(Click to enlarge)
A customer in Mississippi sent this photo after recent high winds and (obviously) torrential rains.
Even after all that, his Tubex Tree Tubes with PVC Tree Tube Stakes are still standing strong!
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Friday, April 15, 2011
Tree Tubes: Giving Nature a helping hand
If you end up with some extra tree tubes after you're done protecting your newly planted seedlings, chestnuts and acorns, here are a couple of ways you can put those tree tubes to use:
1. Use tree tubes on naturally regenerated seedlings (volunteers) that you want to favor and protect
2. Use tree tubes on stump sprouts (suckers) that grow after an older tree dies or is harvested
Obviously growing from seed or re-sprouting from an existing root system are two ways trees have been reproducing since the dawn of time. But keep in mind that only a tiny percentage of those naturally regenerated trees ever survived to reach maturity - and today's volunteer seedlings or sprouts face more dangers in the form of record high deer populations and dozens of invasive weed species than ever before. Covering them with Tree Tubes not only shields them from deer browse, it makes it easier for you to locate those special young trees and give them some weed & brush control.
So you don't always have to plant a tree to grow a tree. Sometimes you can simply take what Mother Nature starts and give it a helping hand.
1. Use tree tubes on naturally regenerated seedlings (volunteers) that you want to favor and protect
2. Use tree tubes on stump sprouts (suckers) that grow after an older tree dies or is harvested
Obviously growing from seed or re-sprouting from an existing root system are two ways trees have been reproducing since the dawn of time. But keep in mind that only a tiny percentage of those naturally regenerated trees ever survived to reach maturity - and today's volunteer seedlings or sprouts face more dangers in the form of record high deer populations and dozens of invasive weed species than ever before. Covering them with Tree Tubes not only shields them from deer browse, it makes it easier for you to locate those special young trees and give them some weed & brush control.
So you don't always have to plant a tree to grow a tree. Sometimes you can simply take what Mother Nature starts and give it a helping hand.
Friday, April 8, 2011
Projects Of The Week
Whew, it was a whirlwind of a week* with a bunch of new tree planting projects getting off to a successful start. The pace of orders and shipments turns this time of year into a bit of a blur, so I apologize if I'm forgetting some.
> A grower in PA bought a bunch of 24" tree tubes (yes, we have those - pls call for a quote!) to use on direct seeded American chestnuts and other trees. And yes, she did get our special discount available to anyone using our Tree Tubes on American chestnut trees to help restore this magnificent species.
> Hazelnut bushes in Georgia - which will benefit from our Vented Tree Tube design
> Genetically select bur oaks in Texas
> Grapevines in Minnesota, Iowa and Pennsylvania
> Northern red oak and black walnut in Michigan
> Riparian buffer CREP project in Virginia
> Willows and cottonwoods in a riparian buffer CREP project in eastern Oregon
As always, thanks to all of our customers for allowing me and Wilson Forestry Supply to play at least a small part in the success of your projects. Our success is measured by the success, growth and health of your trees, and how quickly they fulfill your plans.
* Speaking of whirlwinds, check out our Tree Tube News section to read how our Tubex Combitube Treeshelters and PVC Tree Tube Stakes withstood sustained 50mph winds in the South.
> A grower in PA bought a bunch of 24" tree tubes (yes, we have those - pls call for a quote!) to use on direct seeded American chestnuts and other trees. And yes, she did get our special discount available to anyone using our Tree Tubes on American chestnut trees to help restore this magnificent species.
> Hazelnut bushes in Georgia - which will benefit from our Vented Tree Tube design
> Genetically select bur oaks in Texas
> Grapevines in Minnesota, Iowa and Pennsylvania
> Northern red oak and black walnut in Michigan
> Riparian buffer CREP project in Virginia
> Willows and cottonwoods in a riparian buffer CREP project in eastern Oregon
As always, thanks to all of our customers for allowing me and Wilson Forestry Supply to play at least a small part in the success of your projects. Our success is measured by the success, growth and health of your trees, and how quickly they fulfill your plans.
