Trees advice...attempt to revive or cut?

[Ed Roland]

This is a new one for me. Sounds great if you are trying to rehabilitate alcoholic deer.
Sylvia

At the BTRL lab you will find small containers of wolf urine hanging on most every small tree. effective? nah, deer learn. So I can respect the constant bait and switch method of soaps and rotten eggs and even ammonia. Its lots of trouble, no?

Stand by: I'm headed to the beach to embarrass myself on the surfboard. When i return I will dig up my technical data concerning this proven and effective method of rehabilitating drunken deer.

 

[777ER]

sounds like scale. treatable.

do yu know how big green giants get? pack em in like that and they will die at the bottom from shade.

you need a plant wiht a smaller mature size.

Are you going to do your electrical work based on random advice, too?

The trees that had them already turned brown and lost all of it's leaves. Was too late to treat it from what I'm thinking happened.

Uh 4 feet spacing between trees will cause them to die on the bottom from it's own shade?

Where did the electrical work come from?

 

[777ER]

There appears to be some confusion in some areas on the exact cultivar called Green Giant so you will want to be careful what you are purchasing. There are Green Giants, Thuja standishii x T. plicata, planted at the National Arboretum that after 10 years are 18 - 20' tall with an 8' wide base. These were planted at 3 - 3.5 ft tall on 6.5' centers.

However, I have seen descriptions of the Green Giant that state 30 - 40' tall, 4 - 6 ft wide. So...

A T. occidentalis Gigantenoides or Emerald might be a safer choice in your home situation re size and management.

The best bet would be to find an outlet for your plant and make sure what species and cultivar they are selling to best fit your specific needs. Then based on that find, work out your spacing. The diagram you gave was certainly sufficient for some of these specs.

Re heavy feeding time for deer. The most likely time of severe damage to plants from deer grazing is during the winter. The harsher the winter, the more likely damage will occur. But any time they are passing through is an opportunity to snack. So start paying attention to when you see signs. Are they hanging around, bedding down, or just quickly passing through? I would apply your first spray immediately to discourage sampling. And then just follow their instructions.

Sylvia

The green giants I ordered are: Thuja Green Giant.

I also ordered liquid fence for deer control and will apply them after they are planted and before fencing them off right away.

 

[treeseer]

Uh 4 feet spacing between trees will cause them to die on the bottom from it's own shade?

Yes and the shade of the others. these plants are genetically programmed to get 15-25' wide. Hello!:monkey:

Where did the electrical work come from?

It's the random advice I was referring to...

 

[S Mc]

Thuja Green Giants are advertised for the home landscape with the following specifications: 20' Tall planted in rows; 40' Tall when planted alone. 5' Wide when planted in rows; 10 to 15' wide when planted alone.

These trees are pyramidal in shape (getting narrower at the top) so really should not shade out their own base. Many tree species when planted in a hedge row mechanically readjust to the group planting function. Many large species such as spruce, littleleafed lindens, elms, etc.., are used successfully in creating hedges.

One of the circumstances you will want to consider in your spacing is the end result. How big do you want them to get; how much room do you have to devote to them? With the above information (or the specific information from your retailer - because that could vary) adjust your spacing to meet your needs.

Sylvia

 

[777ER]

One of the circumstances you will want to consider in your spacing is the end result. How big do you want them to get; how much room do you have to devote to them? With the above information (or the specific information from your retailer - because that could vary) adjust your spacing to meet your needs.

Sylvia

Tall enough to provide good screening and privacy from this house:

I pulled out the old trees down to the roots, most of them took one shovel pull to get them out...they weren't even more than a foot deep. There's 3 left which I need assistance to relocate them to the back of the backyard.

I provided 5 feet spacing from the rock wall line to the backyard grass...even removed a foot and half of grass for the trees use.

I put the poles and orange ribbon showing the property line and so none of the neighbor kids will wander into my backyard.

