Am in the process of aquireing 10 acres of vacant land. Vacant in the sence there are no buildings at all. It has a small pond that drys up in the summer most years as it is very shallow.
there are a lot of Autum Olive on the place, a good quanty of wild Plum, a half dozen wild Pear trees, maybe 3 wild apple trees and a good supply of thorn apples. there is also some wild cherry, hickory, Oak and elm.

There is a bit of open land I would like to transplant some Red Maple to and a few other wild growing trees from my home place.

How late in the year can I do the trans planting before I need to stop and wait for fall.

I have a couple 55 gallon barrels I fill with water and can go around and water the plants till they are able to make it on their own.

😃 Al

It will be a lot less work if you wait until fall.

I agree. They will get stressed if you transplant them now. Wait until fall and they will do a lot better.

I have tried watering newly planted trees from 55 gallon drums, and it has never been a success for me.

Well I wanted to do it this spring so I could plant all the red maples in an area and all the sugar maples in another area together.
Guess I should have just goggled to find the correct answer on how long I have.


Al

You still can but they have less chance of surviving the transplant if you do it now compared to fall. By doing it in the fall they will get all the moisture they need and because it will be cool for several months the ground will retain the moisture better. You do it now, come this summer they will be wanting rain and because they are just getting tap water mainly they won't take off and will just sit there. It makes a big difference in how well they grow.

I agree with all the suggestions about waiting till fall to transplant. Googling would not have given you a better answer - for your efforts.

A better choice on how now to spend your time: work hard through the spring/summer/fall at deleting the invasive exotic species on your property. By eliminating these plants before they fruit again, you will reduce further competition and diminishment of the plant community you are trying to sustain/create.

By doing that, you will gain further appreciation for your property and its potential. Elimination of the exotics can help release existing native species that will better support so much of the native fauna of your part of Michigan: birds, mammals, insects, other pollinators, etc. - that the exotic species often suppress.

You might even change your opinion of where you plan to plant the maple species that you mentioned.

There is a tree nursery near by, they mostly sell bagged or potted trees but some they dig to sell you.
Of course when I asked them they said their trees and shrubs were warranted for a year and I could plant them all summer long.

Now that was mighty nice to know if I were going to pay a tidy sum for a tree of shrub to plant if it didn't make it the first year I could get my money back.

Most goggle sites leaned toward spring planting up untill the end of May, the months before June tend to be wetter and cooler than June and beyond.

Al

Good luck!

Dug 20+ trees yesterday and planted them in areas where I had taken the rippers of the box blade to remove grass and Autum Olive shrubs.

The week end had been wet with rain mostly Saturday and mostly over cast Sunday, Monday some on Tuesday.

Soil was from damp to standing water, Trees after being in for 9 hours and full sun at 80+F all day looked good.
Rain in the forecast for Saturday.

I do expect to loose a few but they are easily replaced.


🐝 Al

My transplants had a hard first week and a half with nearly 20F above adverage temps. I did keep them watered well till the holiday week end.

Sunday and Monday we attended cars shows leaving early in the mornings and getting back home late in the evenings. But bright and early Tuesday morning I hauled water to them and all looked fairly good except one. I had not held much hope to start with for it as it was just about 4" tall and not much root.

Another week as passed and weather has returned to more normal and a day here and there with a tenth or two of rain and they all look great.

Al

You did not plant Maple in standing water areas, I hope.
Too much water kills Maples, quickly.
You will know how well it worked next June.
This is from experience, not the web.

My trees despite the deer are doing real well. Maybe the deer helped them some since they picked a bunch of leaves off leaveing just a few to bleed off moisture.

Some the deer took all the leaves but the trees just producet new ones.

I also have the drive way just about finished.

Al

My transplanted trees are doing great. Amazed that they keep making new leaves after the deer nearly strip them.

I have one maple that is a sugar type and the leaves mostly look wilty all the time but are a bright green. So last evening I was watering my plants in the raised beds with Miracle Grow, I though why don't I mix up some for that one tree. So I mixed up 5 gallons took it up, dumped some in letting it soak then finished filling the depresstion with the rest. Will see what happens in a week or so.

Also planing on really soaking then the next few days to get them ready for the heat wave over the week end when I am planing on going away for a day.

Al

I feel that planting trees is always worth the effort. Your project sounds like a success.

Leaves produce food for the tree, no leaves no food, it takes energy for that tree to produce those leaves but it is now getting nothing in return.
Do not be surprised if they do not do well over the winter.

Well I think from what i am seeing they will do well and make it thru the winter. Those small trees have been growning for a couple years in the wifes gardens and it isn't like I am a rookie with plants.
Also disagree you can only plant in the fall after all they sell larger trees and shrubs all summer long.

Al

It is just a lot easier to plant in the fall in most areas as it means less watering.