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Home::Environment
Facts about the Blackhills Spruce
Author : B Hirst
Did you know that Black Hills Spruce trees have dark, dark brown
bark and dark, dark green needles which are their leaves. From
afar, it takes surprisingly few of any evergreen tree to appear
black. It takes even fewer of the Black Hills Spruce trees
together to make an apparently black forest. Yes, the Black
Forest of Bavaria in Germany is named for it's evergreen trees.
One-third of the Black Forest today is Spruce, and Pine trees
are close behind at 30%. Evergreen trees are (for)ever green,
but none is more deeply, darkly green than mountain area Spruce
trees like the Black Hills Spruce. There are no species of
European Spruce trees named for the Black Forest, but the Rocky
Mountains' Spruce trees which have remained for millions of
years in the Black Hills were named well.
So, guess what percent of the trees covering the Black Hills
are Black Hills Spruce trees? The Ponderosa Pine tree, also
known as the Western Yellow Pine tree makes up over three
quarters of the area's trees, 76%! Would you believe just 4% of
the trees in the Black Hills are Black Hills Spruce Trees?
Yeesh.
Spruce trees are not just valuable as evergreen trees suitable
for rich, year 'round, dark green color from their dense
needle-leaves, and of course, for Christmastime.
One of our customers worked at the Homestake Gold Mine after
graduating from college. Left over from the 1876 Gold Rush to
the Black Hills of South Dakota, where George Custer was
supposed to chase away the prospectors bothering the Sioux
Indians, but instead tried the opposite and got himself killed,
the Homestake Gold mine is still operating today. The mine is a
great tourist attraction, ranking right up there with Mount
Rushmore, Crazy Horse Mountain, the indoor hot springs pool in
the town of, well, Hot Springs. The Homestake Mine has produced
more gold than any other mine in the entire western hemisphere,
including the huge open-pit surface mines of Nevada.
Guess what species of tree from the forest of the Black hills
has been favored for the timber supports and structures down in
the mine all these 120-odd years ? It was the aptly named Black
Hills Spruce, because the Spruce wood is better able to stand up
to being constantly bumped and being constantly wet (you
wouldn't believe just how wet underground mines are our customer
tells us) than the far more locally common Ponderosa Pine wood.
How about that? If you want to mine your property with an
underground operation, you'll be able to cut down your mature
Spruce trees in just 30 years after you plant the seedlings you
bought from SeedlingsRus, or maybe just half that time, 15
years, if you get 6-foot saplings. Planting seedlings
All people handling seedlings need to help with the life support
of your plants. Seedlings are like fish out of water and need
care which is often overlooked between the time the seedlings
are lifted and transplanted. Improper care means higher
mortality. Do not try and reinvent the wheel. You must protect
seedling from moisture and temperature extremes, as well as
physical damage. Seedlings are living and should be handled
carefully. For a higher survival rate, treat trees carefully and
plant them immediately. I like to have a backup plan for
planting if the weather turns bad. I will sometimes switch from
lining out the seedlings to potting them up if I realize that
the soil conditions will not be right for an extended lenght of
time. If planting must be delayed a few days, keep the plants in
a cold, protected place with air circulation between the trees.
Keep the trees out of the rain and wind. To check if the trees
need water, feel the media at the roots.. If it isn't damp,
water the trees and allow the excess water to drain. In cool,
damp weather, the biggest threat to these trees is from mold.
Try to keep out of soil seedlings moist by either restricting
water loss with a water vapor barrier or by wetting the roots at
regular intervals. While handling or planting try to reduce
temperature and air movement around the seedlings. Windy days
can dry out seedlings so consider waiting for calmer weather.
Once your soil conditions are correct OUR FREE USE PLANTERS will
make planting a snap so its will be worth waiting for good
planting conditions.
HOW TO PLANT
Ideal planting days are cool and cloudy with little or no wind.
If possible, avoid planting on warm, windy days. The soil should
be moist not wet. Care in planting is more important than speed.
Make sure the roots are never allowed to become dry. Bare root
seedlings should be carried in a waterproof bag or bucket with
plenty of moist material packed around the roots to keep them
damp. Ideally, bare root boxes should be kept refrigerated or
packed in ice or snow. Don't freeze the trees. Competition from
weeds, grass, brush or other trees is very detrimental to
survival and growth of seedlings. Choose areas free from this
competition or clear at least a three-foot square bare spot
before planting. Seedlings should not be planted under the crown
of existing trees, or closer than 6 feet to existing brush.
