White Spruce Transplant?

[JSB408]

Hello, first post here.
I was given 300 white spruce 3 years ago. It was fall, and about to freeze, so I put them in rows in some top soil. Then they were about 3” tall. This spring when the snow melted it seems as if they are about 6-8” tall.
I’m hoping to plant these around our place to screen views and the like.
When should I transplant these? What time of year? Up here our first frost is the first week of September, and ground is frozen hard by October.
Any thoughts?

 

[bobt]

First of all let me welcome you to the AS site. Living in Alaska is something that I have never done, so my advice from The Upper Peninsula of Michigan may be of little value to you.

Our last frost in the spring is usually after Memorial day, and first frosts arrive early in September. Our minimum temp in the winter is about -30 degrees F. Maybe this is somewhat comparable to your climate in AK.

If it were me, (I am no expert, but have transplanted many small trees in my day) I would transplant some now, and see how it goes. Just take a good big shovel full of soil with the roots, and don't knock it off the roots if possible. (works best in clayish soil). plant them firmly in place, and give them a hearty drink of water to settle the soil and roots.

Transplanting these small white spruce should be a piece of cake I think.

Some also say to transplant late in the year, so that is a possibility as well.

Good Luck to you! Maybe someone who is truly an expert will come along and give you better advise.

Bob

 

[dhamblet]

Ideally you should transplant these in winter or spring when they are still dormant. If they have started showing new growth they are not dormant. That being said if you are careful about disturbing the roots and keeping soil around them most will probably make it.

Hello, first post here.
I was given 300 white spruce 3 years ago. It was fall, and about to freeze, so I put them in rows in some top soil. Then they were about 3” tall. This spring when the snow melted it seems as if they are about 6-8” tall.
I’m hoping to plant these around our place to screen views and the like.
When should I transplant these? What time of year? Up here our first frost is the first week of September, and ground is frozen hard by October.
Any thoughts?

 

[JSB408]

bobt- looks like your winters are about like they are here.

So how do I tell when the trees go dormant in the fall? I’m at work for another few weeks, and won’t be able to get to them until next month.

And how about the duff? It seems to me that all the roots of the stumps I’ve pulled are just on top of the clay, under the duff. Should I cut the duff back and plant in the clay? Peel the diff back and flop it back once the tree is in? Plant in the duff?

Yeah, lots of questions. Thanks

 

[dhamblet]

Trees don't like to have their roots in saturated soil like clay so don't plant them in the clay. If you can afford it bring in some compost or topsoil over the clay. If you have real clay vs clay/sand/loam mixture they won't survive once they start to get big, they probably will blow over cause the roots won't penetrate into the clay. Dormancy happens once things start to get cold and dark. In AK I'd figure once you lose most of your daylight you are probably good to go.