Replanting native trees

[UAmember]

I had to cut down my last mature tree about a month ago, so now my yard is completely deforested. I really would like to plant some native hardwood, so I stopped at 3 local nurseries yesterday and all that is available around here is just a few different landscape varieties of shade trees, so I did an internet search. I found a nursery in Michigan http://www.coldstreamfarm.net. I was very impressed with the variety of hard to find trees such as Osage Orange, Beech, and Hornbeam. I also like that they are as far north as they are, I have had bad luck in the past with trees and shrubs sourced from southern nurseries. I think I may place an order, the prices seem to be very reasonable and there are no minimum quantities. Has anyone one used this nursery or do you have a favorite one you use?

 

[blacktail]

A county conservation district, or similar agency, might have what you want.

 

[peakbagger]

The biggest thing to understand is that preparation ad watering is 99% of the work involved with planting a tree. Its easy to buy a good quality tree but if you don't commit to prepping the soil and keeping the tree watered for 1 to 2 years consistently even the best tree may not survive. A local town got NPS money to put in a pedestrian walkway, they had to use NPS specs and the costs of the trees were quite high. The reasons they were quite high is the seller had to guarantee the trees for a couple of years. For the first year there was someone checking the soil moisture every few days and watering if needed. They planted about 100 trees and everyone is thriving including one that was vandalized by someone cutting the crown off.

You are smart to stick with a northern grower, just keep an eye out for zone hardiness.

 

[Montanalocal]

If you want to include a number of fruit trees, I would consider St. Laurence Nurseries in upstate New York. I have ordered from them several times with excellent results here in MT at 5000 ft. I have 16 of their apple trees, and a number of their plums and pears.

https://stlawrencenurseries.com/collections/all

 

[Soundchasm]

I had to cut down my last mature tree about a month ago, so now my yard is completely deforested. I really would like to plant some native hardwood, so I stopped at 3 local nurseries yesterday and all that is available around here is just a few different landscape varieties of shade trees, so I did an internet search. I found a nursery in Michigan http://www.coldstreamfarm.net. I was very impressed with the variety of hard to find trees such as Osage Orange, Beech, and Hornbeam. I also like that they are as far north as they are, I have had bad luck in the past with trees and shrubs sourced from southern nurseries. I think I may place an order, the prices seem to be very reasonable and there are no minimum quantities. Has anyone one used this nursery or do you have a favorite one you use?

I can't recommend a nursery, but I've had hit and miss from a few local nurseries. Got a fantastic swamp oak (beautiful form) and a beautiful bur oak (healthy) and a red oak that is having trouble all from the same supplier. The troubled red oak lived through that brutal winter that froze a lot of trees a few years ago, and I think that's the problem there.

My wife spearheaded planting a patch of trees (200-300) over time, and she's had reasonable response from a few different sellers concerning warranties and such, but that's with a little quantity. The bad news is that the overall survival rate is 50%, but that's everything from seedlings to 6'.

My buddy and I hacked up a 7' volunteer red oak off his property and planted here 15 years ago. It took off like it was burning rocket fuel.

But I understand. I sure hate paying $75+ for a tree and seeing it die after a few years of a lot of effort due to a hot summer or cold winter. Good luck.

If you were here you could come dig up several 3-4' sugar maples and some pignut hickory seedlings. Are there any wooded properties near you? I bet I've got 30 sugar maple seedlings on a single acre.

 

[BenTN]

Here is your state tree nursery, used by your forestry service.

(broken link removed to https://www.dnr.illinois.gov/conservation/Forestry/Pages/Tree-Nurseries.aspx)

 

[UAmember]

Well, I gave Cold Stream Farm a shot. The selection and price were hard to beat. I got so excited by all the varieties that I got carried away a little, I got Osage, Shagbark Hickory, Hophornbeam, Northern Pecan, Black Locust, Hornbeam, Honey Locust, Beech, Red Oak, Sugar Maple, White Oak, Yellow Birch, Black Walnut, and Black Cherry. I got (20) trees, most of them 2-3' shipped for $160.

I am familiar with growing trees, my windbreak started off as (30) or so 12-24" Norway Spruce with a few Black Hills Spruce mixed in. Most of them are approaching 7+ feet after 3 years. I've had them on drip irrigation, kept them weeded and set them up for success. So far it has payed off.

Now that my windbreak is established I am ready for some shade trees. I just hope I didn't get too many for my 2 acres. Also, setting up 20 trees scattered throughout my yard on drip irrigation isn't going to happen. I'll water them as much as I can, but I expect to lose some.

Soundchasm, I wish I were near you, I would jump all over those Sugar Maples. My brother has a volunteer Walnut tree about 4' that I am supposed to transplant. If I had more time I would scout his property for more seedlings, so we shall see what becomes of these little guys come spring.

 

[Soundchasm]

Well, I gave Cold Stream Farm a shot. The selection and price were hard to beat. I got so excited by all the varieties that I got carried away a little, I got Osage, Shagbark Hickory, Hophornbeam, Northern Pecan, Black Locust, Hornbeam, Honey Locust, Beech, Red Oak, Sugar Maple, White Oak, Yellow Birch, Black Walnut, and Black Cherry. I got (20) trees, most of them 2-3' shipped for $160.

I am familiar with growing trees, my windbreak started off as (30) or so 12-24" Norway Spruce with a few Black Hills Spruce mixed in. Most of them are approaching 7+ feet after 3 years. I've had them on drip irrigation, kept them weeded and set them up for success. So far it has payed off.

Now that my windbreak is established I am ready for some shade trees. I just hope I didn't get too many for my 2 acres. Also, setting up 20 trees scattered throughout my yard on drip irrigation isn't going to happen. I'll water them as much as I can, but I expect to lose some.

Soundchasm, I wish I were near you, I would jump all over those Sugar Maples. My brother has a volunteer Walnut tree about 4' that I am supposed to transplant. If I had more time I would scout his property for more seedlings, so we shall see what becomes of these little guys come spring.

The thing that surprises me the most is how fast oak trees grow. I have to call into doubt the adage of the slow-growing oak. Oak may not be the fastest growing species, but it doesn't seem slow to me at all.

And as I walk around my own property as well as the reserve I live next to, my eye gets better trained to spot the bazzillion maple, hickory, walnut, buckeye, sycamore and oak volunteers looking for a good home.

Here's a shot of that 6' red oak transplanted in '02. Photo from 2014, so that's 12 years on site. It's twice that size as of 2017.

Best of luck. I reckon you're in for a surprise as to what flourishes and what struggles. Keep us posted. You've got some great species on order. If you end up with one of each flourishing, you've done a great thing.