OK Eric...I signed on with the MO. Dept of Cons. for 50 Norway Spruce and 50 Eastern White Pine seedlings.
Actually, it is more than I planned on but further thought has re-routed my thinking. I am really not going to have all my areas of development dialed-in until the end of this Summer, after pushin' the dirt for the pond and surrounding site(s). The only reason I want to get the trees going asap is to get one good season of growth into 'em (impatient and statistically middle-aged...I'm having a hard time accepting the notion of seeing them graduate when I'm 60). So...I decided to buy 'em and put 'em somewhere else. I'll transplant them after the dust settles.
Here is my conundrum....I see 2 options for their first months-year of growth: a) I have plenty of room here at my principal residence. I can till a small zone, fence it in, and keep them well watered. b) I can take them to their new native soil at Liberty (pondsite) and do the same as "a", but not tend to them as conveniently. There may be spans of 2 - 3 weeks without attention.
Both options will be done in areas of full sun. I am leaning toward "b", taking the seedlings directly to their new home zone and soil. I will be back there alot this coming year and able to monitor them fairly well. I think the real payback will come when it is time to move them again. I think they will transplant better without having to take a shakey, long haul in a PU truck. Also, similar soil should be beneficial...?
Any opinions Tree-nutz?