 

[777ER]

Today after removing the yews from the backyard and awaiting arrival of the green giants, I used a pruner to cut the old trees up to make them easier to move them to the back, I noticed dark rings after cutting it.

Can any of you enlighten me what this shows or tell the history of the tree?

 

[KsWoodsMan]

Heartwood, it's normal.

The lighter outside rings are sapwood, the darker denser stuff in the center supports the weight of the tree but doesnt transport nutrients up or down.

Missing heartwood is a cause for concern. Some trees have a lighter colored heartwood. Almost indestinguishable from the color of the sapwood.

 

[777ER]

Got home from work last night to find 5 big boxes of green giants in front of my garage. Opened them up and there's 2 of them in each box. They have a nice smell to it.

From 5:30pm to 8:15pm, I planted 9 green giants and removed three 7' foot tall yews to relocate.
Digged a hole at least 3x bigger than the 3qt pots the green giants came with, flood the hole with water and added the dirt til the tree sits slighty above ground level....repeat 8 times.

My uncle brought over a crappy craftsman 18" chainsaw and 2 worn chains, used them to cut a square box around the yew trees and plucked them out with ease

It was getting dark by 6:45pm so I took out the 1,000 watts work light stand and turned it on.
The neighbors were lookign at me when I fired up the chainsaw.
With the bright lights aimed at their house, they can't see much other than hearing a chainsaw revving at 7pm

After all the yews were removed, I watered the green gaints.

At 8:30pm I mixed the liquid fence and put it in a pressurized sprayer, good god, the small is aweful! Smells like bad vomit!
Sprayed all the green gaints, the hedges and a few of the yews.

When I was leaving for work 4:30am today, I could smell the liquid fence from my side door which is about 20-30 ft to the backyard. Looked at them and the backyard with my flashlight and no evidence of deers around or in the backyard. So far so good.

Did everything by myself...kind of exhausted after I was done cleaning up...

Here's a pic of the newly planted trees (500 watts only on as it was cleanup time, can't see much):

 

[S Mc]

Good job! Be sure to add mulch to keep your grass from creeping back under the new plantings.

I double checked my original post and I did remember to warn you about the stench. It's just hard to really get the full impact portrayed without experiencing it. You don't want to get it any where on you because it is kind of like getting skunked...the residual can last forever (or so it seems).

Sylvia

 

[777ER]

Good job! Be sure to add mulch to keep your grass from creeping back under the new plantings.

I double checked my original post and I did remember to warn you about the stench. It's just hard to really get the full impact portrayed without experiencing it. You don't want to get it any where on you because it is kind of like getting skunked...the residual can last forever (or so it seems).

Sylvia

I forgot to mention that I will be picking mulch on tuesday morning from the local Home Depot.
Gonna be in Maine tonite til mon night so hence why I wanted to do it last night instead of waiting til tuesday morning.

I don't really care about the stench, b/c I'm at work now and won't have to bother with it for a few days...as long it keeps the deers away from it and piss the neighbor off in return

I have a hand pump pressurized sprayer just for the stuff and it has a wand to spray it from so no worries there.

Can you recommend a type of mulch to use?

 

[SawTroll]

I would like to get a fence but the cost of it and I need to get a permit to do so.

FYI; the orangish house behind the trees is the bad neighbor that complained to the town for cutting my own tree. Hence why I want privacy now.

Just kill the nabours, if they don't like it.. 12 gauge?......:censored:

 

[S Mc]

As for a mulch...we like to use whole tree chips. I tried to go on Home Depot to see what they offered but was rather unsuccessful in that they just kept saying my selection wasn't available for viewing.

I would at least recommend stay organic (as opposed to lava rock or stone). The smaller diameter the better. Shredded cedar mulch, smaller diameter pine bark would be acceptable and attractive.

You might want to contact a local tree service to see if they have anything available. Some season the chips themselves and sell them; some will deliver fresh chips at no or little charge if they are in the area. (Obviously, I have no idea what the policy for companies in your area would be...am going from our experience here.)

