I've been planting trees since I bought my place in '97. I'm at about 6,000 and counting. I always planted in the spring, and will do so again this year, focusing more on pines.
This past fall, I tried something a bit different for me and planted about 800 (pecan, walnut, hickory, hard maple, various oaks). ISU nursery says many times trees planted in the fall will do better the first summer than those planted in spring. They are not shocked as much and start growing at the very first opportunity, rather than having to wait for me to plant and then get over the transplant shock all at the same time. Pines need to go in in spring, as they usually won't survive a fall planting around here.
I also found out that hardly anyone plants fall trees around here, so it's much easier to schedule the county conservation board's tree planter. I can get it any day I want it and take it back whenever.
Trees come 100 to a (large) plastic-lined paper sack. I throw all sacks in the truck and leave them in there until the last minute before planting. Delivered UPS for about $1.00 per hundred, I can also get them exactly when I'm ready for them, instead of waiting for them to be delivered en masse to the county for pickup...right when everyone wants the planter.
Many of the first year's plantings are getting some real size to them, and wifey says I need to hire a buddy with a tree spade to move some of them nearer the house. I'm amazed at the size of some of the pin oaks. MAYBE even a few acorns this year. IF so, I start trapping squirrels in town to transplant...
Planting trees and shrubs is a HUGE part of my overall plan. It's getting to the point where I really have to decide how many more to put in. I'd like to keep part of my 50 acres as pasture (in fact, a 2 acre plot of native prairie grass this spring fulfills my contract with NRCS). I want as much diversity as possible.
Talk about rambling...but I love it and COME ON SPRING!
