3 Important Lessons About Planting Trees & Shrubs for Deer Habitat

Over 20 years of planting trees and shrubs on The Back 40 to improve deer habitat, here is what I have learned. Hope it helps you get your property to your goals faster!

[@averagearcher9523]

I appreciate your mindset. I have only owned my property for almost 4 years and I do the same as you. You can make a food plot beautiful in 1 year. So I focus 90% of my energy on trees. The first few years were mostly on mast growing trees, and I'm slowly switching over to thinking more about cover.

[@theback40]

You're on the right track! All the best to you.

[@stanleybuck4195]

Love your pitch that everyone should plant trees every year. So spot on. And glad that you suggested transplanting young trees like white pine. My father loved to plant trees and as his helped I learned that it was a rewarding feeling to make the outdoors better. My sons plant trees on our Wisconsin 162 acres. For my stand sights d's birthday in March I gave her a green stocking cap with "PLANT TREES" on it from the Arbor Day society. Please keep up the good, positive work. Thank you.

[@theback40]

Hey Stanley, that's a great you have a guys have multiple generations planting trees! Keep passing it on. All the best to you.

[@MyVisualRomance]

Glad to see you acknowledging that what works on northern deer doesn’t always translate to southern deer. Southern deer wouldn’t know what to do with a spruce or aspen tree since they don’t grow well here. I wish other deer “experts” making videos would take region into consideration. It’s not a one size fits all deal.

[@theback40]

Thanks, you made me LOL. All the best to you.

[@Alianderfarm]

I’ll confess to planting $2,000 worth of black walnut trees on a ridge in a neatly patterned grid 18 years ago, only to learn that walnut trees like bottom land preferable along creeks. I may have two walnut trees living and they are maybe 12’ high. Live and learn.

[@theback40]

Hey David, UGH! So sorry, but I did actually LOL when I read this. Probably a case of "misery loves company"? Live and learn indeed. All the best to you.

[@PracticalKen]

Hello from Muskegon, MI. Thanks for sharing your experiences and suggestions.

[@theback40]

Hey Ken, thank you. All the best to you.

[@jldj5000]

I have a ton of white pine in my field that are less than 3 ft tall. I am definitely going to take your advice to replant them. I want to use them to screen a bedding area and help block wind. Should make deer feel better when snow flies to continue bedding here

[@theback40]

That's a perfect FREE tree nursery, and moving them around like that will be greatly rewarded in a few years. Just keep the bedding areas far enough away from your blinds and access trails so they don't bust you on the way in, and you'll be all set. Good luck this season!

[@BlueWidow2010]

I also did the spruce tree planting, last year. I will be keeping a close eye on how well they are doing, Thanks for the info on the "blue" spruce. My family and I just planted 12 pear and 10 Dolgo crab apple trees just yesterday. Great info mister. Thanks.

[@theback40]

Thanks! All the best to you.

[@rfb7117]

Mark, the problem with Colorado Blue Spruce is that they need an arid climate. As they mature, they tend to develop a fungus on the lower branches. Trimming out the dead lower branches and allowing air to move through them will definitely help. As you said, you will have much better luck with White or Norway Spruce and White Pine...as they will thrive in your area. The challenge with White Pine is that the deer tend to rub them more and possibly eat them when stressed, and being soft, their limbs tend to break under the weight of the snow. I have had great luck with planting bare root apple trees and immediately tubing them. The six foot tubes seem to protect them from the deer. Thanks, Bob SWWI

[@theback40]

Hey Bob, good to hear from you. Wish I would have talked to you 20 years ago before planting the Blue Spruce, LOL! All the best to you.

[@oxford821]

Great advice, thanks for sharing

[@theback40]

Thank you. Hope your property is doing well. All the best to you.

[@randallcrawford4141]

Soil is the key .. sometimes you can change the soil buy composting and mixing into the soil and plants that fix nitrogen and other nutrients like horse tail and comfrey to white Dutch clover. Learn plants composting and how to improve your soil for those trees you like buy some soil they like and put five to 12 feet around them and mix it into the soil just for those trees and see how much they improve...some plants using geothermal and compost heat can thrive in a greenhouse in Minnesota so give the environment the plants you want to grow and they will thrive! Soil , temperature, moisture..sun or shade good video , happy growing!

[@theback40]

Hey Randall, thank you! All the best to you.

[@squirrellyacres]

I've often thought about digging up trees on my property and replanting the trees. Guess I'm gonna do it.

[@theback40]

Great! All the best to you.......and your shovel.

[@dennisb1224]

In NE lower Michigan I have had good luck with Norway spruce, white pines and red pines. I will probably try white spruce and maybe red cedar too.

[@theback40]

Good plan. I really like the White Spruce I have seen on other properties in our area, and so far they are doing well here too. You can already see the Red Cedar do well here, we are also getting volunteers pop up all around the property, probably from bird droppings with the seeds. All the best to you.

[@TheMws1]

I use 5 or 6 ft Plantra tree tubes for my fruit trees or deer will eat the terminal bud .Plantra's moto is plant like you mean it .After the tree gets out of the top and before it branches out too much I slide the tube off and replace it with their bark protector in a 3 or 4 ft one .That stays on until the tree gets nearly too big and then 6 ft of welded wire fencing is looped around the tree .It stay around the tree until it too big for deer to rub .All parts are easily reused except for the sod staples holding down the weed mats .I have planted thousands of trees but the growth with the Plantra vented tree tubes beats everything else in rapid growth .When a 2 ft grafted pear rootstock grows over 4 feet in 1 season and pops out a 6 ft tube that is fast and most deer will not every bother it .One could leave a tree tube on until the tree girth makes it split then just fence it to keep bucks from rubbing it .Recycling items saves money when one keeps planting more and more .

[@theback40]

Hey William, thanks for sharing your process with us. All the best to you.

[@DavidFrater800]

Another informative video. Food plots look good . Continue what you are doing. Are you going to try to control the "Nightmares tail" this summer?

[@theback40]

I'm still debating this one. I have 2.5 gallons of glyphosate sitting in my barn that has been there for a couple of years now, along with my sprayer sitting there staring at me. I'm thinking about spraying it late spring right after I drill in my seeds. Hmmmm. All the best to you!

[@coltonbullard5255]

what about watering them? I am in Oklahoma and am concerned about getting them adequate water.

[@theback40]

Hey Colton, I've done the watering thing, too, and it does help. But, you should ask yourself how much work you want to put into it. I have concluded that I want mother nature to do the work, not me, it's MUCH easier.

[@TheMws1]

Tree Gator watering bags hold 15 gallons and release slowly over several hours .I use a 225 Gallon tank in my pickup with 50 ft of spa hose and a ball valve .Takes about 45 min to go through a load and water every 10-15 days .