Planting trees with middle buster?

I am considering planting a few thousand christmas trees and some fairly level land. I am a small-timer and do not want to purchase a planter. My county extension service knows of no place that rents planters. Here's my question. Does anybody have experience using a middle buster to cut a furrow for planting two and three-year old nursery stock? What size shoe would be best? I have access to a 15-inch middle buster but think it may make to wide a cut. How deep does a particular size shoe cut? Is it like a plow, cut about half the width? Lastly, can a ferguson to-20 pull a 15-inch middle buster?

Thanks.

Nick

By the way, do the Frasers get infested with aphids when grown in their original location (North/South Carolina)?

Thanks again for the input.

Nick

You will live with the planting job you do for at least 6 years so let me offer some advice that I have learned the hard way. Yes, we grow some of the finest Christmas trees in the world here in the NC mountains and ship them all over the world. Yes, Aphids are a problem here as well. Be careful of the fungus that some seedlings have been carrying that will render a field useless for growing Frasiers ever again. They get about 3 years growth and turn brown and die. No warning or cure. Field can never be used again. Make sure that the seedlings are from a known good grower that warrants them fungus free.

As for the planting I would recommend hand planting if you only are planting a 1000 seedlings so you can control the depth for each seedling. They are sensitive to being planted too deep. Make sure that you plant so they line up in a row, on 90's and on 45's. Makes for much easier mowing especially if you have level enough ground to be able to mower with a tractor and a small rotary mower. If land is not an issue to you then plant them a little wider so they spread out when they get to be 8 ft and the bottoms are round. You will be spraying them 2 or 3 times a year and trimming at least once so the regular spacing helps alot if you can use automated spraying equipment. Harvesting half of them when they get to be 6 ft and waiting for two years for them to get to the 8 ft range will be easier if the rows line up all three ways as well. Take your time and plant them straight and organized. You will be happier for the next 8 years believe me..... .

By the way, do the Frasers get infested with aphids when grown in their original location (North/South Carolina)?

Thanks again for the input.

Nick

Tahnks.

Nick

Tahnks.

Nick

Me and my boys have planted about 10k pines on my place over the yrs. Some are just getting to the size that can be used for pulpwood. Others will be saved for saw lumber. Pine trees are the easiest row crop I grow - plant and go! Have to wait awhile on the ROI though. In the meantime I still enjoy greenbelt exemption.

We have planted pines and cypress (never again on cypress). We planted by hand with what we refer to as a dibble. It is just as RB/CT described. You can probably also make one if you have access to a welder. Can be done alone if no assistant available. Works well but takes some time if planting a lot of trees. Borrowed it from the State Forest work center.

We have since switched to tractor planting as described by JD4020. I have found this is the most efficient means to plant but does require an assistant. You can plant 100's of trees per day with this unit. Check with your local Federal and State Forestry work center as you should be able to rent one for a nominal price.

I do wonder though, are you planting Christmas trees for future sales or wind break. I looked into doing the Christmas tree thing but found it to intensive (trimming, pruning, variety of trees to meet market demand) to be worth my part time effort. I chose pines as they are a good commodity here in the South and requires very little maintenance. Just a thought.

Here is a link to some of my pine tree efforts.
Link

How many acres do you have to have to make it profitable, and what kind of trees do you plant.

There are about 5-6 acres of scotch pines on the farm (40 acres in southern WV)that my grandfather planted on a hill in the 50's for christmas trees, and I have been wondering if I should have them clearcut and plant new ones. Do you think they are worth anything to a lumber co., they are pretty knotty, and many deciduous trees now growing in them.

What do you do with old stumps when planting new trees?

Thanks for any info, Pat

How many acres do you have to have to make it profitable, and what kind of trees do you plant.

There are about 5-6 acres of scotch pines on the farm (40 acres in southern WV)that my grandfather planted on a hill in the 50's for christmas trees, and I have been wondering if I should have them clearcut and plant new ones. Do you think they are worth anything to a lumber co., they are pretty knotty, and many deciduous trees now growing in them.

What do you do with old stumps when planting new trees?

Thanks for any info, Pat

Thanks for your help.

Nick

Thanks again.

Nick