Tree Seedlings in Pots

[John Foster]

Hello all; this spring we received 200+ tree seedlings from our municipality as part of a campaign in our county to encourage tree plantings. These were mostly small shoots of white pine, white spruce, Norway spruce and red oak. At the time we received these plants we did not have a prepared planting location, so we just planted them all in pots that we already had. This worked very well, very high survival rate, lots of new growth. Now that fall is here we are wondering how to care for them in preparation for the up coming winter. We live in Southern Ontario at an elevation of about 1400 ft. Our winters vary from mild to very cold, and our snowfall ranges from light to very heavy, so we can hope for the best, but must be prepared for the worst. Any suggestions are appreciated. Thank you John.

 

[tomreeve]

I would suggest that you plant the pots in the ground and cover them with a thick layer of mulch. Barring that, just plant them in a pile of mulch. Do this in a sheltered area, prefereably away from the wind. The trees should do just fine. You will probably lose some, but that happens to everybody. The evergreens might dessicate, but if they are sheltered they should be fine. I would then get these buggers in the ground next spring. Good Luck
tom

 

[Tom K]

John:

I would suggest a slight addition to Tom's response.

If you can come by some black plastic I would suggest that you put a layer on the ground around the plants or over the mulch bed containing the seedlings.

The plastic will help keep the soil warm and the weeds out of the container. In addition, I would strongly suggest that you not add any herbicides to the pots. The Ohio State University has shown that herbicides dramatically increases the chance for mortality during over wintering (a rarely advertised fact).

Depending upon how tall the plants are and your budget, you might want to consider a low tunnel made of plastic and wire ...See http://plasticulture.cas.psu.edu/L-tunnels.html
This may not be necessary.

Finally, I agree that you should plant, or pot up, if possible, in the spring.

 

[Elmore]

shelter

Construct a makeshift hoop house. Locate an area in the high shade of some large trees. A mix of deciduous and evergreen will do. Take some concrete blocks, three to a side, total of six and space them out to the length of your structure, say 10' -12'. Use PVC pipe to form support for a length of white, opaque plastic. Not clear and not black. Insert your pipe from one block across to the other, three lengths of PVC pipe. I used concrete reinforcement wire, about 4" wide instead of PVC pipe and it fit snug in the block. Place your containerized plants within the boundaries of this structure, water well and when it gets below freezing drape the white, opaque plastic over the structure and secure all sides of the plastic. I weighted the plastic down with additional blocks. You can place leaves and pine straw along the sides and ends of the house for added insulation. Periodically check plants for pests and to see if they need watering. This may get your trees through the winter.