Every spring I stick a few stratified pecan seeds in pots and grow my own rootstock trees. Today, I took advantage of perfect weather (sunny, low 70's) and moist soil conditions to load up some potted trees in my utility vehicle and head to the field (photo at right). With just about 20 trees to plant, I used a shovel to dig the holes for the trees.
When digging holes for container-grown trees, I only dig deep enough to hold the entire root system. I used tall pots to grow out my trees so the hole needed to be about 12 inches deep (photo at left).
When I plant container-grown trees, I shake off all the loose potting soil from the root ball and then place the tree in the hole. I back fill the hole around the tree's rootsystem making sure to crumble the dirt clods as I go. In planting trees, I always make sure that the entire root ball is covered with soil and it is firmly packed down (photo at right).
To prevent deer from browsing on my newly planted trees, I always place a welded wire cage around the tree (photo at left). This cage is made from 6 feet of 2" x 4" welded wire and formed into a circle. The cage pictured here is five feet tall but after working with both 4 feet tall and 5 feet tall cages, I've found both heights prevent deer browse. The 4 foot tall welded wire is significantly less expensive so I won't be buying any more 5 foot tall welded wire in the future.
In making wire cages, I tie the cages in a circle using polypropylene twine (baler twine) (photo at right). This makes removing the cages much easier if the tree grows though the wires of the cage. I tie the cage together in just two spots and can use my pocket knife to cut the cage open and pull the cage away from the tree. I use the same twine to tie the cage to a steel fence post.
When driving the fence post into the ground, I always make sure part of the T-post's paddle is showing above the soil (photo at left). By leaving the paddle visible, I ensure that no tree roots will grow over the paddle trapping the fence post under the rootsystem (making it impossible the pull out).
Hopefully, all my efforts to plant and protect these new trees be successful. With proper tree care, I expect these trees to be ready for grafting in 2-3 years time. My only problem will be in deciding which cultivars to graft.
