Cooler temperatures and lower humidity have ushered in the fall season, and now the various hunting seasons we have all been waiting for are finally underway. Yet there is still a lot we can do in the area of habitat improvement over the next few months on those days when there is a break between the fall hunting seasons. Specifically, adding a few trees to our inventory and caring for the existing ones before winter sets in will greatly enhance the growth and productivity of our habitat for wildlife.
Fall Planting:
Early springtime and again throughout the fall months seem to be the most suitable times to plant tree seedlings, with the fall months being preferable for several reasons. First, many local or online nurseries will offer sale prices on most of their inventory as they aim to capture the last sales of their season before closing for the winter. Further, when planted in the fall, seedlings are nearing a state of dormancy and will adjust better to being uprooted and replanted during these fall months. Over the winter and early spring, as the ground freezes and thaws, the soil around the roots will tend to settle in around the roots more so than when seedlings are planted in the spring. Additional watering will not be necessary over the fall and winter during the seedling’s dormant stage, unlike the added watering that needs to occur when planted in the spring.
Fall Care:
When planting seedlings in the fall, a feeding of a 10-10-10 fertilizer blend is recommended. Merely spread a half to full cup (depending on the size of the seedling) of the 10-10-10 in a circle about 12 to 14 inches around the base of the seedling. Chicken manure – available through a local poultry farmer or a nearby Tractor Supply store – is a great alternative to a 10-10-10 fertilizer mixture, and it supplies added minerals and nutrients that are not included in manufactured fertilizers.
A spiral tree guard should be wrapped around the base of the trunk to prevent rodent damage, and a tree tube should also be used to prevent damage from deer browsing and to aid in growth through the greenhouse effect that it creates. Later, when the seedling begins to emerge at the top of the tube, the tube can be removed, and a wire cage should be placed around the seedling to continue preventing damage from deer browsing. Free of the tube, the seedling’s trunk will begin to strengthen and develop better as the wind begins to move it back and forth. If left in the tube, the trunk will tend to be thinner and somewhat spindly.
Seedlings that were planted in the spring or in previous seasons will also require attention. Prune out any sucker growth, reshape broken limbs, and conduct a light pruning to enhance the shape you are trying to achieve. Fertilize these seedlings or young trees with a 10-10-10 fertilizer mixture or chicken manure, and do so with the use of a small spade or shovel. On an imaginary circle under the drip edge (outer diameter) of the limbs, open the ground with a spade, place a half to full cup of the 10-10-10 in the opening you created, then close it up with the heel of your boot. Do this in 3 or 4 spots around the drip line of the tree. This fertilization will be available for the seedling as it begins to emerge from its winter dormancy.
Fall planting and care of seedlings is highly beneficial in developing your habitat for wildlife. And while the numerous fall hunting season are in full swing, the time you spend now on habitat improvement work will go a long way in producing food for all kinds of wildlife in the seasons to come. There will be a great feeling of satisfaction when, sometime in the near future, you look out to see a nice buck or an old gobbler feeding at the habitat that you created!
