New Tree Spacing? White Pine Saplings

[semologger]

I bought about 125 White Pine saplings. I am planting a row in my back yard and down the road. I planted 25 about 8 feet apart. Do i need to pant 2 rows like this in case i lose any? Or plant them closer together. How fast do white pine grow feet per year? Any info on these trees would be helpful. We dont have white pine around these parts. Just southern yellow pine. Thanks

[Riles]

Why are you planting them? If you're looking for lumber, plant them a little farther apart and definitely add rows. For pulp (and sawtimber later), leave them close. If you're planting for looks, they'll look great as they are. As they mature, you'll lose some, and 30 years down the road, you may consider opening up the spacing.

[semologger]

Looks is my main reason for planting them. I have some open spots, and old fence rows around the House that neeed to be filled in. Not worried about the cutting part. How fast do these trees grow? Compared to loblolly and southern yellow pine? Thats what i usualy cut is about 20 to 30 years old and i know how big they get.

[Riles]

I don't think white pine self-prune quite as well as the SYP, so you may have some issues with dead branches if you plant in multiple rows. A single row will benefit from the edge effect (light on both sides as the canopies close in) so the dead branches will be less obvious. I defer to the guys with more experience with white pine.

My elevation here in NC is a little too low for best results, but there's a neglected plantation around the corner. They don't grow as fast as the genetically improved loblolly (go figure, mine are 8 feet or better at four years), but you should have a decent screen in 10 years.

You're a little out of range for loblolly, I would think your ice storms would wreak havoc on the long needles. Shortleaf is better adapted, but not as attractive. So you see white pine around your area?

[SwampDonkey]

White pine are more shade tolerant that most pines. After established for 3 or 4 years, they can grow as much as 4 feet a year into the pole stage. Trouble with white pine is the weevils and blister rust. I don't know if they hit in your area, but they can turn nice looking white pine into cabbage trees with dead tops and multiple forks. They have the best chance in my area if they are planted where they are shaded some to keep the weevil away. Not in under mature trees, but among trees that are twice as tall or so or even under young aspen where light filters through better than under hardwoods. Cut and burn any trees than become infected and have sap oozing from the bark from withered branches. If the main stem gets the rust, might as well whack the tree down. Pruning limbs up helps keep rust down once they become pole sized.

[semologger]

So you see white pine around your area?

Ya we have some around here and there that people have planted in there yard. They seem to do well i have cut a few lobloly patches before. I am on one right now actualy and these trees did as well as SYP i have cut. I Put another roll behind my other row. About 4 feet behind the other one 25 trees to a row. I did that so they would have some bracing from each other till they get bigger. Then i will trim em out. I only have another 100 to plant. I ran out of time today and they were getting kind of dry. So i put them in a 5 gallon bucket and put  some old horse manure in it. Then gave em some water and put em in the shed out up the sunlight. I hope that will keep em alive till i can get the rest in the ground. I am going to bring back a load of muulch from the mill tomarrow to put around the trees in the ground.  I paid 25 cents a piece for em. I didnt think that was to bad of a deal.

I am going to have to study of on this Rust and weavel problems. At this point i have no idea what what that is :D. Ill talk to my friend who is retired forster and see what i can find out.

[Larry]

I planted a few thousand white pines in north Missouri for windbreaks over a 5 year span.  For the first 3 or 4 years about all they do is survive than they take off.  I planted the trees about 6' apart in the row while the rows were far enough apart that I could mow with the tractor...think 10'.  At the end of 10 years I would think you will have an attractive tree line...maybe 6 to 15 feet tall.

Your borderline late on getting them in the ground.  A hot and dry spell can do them in.  Fescue is also hard on them.  You can get bare root seedlings from MDC for something like $4 or $5 for 25.  They will do just as good as potted nursery stock up to maybe two feet tall.  Good luck with the trees...planting trees is well worth doing.

I put 25 SYP and 25 loblolly in the ground early here in Arkansas.  With the abundant moisture this spring some have 2" or more of new growth already.

[SwampDonkey]

I transplanted about 20 white spruce, 2 sugar maple, 3 red oak I germinated this winter, 2 butternut  including that 7 footer and one last year germinant and 2 volunteer Norway maples. Just filling in spots to keep the weeds from invading.