Sylvia

 

[777ER]

I would at least recommend stay organic (as opposed to lava rock or stone). The smaller diameter the better. Shredded cedar mulch, smaller diameter pine bark would be acceptable and attractive.

The Shredded cedar mulch is available from local nurserys and it's rather cheap here....I think I will go with that.
Gonna arrange it for delivery next week.

The local home depot didn't have any much left in stock...not even tar for the driveway as was told "they're sold out for the season"

Came back from Maine last night, took a 1 million candlepower search light to the backyard to check on the green giants and saw 4 deers in the center of my backyard! 3 sitting down and 1 standing.

They were about 40 feet away from the green giants...looked at them and no signs of missing or bitten off leafs.
The deers were being dumb and they didn't move when I flashed the light at them...took a rock and threw it into the back and they all scattered sideways

1 of the 4 relocated yews which I sprayed with liquid fence, it's starting to grow leafs on the bottom portion of it already.
As for the other 3 which wasn't sprayed, the damn deers ate almost all of the leafs off...just enough proof for me to use liquid fence on all the trees I want to grow.

Here's a pic of it taken at 4:30pm today, the sun glare screwed up the autofocus in my camera phone and came out rather blurry...there's 9 green giants in there.

 

[777ER]

This is a new one for me. Sounds great if you are trying to rehabilitate alcoholic deer.

Actually, we have had tremendous success with Liquid Fence and also with the cheaper alternative of hanging bits of Irish Spring from the trees. Then there is always the harvest method...David loves venison jerky. However, this method may be frowned upon in some residential neighborhoods.

But deer can vary in each area. The idea is to train them that your plant does not taste good. Since new deer will come in to your area, you will have to KEEP teaching them that your plant does not taste good. They don't pass the info on. opcorn:

Sylvia

Sylvia,

The deers didn't pose any problems and I knew since the snow in the backyard has no deers footprint.

However...just until last week, I found two of the green giants missing all of it's leaves (snow melted a few days before this was discovered) and the 3rd one is missing leaves on half of it...the rest of them (6) is fine with no bite marks or signs.
The first 3 ones has deer bites and deer crap near it, they were all near the hedges which also has been sprayed everytime the green giants gets sprayed.

I sprayed all of them with a new batch of liquid fence mixed according to the directions and used the severe deer prodcure which is spray them once a week for 3 weeks then downgrade to once a month.

Just today I sprayed them the 2nd time (after a week) and I don't see much signs of bite marks that are fresh but now there's 2 more spots of deer crap just right next to the 2 green gaints that have almost no leaves on them... looks like they're trying to tell me something.

In my guts I have a feeling the deers I'm dealing with are mutant types that seems to be immue to liquid fence and the taste of green giants.

What should I do now? set up booby traps
or purchase a net screen and install posts to form a 'boxed' over screening?

 

[Ed Roland]

The best way to discourage deer browse, imo, is with applications of Thiram.
This is the stuff Doctors prescribe to alcoholics. Its taken it and if they have a drink they become violently ill. Long residual on the plant with some light staining. I have no confidence in the putrescent egg and ammonia products.

Call your local Bartlett Tree Expert office or ask your local certified pro about it.

"The active ingredient in Spotrete is Thiram. Spotrete is not only an animal repellent, but it is also an effective fungicide against turf diseases such as dollar spot and brown patch. Similar to Buck Off!, uniform coverage of the plant foliage is needed for effective control of animal browse, and the product should be applied to new growth for protection. Spotrete applications to the bark of smaller trees in the fall are an excellent way to reduce buck rub damage. Spotrete does not weather as well as Buck Off!, but the addition of a latex based sticker, such as Cleary’s Clearspray T/O dramatically improves it’s staying power. Spotrete may also leave a whitish residue on foliage, which may seem unsightly to some. This problem can be avoided by applying Spotrete to areas away from high traffic areas, such as walkways. Spraying these areas will deter deer from entering and feeding on plants in the highly visible areas."
http://www.clearychemical.com/907news/article1-907.html