Moving trees

Early October is a great time to move trees, at least it is in the upper mid-West.  That old sun has lost a lot of its ability to suck the moisture out of leaves.  The ground is warm and we usually get good rains.  Also, it is cool enough to make digging enjoyable work.

These are hazelnuts I grafted this spring.  They are a variety called NY 398.  They are grafted on top of seedlings from the National Arbor Day Foundation.  I planted them in five gallon nursery pots.  I kept the pot in a warm place until the scion showed signs of life, then I sunk the pot into the garden.

That succeeded better than I hoped.  See the roots that grew out through the drainage holes?

Soaking the pot before pulling the rootball apart.

Hand included for size reference.  This is a goodly mess of roots.

In the hole.  These trees are going into a hedgerow that used to be Pawpaws and Rose of Sharon.  I am replanting it to hazelnuts.  The only plant that is not being ripped out is a Rugosa Rose.

I am planting them deep so any shoot that is above ground is from the scion.  This is an insurance policy against mouse and rabbit attack.  It hurts when they girdle the tree below the graft.  Suckers are from the rootstock and not the from scion.

It is important to unwrap any binding from around the graft.  Otherwise there is the risk of it girdling the stem.  Grafts are usually in the sunlight which tears up rubber.

A steel T post, a wire mesh cage and this plant is armored against deer.  After leaf fall, I will wrap the stem  with newpaper to further armor it against mice and rabbits.

Lather, rinse, repeat.

Sorry about all you folks stuck in the office.  You have my permission to live your life vicariously through this blog.