I'll try to answer all the questions in one post.
Deer!!!! Yes deer are a problem. They will even go after spruce, not just my maples and oaks. I built three blinds across the property. My retired dad keeps them in check. But they still get the trees now and then.
Kffective: The weed badger is nice, but its slow, hot, dusty, fuel hog (running at 540 PTO the whole time). Unforgiving if you hit a tree. Im looking at fabbing up a heavy duty weed whip similar to the fence post trimmer that Northern Hydraulics sells. Chemicals are the fastest.
Investment and time: Tree stock is relatively cheap. Big cost is the tree spade and the tractor.
My dad and I can plant 1000 trees in a day easily. Bareroot or plugs. I can prep the field in one day and layout the rows. Plant the next.
The big whips 200-300/day. I subsoil in the fall then plow. Disc/level in the spring and plant.
The tree farm near Bancroft, MI is called Vans (Van Agen). They are big time (2-3000 acres), big commercial accounts. Plus sod farm. They have given me advice over the years.
Deer!!!! Yes deer are a problem. They will even go after spruce, not just my maples and oaks. I built three blinds across the property. My retired dad keeps them in check. But they still get the trees now and then.
Kffective: The weed badger is nice, but its slow, hot, dusty, fuel hog (running at 540 PTO the whole time). Unforgiving if you hit a tree. Im looking at fabbing up a heavy duty weed whip similar to the fence post trimmer that Northern Hydraulics sells. Chemicals are the fastest.
Investment and time: Tree stock is relatively cheap. Big cost is the tree spade and the tractor.
My dad and I can plant 1000 trees in a day easily. Bareroot or plugs. I can prep the field in one day and layout the rows. Plant the next.
The big whips 200-300/day. I subsoil in the fall then plow. Disc/level in the spring and plant.
The tree farm near Bancroft, MI is called Vans (Van Agen). They are big time (2-3000 acres), big commercial accounts. Plus sod farm. They have given me advice over the years.