Avoid areas near walnut trees. Brush aside loose organic
material such as leaves, grass, etc., from the planting spot to
expose mineral soil. If organic matter gets into the planting
hole, it can decompose and leave air spaces. Roots will dry out
when they grow into these spaces. Open up the hole, making sure
the hole is deep enough for the roots to be fully extended. If
roots are curled or bunched up, the tree will not be able to
take up water correctly, will often weaken and die, or may blow
down later due to poor root structure. Take a tree out of your
planting bag or bucket only after a hole is ready. When exposed,
the fine roots can dry out in as little as 30 seconds. Seedling
shoots and roots lose water to air, roots require more
protecting.Unlike leaves ,they do not have stomata (closeable
openings on the surface of the leaves) or any waxy coatings to
help reduce water loss. If the roots apear dry they are probably
dead. Now I know you are thinking,"I will place them in a
buckect of water and store them there until planting". This will
not work. Submerge plants for no longer that a couple of
minutes. Placing them in water cuts them off from oxygen.
Remember to remove the container before planting a containerized
tree. A helpful hint to all those new gardeners just starting is
to remember to always plant green side up. Hold the seedling in
place in the hole, making sure the roots are straight, fully
extended and that the tree is neither too shallow or too deep in
the hole. Fill hole, allowing soil to fall in around the roots.
Tamp with hands or with your heel. Don't crush the roots by
jumping up and down around the seedling like there is a snake
curled up around the seedling. It is delicate. Fill with more
soil, if necessary, and tamp. Tamping is important. If soil is
not firmly packed around the roots, there will be air pockets
that can dry out the roots, and the seedlings may be weakly
anchored. It is far easier to plant the tree strait up then have
the tree leaning and have to staiten the tree later. (Addition
of fertilizer and plant vitamins at the time of planting is not
generally necessary.) Take your time in planting. Proper spacing
will help you grow a more valuable crop. I have tried to get
more production from a limited area by over planting and then
thinning, but I always have had trouble in harvesting ....
digging is slower and poor quality usually results for a portion
of the crop. Avoid these tree planting errors:
Tangled roots Planting too shallow Planting too deep Air pockets
Turned up roots (this is called J rooting) Planting trees that
are not tolerant of wet soils in poorly drained areas Planting
over rocks, septic tanks and leach fields, on sand mounds
CARE OF TREES FOLLOWING PLANTING Check periodically to be sure
that brush, grass and other vegetation is kept under control by
mowing, mulching, spraying or a combination of these treatments.
Always obtain advice from a licensed pest control advisor before
using chemicals. You ag extension agency may offer courses in
application of chemicals. Monitoring the appearance of your
trees will help you to detect signs of insects, diseases or
other problems. Apperances also help sell your product. Look for
foliage turning yellow, new foliage drooping or other signs of
poor health. It is easier to take successful corrective action
if the problem is detected early.
Over watering is a common problem in irrigated plantations. You
probably won't need to water more frequently than every 7-10
days. Give your trees a thorough, deep soak and then let the
soil dry out before the next watering. This encourages the roots
to grow down in search of water. Frequent, shallow watering
encourages root growth near the surface and the trees are more
dependent on irrigation and are less windfirm. Read about water
saving ideas for gardeners
Animals can be a major cause of damage to young trees.
Porcupines, gophers, mice, rabbits, deer and cattle are the most
frequent source of damage. In many states you may have to call
your game commission and get their recomendations on legal
methods to protect your crop. In our state, you can get help
from the Pa. Game Commission to kill deer that are a threat to
your seedlings or obtain a free fence to keep deer away from
your seedlings. Over the years we have lost more trees to mice
than any other animal. Put rat baits out on a regular basis.
Other articles that you will find of interest:
http://seedlingsrus.com/DeerDamageControl
http://seedlingsrus.com/NewConstruction
http://seedlingsrus.com/Soils
http://seedlingsrus.com/PlantingTips.html
http://www.zone5trees.com/GrowingGrasses.html
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