with everything they have. I want to live like that as well…
Growing like my life depends on it, Logan