JPH
Mame
Thanks! I'll look into those for sure! Much appreciated!
A learning experience: Lost 5 collected Black Spruce this June.
- Thread starter JPH
- Start date
I'm a little late here but IMO, your loss was due largely to fall collecting and no root protection. You have to protect the roots! I have a cold frame that has heat matts in it with thermostat that will not let temps get below 35F. Yes your soil was a little iffy also, but the killer was no root protection with your winter temps. Other than it is light and can float or blow away, I don't see any problem with course peralite at all. Way rather use that than just bark if you don't have pumice. Screen all substrates IMO to 3/16"-3/8".
JPH
Mame
What's interesting is the Tamarack (Larix) survived just fine (shown in the pictures earlier in the thread). They are pushing growth as if nothing happened. They were treated exactly the same way and placed in the exact same substrate. But I agree, my trees had very little in the way of cold protection, and it seems likely that it was the cause of the trouble. They will have proper winter protection under a cold frame and I'll heel them into the ground this fall. Heat pads will have to wait until I'm more settled. But likely within the next few years.
As stated earlier, I've sourced some good pressure treated lumber to build a small cold frame. I've also sourced and ordered 72 L (nearly 20 gallons) of pumice. It will arrive within the next few weeks. It took a while but I was finally able to locate a retailer within my province who can ship to me at a reasonable rate. They also sell other substrates like Akadama and Lava rock. So I'm quite thrilled about that.
I won't be collecting any trees this fall. My plan is to prep all of my materials and be ready to go for spring 2023.
Glad you got things going in your favor now and good idea to not collect in the fall so you can get caught up. I have found that larch do take fall collecting better than pines where I am. No clue why.
Picture of my cold frame. 12" long and 18" wide
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JPH
Mame
Dude that is NICE!
a1dusty
Yamadori
Hi , just giving my 5pence worth , when I have collected In past I make sure all the soil surrounding roots is dug from where it came , if I plant straight into ground to forget about I will altars her und root ball , i hear people encouraging with heat mat under roots
, not sure about this one , I might be wrong , I would say transplanting straight into ground is far better to keep her under the same conditions as you collected her from , one thing I can say is this , it is all a learning curve , my advice is if you collect straight from wild and you are not sure or not able to get substrate needed then transplant straight into ground , giving her some protections from extremes , same light she grew up with , (position etc ) , sometimes the more we try the more we hurt them , if I am unsure or there is so much conflicting knowledge on them I will as said simply transplant , don’t give up and don’t knock yourself , but if you are unsure then simply transplant into ground and let her do her thing , chin up buddy
Tycoss
Chumono
I have found that both tamarack and lodgepole pines seem to be hardier with regards to cold roots than most other conifers. My single tamarack has been remarkably hardy, and my lodgepoles have been remarkably resistant to both heat, drought and cold.
People often seem to speak here like all northern conifers are alike, but I have found these two are hardier in some ways than spruce and juniper. I now will put lodgepole pines in black plastic nursery pots, but not spruce, as they seem less resistant to sudden temperature changes.
People often seem to speak here like all northern conifers are alike, but I have found these two are hardier in some ways than spruce and juniper. I now will put lodgepole pines in black plastic nursery pots, but not spruce, as they seem less resistant to sudden temperature changes.
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