Hi Paul,

Thanks for your question. Sounds like a great project. One quick question: is the area you're looking at generally more dry or wet on average throughout the year?

Best,

Alex Gorman, OSU Extension Forester

I am not really sure.  It's open and sunny.  It used to be more of a grassy meadow but has since been taken over by blackberry.  It does get a fair amount of rainfall, if that's what you mean.

Hi Paul,

Thanks for the quick response. I wanted to ensure the area doesn't get much standing water throughout the year; Douglas-fir is not well suited for standing water. High rainfall is not an issue, though. 

For Dougals-fir, I would recommend planting on a 10-foot by 10-foot spacing, which equates to roughly 430 trees per acre, 436 trees per acre, to be exact. This is best done from January through March. 

I have attached a reforestation overview file that should help, as well. 

Best,

Alex Gorman, OSU Extension Forester

Wow, that's a lot of trees.  Very exciting.  There isn't any standing water anywhere in this area.  I will keep you posted and share some pictures once the land is cleared.  Going forward I am anticipating a lot of blackberry and weed growth.  I am planning to have my students maintain the site with string trimmers and hand tools.  What do you think of the mats around each seedling?  (I wonder if you could reuse cardboard for this?) I think that would make maintenance easier.  

Yes, that is a lot of trees, but some will die within the first year or so. You can also consider doing a 12x12 foot spacing (302 trees per acre) or a 14x14 foot spacing (222 trees per acre). However, I always like to err on the side of caution and plant more trees. It is much easier to take trees out later than plant new ones.

I think mats or cardboard would work just fine. Anything to keep the competing vegetation from overtaking the seedlings is a plus.

I look forward to seeing how this project develops.

Best,

Alex