We started a small tree nursery back in the spring of 2018 with seedlings ordered from the Department of Forestry. Sixty dollars bought ten sycamores, ten bald cypresses and ten Virginia pines. In hindsight I should have gotten some other riparian species like willow or pin oaks instead of the Virginia pine (also called scrub pine), but I really love the scraggly VA natives.
In two days they were delivered in a long narrow cardboard box. They weren’t very impressive, just little sticks wrapped together in plastic with a bit of roots. They didn’t look like much but they’re a good start.
We fenced off a ten by thirty five foot section of our field, picking an spot out in the marshy area where it seldom dries out, and planted them all. Now we have three rows with each tree three feet from its neighbor.
Here is the initial stage. Not much to show but nice clean fencing. If you look close you can see the thin little trunks.
In July we weeded and mulched. Not much difference of course but it’s coming along well.
Looks like all but one are going to make it. I’ll post more pictures when there is something to show.