Transplanting Pine & Cedar Trees

[mcasdorph]

I've been wanting to grow some pine trees or even cedars, just something evergreen for a wind break or for the birds through the winters. We bought this property about 3 - 1/2 years ago and it had 1 pine tree (maybe 45-50 ft tall) and it doesn't look that great, branches broke off and just looks awful..lol, I thought about trying to grow a few from seeds from the cones, I read up on it somewhat using google and found some tips about putting the seeds in water and seeing what seeds were good, but I didn't do that, I decided to go down the road a ways and there was a property by the road (somewhat abandoned) that had a cluster of small pines, I dug about 5 of them up in hopes of transplanting them, I brought them to my property and tried to plant them, I don't know if I watered them too much.. (our soil is kinda clay), I would think that clay could theoretically create a bowl effect and hold too much water, I'm thinking either they got too much water or went into shock because they didn't seem to last long.

We were at the edge of my property the other day because there was a rotten tree that broke off half way up and wanted to cut it down before it fell and hurt someone, it was briery and had brush in the way so I had to clear it out before we could get to the base of the tree and low and behold there were about 5-6 little pine trees (really young, one about 8-10" tall, and 5 about 2-3" tall).

I transplanted the little pines and they are not looking that good already.. kind of a darker dull green, any indication of whats going on? Is it shock?

[imafan26]

How deep did you plant them. Most plants can only be planted as deep as the soil they were in. If you got the wild pines and got a good rootball, it would be better to plant them in a large pot with potting soil and fertilizer or use Miracle grow potting soil (make sure it says potting soil on the bag, garden soil does not work in pots), and get them conditioned first. Keep them in a sheltered spot until they are a couple of months old. Then gradually bring them out into the sun. In the meantime, don't just plop them in the soil. Give them a better start. That fallen tree where you found them was decaying and feeding the young pines. Prepare the planting holes with some compost and fertilizer and water them well. When you bring the hardened off pines out. make a saucer shaped basin where the top of the basin is level with the soil in the pot or just a hair under it. Lift out the pine, it should have good roots so try not to damage them. Score the roots every 3 inches with a knife to encourage the roots to branch, you don't want to break up the root ball. Plant the tree. so in the end the tree sits on a slight mound and you can form a saucer around that.

Now, for the next year you will have to water and fertilize the tree until it becomes established. Water the well and allow it to drain. It should drain fairly quickly if you added compost to the soil. You will probably have to water everyday for a couple of weeks and then you have to check the soil to see if it is moist or dry. When it is almost dry, water well and deeply fill the saucer, let it drain and fill it again. Mulch around the plants to help retain water but do not let mulch come withing 4 inches of the trunk or the stem will rot.

[mcasdorph]

Yeah, each time I tried to transplant them with these and the ones I got down the road, I always tried to plant them around the same depth they were. I'm gonna try your recommendation with the potting soil, i know the dirt/clay didn't work well in pots, which is why I put them in the ground... As for a root ball, they didn't have much of a ball, I when I dug them up with a garden shovel and went to plant them the soil was falling apart..lol, I'm pretty sure I was doing it wrong all together..lol, air likely got to the roots also while I was doing this..

I wondered if it wouldn't be easier to check some cones for the seeds and do the water test and just plant the seeds where I want them to grow? Would that be more feasible than trying to transplant these? I'm not sure what the exact type of pine this is but I was wondering how long it would take to sprout from seed and what the average growth would be yearly.

[imafan26]

I always bought starers and never tried them from see. If the root ball broke up you tried to dig them out when they were very dry. Make sure the plants have been well watered but not muddy. That way when ou dig them up the root ball will hold together. I use a shovel go all around the tree and lift it on the shovel gently to burlap. tie the rootball with the burlap. When you get to plant it, you can eith leave the burlap around the roots and just open it up around the top or put the plant in the hole and gently remove the burlap.