* Speaking of whirlwinds, check out our Tree Tube News section to read how our Tubex Combitube Treeshelters and PVC Tree Tube Stakes withstood sustained 50mph winds in the South.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Tree Tubes Promote Stem Thickness - In Time
A customer asked a very good and well informed question this morning (that's not surprising - our customers are the smartest and best informed tree planters out there!): She had read that trees need to shake and sway in the wind in order to add stem thickness/caliper, and worried that this would not happen in tree tubes.
I gave a three part answer, which this poor customer probably regarded as "20 minutes of her life she'll her life she'll never get back," even though she was kind enough to listen and sound appreciative. To save you the same 20 minute discussion, here's the Reader's Digest condensed version:
1) It's true that while a seedling is growing up through a tree tube and out the top it does not sway or flex as much as an un-tubed tree, and has a thinner stem relative to its height than the un-tubed tree. (On the plus side, the tree is the tree tube is actually alive after the first few years, whereas odds are increasingly against the same being said for the un-tubed tree, due to deer browse and drought.)
2) This is not as true for the new vented Tubex Combitube Tree Tubes we offer here at Wilson Forestry Supply, especially when that vented tree tube is coupled with a PVC stake. Vented tubes have been shown to promote better stem diameter growth than the old, unvented treeshelters used years ago. And using a PVC stake allows the tree tube - and therefore the tree inside - to sway in the wind, triggering the same growth responses you see in an un-tubed tree: increased stem caliper and taper.
3) Even with today's better tree tubes and with PVC stakes, at the point in time the tree emerges from the tree tube it will have a thinner stem relative to its height than would an un-tubed tree. That's OK! That's why our tree tubes are designed to last 5+ years, so that after the tree emerges the tube can continue to support the trunk. Once the emergent tree starts swaying in the wind you will see that it quickly adds stem taper and thickness.
I gave a three part answer, which this poor customer probably regarded as "20 minutes of her life she'll her life she'll never get back," even though she was kind enough to listen and sound appreciative. To save you the same 20 minute discussion, here's the Reader's Digest condensed version:
1) It's true that while a seedling is growing up through a tree tube and out the top it does not sway or flex as much as an un-tubed tree, and has a thinner stem relative to its height than the un-tubed tree. (On the plus side, the tree is the tree tube is actually alive after the first few years, whereas odds are increasingly against the same being said for the un-tubed tree, due to deer browse and drought.)
2) This is not as true for the new vented Tubex Combitube Tree Tubes we offer here at Wilson Forestry Supply, especially when that vented tree tube is coupled with a PVC stake. Vented tubes have been shown to promote better stem diameter growth than the old, unvented treeshelters used years ago. And using a PVC stake allows the tree tube - and therefore the tree inside - to sway in the wind, triggering the same growth responses you see in an un-tubed tree: increased stem caliper and taper.
3) Even with today's better tree tubes and with PVC stakes, at the point in time the tree emerges from the tree tube it will have a thinner stem relative to its height than would an un-tubed tree. That's OK! That's why our tree tubes are designed to last 5+ years, so that after the tree emerges the tube can continue to support the trunk. Once the emergent tree starts swaying in the wind you will see that it quickly adds stem taper and thickness.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Tree Tubes on Swamp White Oak
Sold some Wilson Tree Tubes to a customer in Wisconsin yesterday. There's nothing surprising in that - we sell A LOT of tree tubes to tree planters in Wisconsin (after all, the annual deer harvest by hunters in Wisconsin is greater than the number of whitetail deer that existed in the USA in 1900, and it still doesn't reduce the size of the herd in Wisc!).
What was exciting about this conversation was that the customer plans to use his treeshelters on swamp white oak, Quercus bicolor (also known as bicolor oak in the nursery trade, perhaps out of fear the the presence of the word "swamp" in it name will make it less appealing to landscapers and homeowners).
Swamp white oak is a fantastic tree, but is underrated and under planted. It grows much faster than most people associate with oaks (in fact ALL oaks grow much faster than people think!), and tolerates poorly drained bottomland sites. Poorly drained sites are typically low in oxygen, since water is taking up much of the pore space in the soil. Similar conditions can be found in boulevard tree planting sites where soil compaction creates low oxygen conditions, making swamp white oak an excellent choice as a street tree... and unlike many of the Norway maples and other trees planted along out streets, swamp white oak is tremendously long lived.
