Pine volunteers/seedling/saplings, worth moving.

[Joseph Acquisto]

I have a stand or two of eastern (I presume) White Pine that I want gone. They are the offspring of a large Pine within striking distance of the house. It has evidence of w lighting strike from years back and appears on it's way out. I've contracted with a local outfit to take it and 2 other down.. All are within 30 ft of the house, on a slope and either on or next to a rock ledge with very little soil over. With power lines in line of fall as well.

Regardless, there are many cones been shed over the years, resulting in a couple of dense patches of "sprouts" which the picture may not make clear.
Transplanted a few last year and gave a way a few to anyone willing to dig them. The transplants seem to have taken, without much care to moving them. Just scraped a hole with backhoe, lifted them out with the bucket and dumped them in the hole. I do admit to stomping down in the hole and watering them in. Beyond that, nothing.
I have space to move most of them, to an area where I can see a neighbors house, that I would rather not see so much of. They do not make the best screen of course, but, they are "free".

Guess I am looking for opinions on moving them, or just uprooting them and letting them die, which seems a waste to me. But "they are only pines" as a couple of people have said.

For a screen, Arborvitae would be better, but, they are not free. Also have several Norway Spruce volunteers that are kind of close to the house, that do have a more dense lower structure that I could move. I far prefer the look of the Spruce to the pine.


people has said to me

 

[irhunter]

"Only pines"... White pine is the Maine state tree.

When we transplant trees to serve as a visual fence, we always mix them up. Never know when the next insect will come along and kill all of one species.

Our best such fence is a mix of white pine, balsam fir, white/red spruce, and white cedar...all snatched, for free, from one place or another.

Roy

 

[Joseph Acquisto]

No offense meant to the Great State of Maine. Just the general opinion around here is, they are prolific and they don't belong near the house. Just had to pay to take down 3 big ones that have left me some mill ready logs.
Not much Balsam (?) but fair amounts of "Norway" Spruce, Red Cedar. Don't know the others off hand.

 

[irhunter]

No offense meant to the Great State of Maine. Just the general opinion around here is, they are prolific and they don't belong near the house.

Hey, no problem. I know quite a bit about killing white pine which are growing where we don't want them.

Bangor, Maine, was once the largest lumber exporting port in the world. For Maine,
white pine was king, then.

Here is our visual tree fence...with mixed softwoods...including white pine.

Roy