I picked up some of these Swamp Chestnut acorns in Tunica Hills. Got 5 of them to grow. Will transplant them to larger pots and let them get up a few feet tall before planting them in the woods on public lands.
I also have some Sawtooth oaks, persimmon and lots of Nutall red oaks. The Nutall oaks do well in the flooded bottoms here.
Who else gives back by planting trees?

Swamp Chestnut
 
 

My nursery
 
 

I have a bunch of persimmon trees going now.  Had some English oaks I'd gotten the acorns from at the zoo when their trees were dropping.  3 started well, but only one remains. Swamp chestnuts look good.  I bet the critters flock to them during bow season.

A friend told me he has some Chinkapin oaks on his property and said when they are dropping the deer are on them like white on rice! He's going to get me some acorns this fall so I can start some.

I had a huge white oak (4 full cords of wood from 1 tree) taken down in October.  In March I noticed some seedlings sprouting from the acorns, so I dug them up.  Now hundreds more seedlings have sprouted.  I want to dig at least a dozen more before I mow the yard in that area.  I doubt I'll live long enough to see the "fruits" of my labor, but I bet the deer and turkey will enjoy.

Corey,

you demonstrate woodmanship at its best.  All part of why you're so successful!

QuoteOriginally posted by SELFBOW19953:
I had a huge white oak (4 full cords of wood from 1 tree) taken down in October.  In March I noticed some seedlings sprouting from the acorns, so I dug them up.  Now hundreds more seedlings have sprouted.  I want to dig at least a dozen more before I mow the yard in that area.  I doubt I'll live long enough to see the "fruits" of my labor, but I bet the deer and turkey will enjoy.

I know I won't likely see the fruits of my labor but the future generations will.
Plant bunches of sawtooth oaks, they can produce in as little as 4-7 years. Unattended more likely 10-15, so I hope I can see some fruit from those before I leave this world  

I planted 3 sawtooth saplings last fall, 2 are sprouting new branches but still hoping the 3rd one catches on. Planted some chestnuts too but they have not sprouted as of yet. Have a half acre clover plot that I started 7 years ago.

I planted over 6,000 trees this spring on a new piece of land we bought that adjoins our homestead.  Oaks, spruce, hazelnut, dogwood, and hybred willow.  Plus over 30 apples trees.

I do have a little hope that I will live long enough to see at least some benefit.  You would be amazed at how things can change in just 10 years.  That may seem like a long time, but I know how fast 10 years will fly by.  I hope by then to see the first acorns dropping, apples should be producing well, and the spruce and shrubs will begin to provide good bedding cover.

QuoteOriginally posted by Whip:
I planted over 6,000 trees this spring on a new piece of land we bought that adjoins our homestead.  Oaks, spruce, hazelnut, dogwood, and hybred willow.  Plus over 30 apples trees.

I do have a little hope that I will live long enough to see at least some benefit.  You would be amazed at how things can change in just 10 years.  That may seem like a long time, but I know how fast 10 years will fly by.  I hope by then to see the first acorns dropping, apples should be producing well, and the spruce and shrubs will begin to provide good bedding cover.

Wow Whip I hope you had some help! I wish I owned hunting land, ive been planting trees on public lands nearby for years.

QuoteOriginally posted by Basinboy:
A friend told me he has some Chinkapin oaks on his property and said when they are dropping the deer are on them like white on rice! He's going to get me some acorns this fall so I can start some.
   

Hes right!!!!!

I planted 25 Dwarf Chinkapins back in 09 and I had one of them produce acorns this last fall and it bloomed again this year  

Here it is, its only 4' tall and full of blooms  :eek:  

I love Wildlife Habitat Improvement Projects    

All for the future generations to enjoy  

Very nice 23feetup!  I see a good variety in them trays. Keep up the good work....

QuoteOriginally posted by Basinboy:
A friend told me he has some Chinkapin oaks on his property and said when they are dropping the deer are on them like white on rice! He's going to get me some acorns this fall so I can start some.
   

I know where there are a few of them on public land and your friend is correct. They are the first to drop in early October and the deer wear them out, just have to hunt them before the hogs show up and clean them out. Might have to pick some up this year and plant them for the future.

Trad Hunting and Conservation go hand in hand and
it inspired me to write this poem this last year    

We have had 10 acres in VT for 15 years now. About 75% of the lot had been harvested about 3-4 years before we bought it. Although I didn't have to plant any it is interesting seeing so many more trees replace the ones that were harvested. It's getting time to cut some back to create more diversity.

We have located more than 30 apple trees on the property and find more all the time. Trim around and fertilize them all and have moved several saplings to more open locations. Unlike oaks and other hard mast it only takes a few years for the first apples to appear.

Have a wild crabapple at home that is loaded with fruit every year and have sprouted and transplanted six up to VT to hopefully supplement the apples.

Love watching the property transform and benefit the wildlife.

Trees? Not many in some areas here.  I cut down or pull up all the thistle I can find, even stop the truck.  Wish we had more trees and our DOW is goosey about non native species of anything

I started about 15 Swamp Chestnut Oaks in December and have 5 that made it through a squirrel assault. They are about a foot tall now and I was considering transplanting them to larger pots for a second growing season just to monitor their growth. My soil is lacking something so bad that I have about 20 Sawtooths that are 8 years old and aren't as big as the ones that are a year old in pots. I've already made up my mind to include oaks on my next soil analysis to see where my deficiency is. I had a 5 Ph initially and low potassium. Now my vegetables grow reasonably well so I may need to prep my soil in the same manner where I plant my trees. Funny though because Live oaks do real well, perhaps it's the sand acid soil    I Think I'll do likewise Corey and plant some Sawtooths in the swamp next spring in an effort to get my Grandsons set.

Planted some saw tooths this past year, hung up wood duck boxes

Planted 13,000 trees on the family farm a little over 15 years ago.  They were Oaks, Black Walnuts and Pine.  Deer use the snot out of them.  I think I have panted less than 25 trees since then, none of them for habitat improvement.  I have not been anywhere long enough to see any benefits and one place I do most of my bow hunting, would cut it down or mow it as they are trying to maintain a  specific ecosystem for butterflies.

2 winters ago I scouted an area hard and again late summer.  I did well with the late season hunting there.  Then when I pulled in last season to hunt, I couldn't believe it..... Hundreds of acres were mowed flat. all that remained were a couple hundred Jack Pines. You could see for 3-400 yards before the topography changed.