Planting Longleaf

[SwampDonkey]

The buzzards probably keep the dead squirrels picked up. :D :D

You guys don't have moose to tear up your pine. ;D



Or bushy tailed hares making bushy pine with annual browse.



Never had to deal with soil moving around and burying seedlings, usually it's frost heaves, deer pulls, or shallow planted plugs and not firmed up plugs. If there is bad erosion, like on a hill, usually don't matter how deep the plug, it just went floating toward to nearest brook or ditch. We usually aren't planting in flood plains. I can't remember planting in one except up on a terrace that was created by glacier and the river is way down below. I mean if the river went that high, the lower half of NB would be under water.
;D

[WDH]

Longleaf is best for straw.  Slash pine is second best.  Loblolly is the most common species, but it has the least preferred straw because of shorter needle length than longleaf or slash. 

With the Conservation Reserve Program, a Federal Program to encourage longleaf establishment, they do not allow straw production.  Removing the straw removes nutrients from the site as many nutrients are recycled in the straw.  Supplemental fertilization may be required to maintain site productivity. 

[Magicman]

I walked over my little Longleaf Plantation this afternoon.  Some trees are over 8' tall and still others are in the grass stage.  I'll burn around those trees this Spring.


 
And then the deer have taken out their share. 


 
Some just never had a chance.  I'll leave them as decoys so maybe the deer will be attracted to them next year and leave the others alone.   :-\

[beenthere]

Gotta shoot more bucks... ;D

[Magicman]

Good answer.  I saw 5-6 trees that were badly rubbed.   :-\

[SwampDonkey]

Ah, yes. That's what I do is leave the ruffed up pine as I find the moose come back to the same trees over time. Kinda like the bears that climb the few red oaks I have for the acorns. They do a number on them with their claws and then the breaking of the limbs.  Sometimes you just give up growing quality trees. ;D :D