Pseudotsuga menziesii

Seed

No experience.

Transplant

In the 1990s into 2001, we purchased douglas fir plants from the Colorado State Forest Service (CSFS). We estimate we've planted about 100 douglas fir plants on our property, with about 75% surviving.

2001  This is how the douglas fir plants look when we pick them up from Woodland Park. In my opinion, the plants are too big for the container and the roots are very root-bound.

The image on the left is one of the douglas fir trees that we planted in 2001. Over the years of planting trees on our property, we learned we must protect the small trees from the deer and elk. We originally purchased the yellow plastic mesh protectors from CSFS but the deer and elk just pulled them up and ate the plant underneath. The plastic protectors were like a sign to the critters "Here, eat this".

By 2001, we had learned to put branches around the small trees. Since we normally plant new trees in an area where we have taken down mature trees killed by pine beetles, we usually have an abundance of branches. This tree is not as well protected as some we planted. The deer and elk seem to not like stepping on the down branches to get to the small trees.

2008  The image on the right is a naturally sprouted douglas fir tree. Notice how the branches are spreading horizontally while the tree is still very small. The douglas fir trees from CSFS are just the opposite. Those trees grow tall with very little room to spread horizontally. In the first years after being planted, I have observed that the CSFS trees initially grow horizontally before they start to get much taller.

Here is one of the douglas fir trees we planted in 2001. It is about 3 feet tall and growing well.

Future Plans

I would like to try to determine when the douglas fir cones are ripe and harvest seed from them. I will germinate the seed in both a protected outside bed and in pots indoors.