So Thank You to our new customer in Wisconsin for planting swamp white oaks on his property, and thank you for protecting them with our tree shelter tubes to ensure their success. The deer will thank you for two hundred years to come!
What was exciting about this conversation was that the customer plans to use his treeshelters on swamp white oak, Quercus bicolor (also known as bicolor oak in the nursery trade, perhaps out of fear the the presence of the word "swamp" in it name will make it less appealing to landscapers and homeowners).
Swamp white oak is a fantastic tree, but is underrated and under planted. It grows much faster than most people associate with oaks (in fact ALL oaks grow much faster than people think!), and tolerates poorly drained bottomland sites. Poorly drained sites are typically low in oxygen, since water is taking up much of the pore space in the soil. Similar conditions can be found in boulevard tree planting sites where soil compaction creates low oxygen conditions, making swamp white oak an excellent choice as a street tree... and unlike many of the Norway maples and other trees planted along out streets, swamp white oak is tremendously long lived.
So Thank You to our new customer in Wisconsin for planting swamp white oaks on his property, and thank you for protecting them with our tree shelter tubes to ensure their success. The deer will thank you for two hundred years to come!
Monday, March 21, 2011
Treeshelters for Paulownia
I found this great article on starting paulownia (Paulownina tomentosa) seedlings in Tubex Tree Shelters.
Paulownia, as many know, is an incredibly fast growing tree (as in 10-12 feet in 4 months!) that produces wood valued for a wide range of products.
If you have an interest in growing paulownia, I highly recommend joining the American Paulownia Association. The organization is a great resource to learn about sources of seed and planting stock, best growing practices, and to share camaraderie with other growers.
Paulownia, as many know, is an incredibly fast growing tree (as in 10-12 feet in 4 months!) that produces wood valued for a wide range of products.
If you have an interest in growing paulownia, I highly recommend joining the American Paulownia Association. The organization is a great resource to learn about sources of seed and planting stock, best growing practices, and to share camaraderie with other growers.
Friday, March 18, 2011
Tree Tubes In Action - Weekly Wrap Up
One of the things I like to do during planting season is to look back on the week just past and recap the various projects folks bought our tree tubes for:
American chestnut seedlings in Maryland
Hazelnut and red alders in Oregon, along with with Douglas fir, cypress and ponderosa pine
Hybrid oak trees in MI, OH, MS, VA, TN, LA and KS
Bur oak, burgambel oak, dwarf chinkapin oak, chokecherry, chokeberry, buffalo berry in SD - lucky deer!
Gobbler sawtooth oaks in AL
Fruit trees in UT
American chestnut, black walnut, butternut, black cherry and northern red oak in MN
That's just a small sample. There have been too many orders and shipments this week for me to track them all, or to know for sure what trees folks are using their tree tubes on.
But as usual, the best part of my job is talking with landowners and helping them achieve their management goals - not simply by pushing treeshelters but by discussing planting layout, species selection, letting them know about all of the great nurseries out there offering unique planting stock, and helping them skip about 3 years of trial and error by sharing the experiences of other landowners I have been privileged to work with.
Thanks to all of our customers for another great week. And thanks for all of your hard work in re-treeing our land.
American chestnut seedlings in Maryland
Hazelnut and red alders in Oregon, along with with Douglas fir, cypress and ponderosa pine
Hybrid oak trees in MI, OH, MS, VA, TN, LA and KS
Bur oak, burgambel oak, dwarf chinkapin oak, chokecherry, chokeberry, buffalo berry in SD - lucky deer!
Gobbler sawtooth oaks in AL
Fruit trees in UT
American chestnut, black walnut, butternut, black cherry and northern red oak in MN
That's just a small sample. There have been too many orders and shipments this week for me to track them all, or to know for sure what trees folks are using their tree tubes on.
But as usual, the best part of my job is talking with landowners and helping them achieve their management goals - not simply by pushing treeshelters but by discussing planting layout, species selection, letting them know about all of the great nurseries out there offering unique planting stock, and helping them skip about 3 years of trial and error by sharing the experiences of other landowners I have been privileged to work with.
Thanks to all of our customers for another great week. And thanks for all of your hard work in re-treeing our land.
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