Planning first collecting trip

[Cable]

I'm going on my first collecting trip to southern Ohio in a couple of weeks. I got my permit this morning. I've collected in the woods in my back yard but this will be the first time scouting a large tract of land.

I have pumice and pond baskets ready to go.

Any general advice for me?

 

[cbroad]

Battery powered reciprocating saw

 

[Housguy]

Awesome Cable, I don't know the kind of soil you will encounter, but when I go to collect Utah Junipers, the ground is usually rocky and hard, but you might get lucky and encounter softer soil. Here is the short list of what I bring for my digs:
Small pick
Large pick
shovels (small and medium)
saw
clippers
water jugs
burlap/beach towels
electrical tape and duck tape
trash bags
and much more.

Have Fun!

 

[_#1_]

^^^ That

Don't know how far you'll be away from the car, but maybe an off road type wagon or sled for hauling the gears and trees back?

 

[shimbrypaku]

I use this, but any good pull saw will work. Light and gets the job done.
https://m.stihlusa.com/products/hand-tools/hand-pruning-saws/ps70/

 

[BrianBay9]

Scout for trees at the edges rather than the middle of a forest. By that I mean roadsides, along creeks, utility easements, rocky outcroppings, etc. The trees will generally be more interesting and easier to dig. Use google maps satellite view to scout your collecting area. You might also cross reference with topo maps (mytopo.com)

 

[Underdog]

This is what I use

 

[Colorado Josh]

Ridges and canyon rims. Places where high winds are more prevalent. I'd say timberline. But ohio.......

 

[Underdog]

I just hunt all the time and have a few worth going back after. I pack nothing until I find the tree and go back. Lots of strip mine and watershed around. I camp on a couple hundred acres with an old stone quary, Ohio Erie Canal and Wally Flyer railroad used to be. Still have a hard time finding THE tree.
I shamefully killed the best Hemlock ever by being over ambitious and under prepared. Now I'm more selective and careful.
Seems it would be hard to walk in blind packing gear and hope to come out same day with something worthwhile. Not trying to be a buzz kill but... I'd leave all that gear in the truck and start looking first.

Southern Ohio should be popping Morels in a couple weeks. YAY I'll be blurry eyed in the woods next month

 

[Cable]

I have a folding wagon I'll be bringing. I don't have a battery reciprocating saw but I do have a Root Slayer shovel and also misc. digging tools and hand saws.

I scouted the area a bit while deer hunting last year and have two in mind. I know I can find the one but the other might be a challenge.

 

[pweifan]

Did you go yet? If so, how did you do?

 

[atlarsenal]

I would invest in reciprocating saw and 12” pruning blades if at all possible. Cutting roots like this are no fun with hand saw.

 

[peterbone]

I'm going on my first collecting trip to southern Ohio in a couple of weeks. I got my permit this morning. I've collected in the woods in my back yard but this will be the first time scouting a large tract of land.

I have pumice and pond baskets ready to go.

Any general advice for me?

Pond baskets are not a great idea for newly collected trees. Use a pond basket after the tree has recovered from collection to promote strong growth and a dense rootball.

I personally have never gone out to find and collect a tree in one trip. Travel light with just a GPS and camera when you go searching. You may find a tree you think is good and then find a much better one. Then go back with your collecting equipment to dig the ones you want.

 

[Underdog]

I personally have never gone out to find and collect a tree in one trip. Travel light with just a GPS and camera when you go searching. You may find a tree you think is good and then find a much better one. Then go back with your collecting equipment to dig the ones you want.

That's what I do except the cordinates are in my head. LOL

 

[peterbone]

That's what I do except the cordinates are in my head. LOL

I've sometimes failed to find a tree again even with coordinates.

 

[Cable]

Did you go yet? If so, how did you do?

Not yet, it is scheduled for Saturday. I'm keeping a close eye on the weather as it is calling for intermittent rain. I don't mind a drizzle but a soaking rain would be unpleasant.

I would invest in reciprocating saw and 12” pruning blades if at all possible. Cutting roots like this are no fun with hand saw.

Maybe next year but I won't have one for this year.

Pond baskets are not a great idea for newly collected trees.

Why not? I put the two I collected last year into pond baskets and they're doing great.

 

[ml_work]

Get a role of red / orange plastic tape, tie on the tree at eye level. Easy to see year to year... I have red tape hanging all over our property in the woods. I have made the mistake of going in with tools to dig and feel I must dig since I am there. So now I have the tape anytime I walk into the woods.
And the reciprocating saw is a Must ... got one for Christmas and it changed the whole collecting trips. When I was digging and sawing with Armstrong Power ... I thought of the old saying ... "your not as young as you think you are"

 

[peterbone]

Why not? I put the two I collected last year into pond baskets and they're doing great.

Because pond baskets put stress on the roots by air pruning. This is fine when you already have a healthy root system and want to create more root ramification but isn't good when the tree's survival is uncertain due to it not having sufficient roots. You wouldn't prune the new shoots of a newly collected tree, so you don't want to air prune the roots. I think it would be ok if you used a large enough pond basket so that no roots are near the edge, but then you may have a problem with excess water. One option is to wrap the pond basket in tape and then remove the tape once the tree has recovered from collection.

 

[Underdog]

The ones I use are stackable. I double them up when first planted which reduces to openings on the side by half and prevents loss of smaller soil. 3 deep closes them up almost entirely while still draining out the bottom well. At under 2 bucks each.... well... After tree is established, I remove the extras.

 

[Cable]

Thank you for the tips.

As to the suggestions that I scout only on this trip... it's over two hours away and Spring is rapidly waning. I will be collecting on this one.

Now, in my backyard I did scout and mark four trees two years ago. Then last year when I went to collect I decided to leave one of them, couldn't get good access to the second, couldn't FIND the third, but dug the fourth. While looking for the lost one I found an even better one and took that one.