Department of Forestry just left the house.

[manganos]

I'm planting pines this year and the local Forestry Department lady just left. I'm only planting 5 acres and she is suggesting 500 tress an acre at a price of < $60 per acre. That includes the trees and the plantings of them. I can't wait [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] I'll be planting around 100 acres next year.

[Gatorboy]

Manjanos,

Where are you located? Your profile is empty.

Is your property fenced off? Any deer in the area? I planted 400 seedlings 1 1/2 years ago, and the deer ate the tops of almost all of them. Since that loss, I have found these tubes that actually cause the trees to grow alot faster, as well as keep the deer from eating them.

I just bought a few to see how they would work. They work great, but cost me about $2.50/each. I found other tubes that are cheaper called Blue-X. I am going to plant seeds this fall using their direct seed plant shelters. They are designed to keep the rodents from digging up the seeds.

Good luck with your pine trees.

[EJB]

Is this for eventual logging purposes? If so, how long are you expecting it will be before you can actually harvest anything?

(or are these xmas trees?)

[manganos]

Some of the property is fenced off but I'm going to tear the fencing down with the tractor. I have a lot of deer at one end of my property because of the orchard. If it gets too bad I'll just let my German Shepard out and she keeps the unwanted out. She is tied up at night but has a bark that sends most of the deer running. I'll check into those tubes but I don't think I have that much in the budget for the trees. BTW I'm located in Church Road, VA which is south of Petersburg, VA. If you are a civil war buff you will know where Dinwiddie County is. Thats it! I just updated my profile [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] Thanks.

[Hayseed]

manganos,

Who are you buying your trees from? Are you planting Super Trees? International Paper sells genetically engineered, fast growing trees and that is what they call them - Super Trees. I don't know what other tree growers call them.

How many acres of pines did the forestry department say you would need to grow in order to be profitable? I have 19 acres that I would plant in pines if the land were pasture but it is mostly wooded and a lot of that is with miserable sweet gums, so I don't figure it wold be worth my money to doze it all down and replant with that small of an amount of acreage.

Lots of folks in Ark. have started growing Super Trees because they mature and can be harvested in something like half the time it takes to grow a regular pine tree. I wish so bad that I owned a 100 or even a 50 acre pasture because I would have it planted in fast growing pines ASAP.

Keep us posted on your tree farming progess with some pictures. Good luck and enjoy your new venture!

[manganos]

I'm getting the trees from the Forestry Dept and they have contacts with people to plan them. They will be Loblolly Pines. She said within 3 years they should be way over my head. They have no 1 and no 2. That has to do with how straight they grow etc. I'm not picky. A nice ,alive, tree will do me just fine.