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Planting Instructions For Small Nursery Stock
By Bill Hirst, Tue Jan 10th
Planting Instructions for Small Nursery Stock Many people with great soils and perfect weather conditions willstill have problems planting nursery stock. There can be 100reasons why the plants fail. There is only one reason why theysurvive. That is they know what they are doing. Hopefully youwill be able to improve your planting abilities after readingthis article. Planting a tree or shrub is not as easy as, "Green sideup...brown side down". Care must be taken from selection,transporting,locating a spot, checking for utilities, planttolerances for shade,zone rating of the plant for yourarea,instillation, and care after planting. Each area hasspecial requirements that influence the outcome of your work.
All people handling seedlings and small trees need to help withthe life support of your plants. Seedlings are like fish out ofwater and need care which is often overlooked between the timethe seedlings are lifted and transplanted. Improper care meanshigher mortality. Do not try and reinvent the wheel. You mustprotect seedling from moisture and temperature extremes, as wellas physical damage. Trees and plants are living and should behandled carefully just as you would a baby.. For a highersurvival rate, treat trees carefully and plant them immediately.I like to have a backup plan for planting if the weather turnsbad. I will sometimes switch from lining out the seedlings topotting them up if I realize that the soil conditions will notbe right for an extended lenght of time. If planting must bedelayed a few days, keep the plants in a cold, protected placewith air circulation between the trees. Keep the trees out ofthe rain and wind. To check if the trees need water, feel themedia at the roots.. If it isn't damp, water the trees and allowthe excess water to drain. In cool, damp weather, the biggestthreat to these trees is from mold. Try to keep out of soilseedlings moist by either restricting water loss with a watervapor barrier or by wetting the roots at regular intervals.While handling or planting try to reduce temperature and airmovement around the seedlings. Windy days can dry out seedlingsso consider waiting for calmer weather. Once your soilconditions are correct OUR FREE USE PLANTERS will make plantinga snap so its will be worth waiting for good plantingconditions. HOW TO PLANT Ideal planting days are cool and cloudy with little or no wind.If possible, avoid planting on warm, windy days. The soil shouldbe moist not wet. Care in planting is more important than speed.Make sure the roots are never allowed to become dry. Bare rootseedlings should be carried in a waterproof bag or bucket withplenty of moist material packed around the roots to keep themdamp. Ideally, bare root boxes should be kept refrigerated orpacked in ice or snow. Don't freeze the trees. Competition fromweeds, grass, brush or other trees is very detrimental tosurvival and growth of seedlings. Choose areas free from thiscompetition or clear at least a three-foot square bare spotbefore planting. Seedlings should not be planted under the crownof existing trees, or closer than 6 feet to existing brush.Avoid areas near walnut trees. Brush aside loose organicmaterial such as leaves, grass, etc., from the planting spot toexpose mineral soil. If organic matter gets into the plantinghole, it can decompose and leave air spaces. Roots will dry outwhen they grow into these spaces. Open up the hole, making surethe hole is deep enough for the roots to be fully extended. Ifroots are curled or bunched up, the tree will not be able totake up water correctly, will often weaken and die, or may blowdown later due to poor root structure. Take a tree out of yourplanting bag or bucket only after a hole is ready. When exposed,the fine roots can dry out in as little as 30 seconds. Seedlingshoots and roots lose water
to air, roots require moreprotecting.Unlike leaves ,they do not have stomata (closeableopenings on the surface of the leaves) or any waxy coatings tohelp reduce water loss. If the roots apear dry they are probablydead. Now I know you are thinking,"I will place them in abuckect of water and store them there until planting". This willnot work. Submerge plants for no longer that a couple ofminutes. Placing them in water cuts them off from oxygen.Remember to remove the container before planting a containerizedtree. A helpful hint to all those new gardeners just starting isto remember to always plant green side up. Hold the seedling inplace in the hole, making sure the roots are straight, fullyextended and that the tree is neither too shallow or too deep inthe hole. Fill hole, allowing soil to fall in around the roots.Tamp with hands or with your heel. Don't crush the roots byjumping up and down around the seedling like there is a snakecurled up around the seedling. It is delicate. Fill with moresoil, if necessary, and tamp. Tamping is important. If soil isnot firmly packed around the roots, there will be air pocketsthat can dry out the roots, and the seedlings may be weaklyanchored. It is far easier to plant the tree strait up then havethe tree leaning and have to staiten the tree later. (Additionof fertilizer and plant vitamins at the time of planting is notgenerally necessary.) Take your time in planting. Proper spacingwill help you grow a more valuable crop. I have tried to getmore production from a limited area by over planting and thenthinning, but I always have had trouble in harvesting ....digging is slower and poor quality usually results for a portionof the crop. Avoid these tree planting errors: Tangled roots Planting to shallow Planting to deep Air pocketsTurned up roots (this is called J rooting) Planting trees thatare not tolerant of wet soils in poorly drained areas Plantingover rocks, septic tanks and leach fields, on sand mounds CARE OF TREES FOLLOWING PLANTING Check periodically to be surethat brush, grass and other vegetation is kept under control bymowing, mulching, spraying or a combination of these treatments.Always obtain advice from a licensed pest control advisor beforeusing chemicals. You ag extension agency may offer courses inapplication of chemicals. Monitoring the appearance of yourtrees will help you to detect signs of insects, diseases orother problems. Apperances also help sell your product. Look forfoliage turning yellow, new foliage drooping or other signs ofpoor health. It is easier to take successful corrective actionif the problem is detected early. Over watering is a common problem in irrigated plantations. Youprobably won't need to water more frequently than every 7-10days. Give your trees a thorough, deep soak and then let thesoil dry out before the next watering. This encourages the rootsto grow down in search of water. Frequent, shallow wateringencourages root growth near the surface and the trees are moredependent on irrigation and are less windfirm. Animals can be amajor cause of damage to young trees. Porcupines, gophers, mice,rabbits, deer and cattle are the most frequent source of damage.In many states you may have to call your game commission and gettheir recomendations on legal methods to protect your crop. Inour state, you can get help from the Pa. Game Commission to killdeer that are a threat to your seedlings or obtain a free fenceto keep deer away from your seedlings. Over the years we havelost more trees to mice than any other animal. Put rat baits outon a regular basis. About the author: Bill has been growing trees and plants for 45 years. He givessimple tips and methods for correctly planting ornamentals. Hishome farm is in Doylestown Pa. which is 25 north of Philadelphiain Bucks County. His web sites includehttp://www.seedlingsrus.com http://www.zone5trees.com andhttp://www.highlandhillfarm.com His phone number is 215 651 8329
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