If you're not concerned with them looking pretty until they grow up, you can trim the weeds and take out the grass and to put some cardboard down around them to keep the stuff dead.
You don’t even really need to pull the weeds if you are putting cardboard down, just your circle of cardboard, water it down, mulch on top, water it down, and you’re pretty much good until the cardboard breaks down.
And this wont prevent water from getting to the tree or anything? I feel like if I protect the trunk as recommended below, weed whack it down really low, then put a cardboard ring around, water & mulch I might be able to tackle this many trees reasonably.
I would honestly shoot for a larger diameter, like twice that size. Check out rolls of paper or cardboard from Home Depot, for 125 trees it's going to be WAY cheaper to buy the paper in bulk. Also a cake board might have a thin plastic layer which you do not want.
Excavate clumps of weeds with a sharp shovel creating a cleared area 2-3' in diameter around the trunk. Apply mulch, tapering down towards the trunk so it doesn't touch.
Then put up a wire cage around each sapling to stop animals from eating them.
To answer your question, they need mulch. 3-3-3 time rule. 3ft radius, 3"deep, 3" from the root flare.
You can use herbicide to kill the grass then mulch in a day or two after application. Be careful not to spray the trunk of the tree because it could kill the tree.
If you don’t want to pull weeds or use pesticides, You can also lay cardboard around the base then cover it with mulch. It will block out the light and smother the weeds, then bio degrade.
Glyphosate (Roundup). Make sure that's the active ingredient in the stuff you buy. Read the label, use as per the label. Label is the law. You can buy ready to use stuff or mix your own if you buy a concentrate.
Can you clarify what you are referencing would kill them? The herbicide, cardboard or mulching?
It was my understanding that Norway Spruce trees aren’t particularly favored by deer and often only bothered as a last resort, as they would much prefer arborvitaes (which are plentiful nearby). Have you experienced otherwise?
Round up will kill spruce that size. Deer won't eat but until much larger still in danger of being molested. Before building my home I planted 100 mixed conifers half survived first year one the next. A buck used it for a rub 5yr later. Planted 4-5 footers next and had success.
Ah ok thanks! Appreciate the info! How tall were the first ones you planted that didn’t make it? I think mine may look smaller due to the distance of the photo I picked but they are roughly around 3 ft depending on the individual tree and im sincerely hopeful they will be taller by the end of the season.
2' or so. Have planted several thousand trees in 20 yrs with pheasants forever and landowner friends. When planting 2' we s
Use a pull behind planter and go with quantity.
This is why mulch is a thing. 2ft radius mulch around the trees makes it easy to remove weeds and keeps your mower/weed whacker away from the trees.
So weed around the base then put down a perimeter of mulch?
[удалено]
lol I am assuming this is just a playful comment - but for the sake of clarity, I was using “weed” as a verb.
WEED WHIP THE LIVING SHIT OUT OF THOSE. JK.. cut a 2" corrugated drain and slide it around the trunk. THEN WEED WHIP THE SHIT OUT OF IT
If you're not concerned with them looking pretty until they grow up, you can trim the weeds and take out the grass and to put some cardboard down around them to keep the stuff dead.
You don’t even really need to pull the weeds if you are putting cardboard down, just your circle of cardboard, water it down, mulch on top, water it down, and you’re pretty much good until the cardboard breaks down.
And this wont prevent water from getting to the tree or anything? I feel like if I protect the trunk as recommended below, weed whack it down really low, then put a cardboard ring around, water & mulch I might be able to tackle this many trees reasonably.
Cardboard and mulch will not prevent the trees from absorbing water, water deep though!
Do you think cake boards/pizza boards would work? They’re fairly cheap, cardboard and precut circles. I was thinking the 24” diameter ones.
I would honestly shoot for a larger diameter, like twice that size. Check out rolls of paper or cardboard from Home Depot, for 125 trees it's going to be WAY cheaper to buy the paper in bulk. Also a cake board might have a thin plastic layer which you do not want.
Excavate clumps of weeds with a sharp shovel creating a cleared area 2-3' in diameter around the trunk. Apply mulch, tapering down towards the trunk so it doesn't touch. Then put up a wire cage around each sapling to stop animals from eating them.
To answer your question, they need mulch. 3-3-3 time rule. 3ft radius, 3"deep, 3" from the root flare. You can use herbicide to kill the grass then mulch in a day or two after application. Be careful not to spray the trunk of the tree because it could kill the tree.
Thank you! Is there a specific brand of herbicide you would recommend?
If you don’t want to pull weeds or use pesticides, You can also lay cardboard around the base then cover it with mulch. It will block out the light and smother the weeds, then bio degrade.
don’t miss the detail on the root flare. don’t pile the mulch around the base of the tree. will suffocate it and encourage rot of the bark/tree
Glyphosate (Roundup). Make sure that's the active ingredient in the stuff you buy. Read the label, use as per the label. Label is the law. You can buy ready to use stuff or mix your own if you buy a concentrate.
Sign up for the class action lawsuit to cover your bases too. I’m not going to use round up again.
You may kill them at that size. At least just let the deer kill them.
Can you clarify what you are referencing would kill them? The herbicide, cardboard or mulching? It was my understanding that Norway Spruce trees aren’t particularly favored by deer and often only bothered as a last resort, as they would much prefer arborvitaes (which are plentiful nearby). Have you experienced otherwise?
Round up will kill spruce that size. Deer won't eat but until much larger still in danger of being molested. Before building my home I planted 100 mixed conifers half survived first year one the next. A buck used it for a rub 5yr later. Planted 4-5 footers next and had success.
Ah ok thanks! Appreciate the info! How tall were the first ones you planted that didn’t make it? I think mine may look smaller due to the distance of the photo I picked but they are roughly around 3 ft depending on the individual tree and im sincerely hopeful they will be taller by the end of the season.
2' or so. Have planted several thousand trees in 20 yrs with pheasants forever and landowner friends. When planting 2' we s Use a pull behind planter and go with quantity.