Advice on Planting Bare Root Austrian Pines
Hello,
I'm located in the mountains at the border of southern and central California where we have our own micro climate at an attitude of 6,000 feet mostly zone 7 with some 8. We have native Scrub Oak, Pinyon, Jeffery, and other fir and spruce varieties at higher elevations to 9,000 feet. Soil is leaning toward sandy loam with some areas containing more clay and less sand.
If you temporally pot a small tree in native soil here, which I have done (more on that below), the soil can turn cement-like if left to dry out between watering. PH is 6-7. Most areas are covered in sagebrush with annual foxtail grass and lupine and poppies along with other native flowers. The soil's organic material is higher around strands of Scrub Oak from decades of leaf shed and shade from neighboring Pinyon. All the pine on the property is old and new growth Pinyon.
After some research and discussions with a private nursery owner living in the area, Austrian pine should do well here. The property is without water at this time. We plan on constructing a well next year. I do have the means of transporting water and I have a 2000 gallon tank on the property. I found a source in Wisconsin for these trees. They are 4 year olds with a dense root system this particular grower is noted for. They will be shipped bare root via UPS from www.evergreennurseryco.com.
Also it's important to mention that last spring I purchased 400 spruce 2'+ from a Michigan grower and planted them in #5 containers using a mix of native soil and some organic compost 10% (may have been a mistake), and covered the tops with native pinyon needles and twigs to keep the trees cooler and the moisture in. I did some research beforehand and thought I was on the right track with using the native soil. I gave them a drink about every 4-5 days during the summer. They were set about a foot apart in full sun. We had an unusual heat wave in the low 90's for about a two week period plus dry wind. I moved them to a place where they would receive 3/4 day sun. The trees began dying and by late fall, all were lost. They were growing and looking fine until the heat wave. Another possibility was an organic fertilizer application recommended by the grower before the heat arrived. I found out later that I should have used a completely made-up planting mix while the trees were held in containers and that I should not have used native soil at all. The reason I went the container route was to buy some time to map out where I wanted the trees to go and then plant them in the ground this spring.
A photo attached of the land.
I'm very interested in knowing what your thoughts are on planting, soil amending, fertilizing (hearing "no" on fertilizing), and watering so these trees have the best chance to grow into mature trees.
Thanks! And thanks to Ken_Adrian for his recent advice and recommendation to post here so other members could comment.
Jeff
Comments (7)
Smivies (Ontario - 5b)
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
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