Attachment 2_Proper Planting.pdf

Proper planting of Tree Seedlings

Weather Conditions For Tree planting

Satisfactory Day:

Air temperature: 33°F to 75°F

Relative humidity: 50% +

Winds less than: 10 mph

Soil moisture: Moist to touch

Marginal Day:

Air temperature: 76°F to 80°F

Relative humidity: 30% to 50%

Winds less than: 10 to 15 mph

Soil moisture: Upper 1-inch dry

DETERMINATION OF SEEDLING CONDITION

Indicators of seedling deterioration:

• Sour smell or fermentation,

• Yellow needles on conifers,

• Trees warm to the touch,

• Mold developing.

• Indicators of dead seedlings:

o Bark slips off easily, especially on roots, o Cambium layer has turned brown, o Mold present on most of seedlings, o Trees too hot to touch, o Seedling roots are powder dry.

• Do not plant if these conditions exist.

TREE PLANTING STANDARDS FOR DELIVERY / TRANSPORTATION

• Vehicles used for transporting seedlings will have a cover to shade and protect seedlings. A “Heat-Shield” is preferred.

• Bags/boxes will not be stacked over 3 deep unless spacers are used to provide air circulation between layers.

• Provide at least 12 inches of air space between top of seedling bags and the cover to avoid heat build-up.

• Vehicles will not be parked in direct sunlight.

• In case of emergency stops, or breakdowns, when stops exceed 45 minutes, seedlings should not be planted until their condition has been determined.

• Field delivery in non-refrigerated vehicles should be held to a minimum.

• Seedling delivery from a non-refrigerated storage point to destination should not exceed 1 hour.

• Inspect and repair torn bags/boxes immediately.

• Field delivery in non-refrigerated units should not be made when the temperature is 85ºF or higher.

• Field delivery in non-insulated units when the temperature is 32ºF or less will be made only if the vehicle is covered adequately to prevent freezing.

• Unload and protect seedlings immediately upon arriving at destination.

OFF-SITE COOLER STORAGE

• Store seedlings in a building, shed, basement, etc. that will protect from freezing, heating, and direct sunlight.

• Bags/bundles should be stacked on pallets or slats and should not be stacked over 2 deep without spacers to allow air circulation between layers.

• TEMPS: 35° - 38°F Ideal temperatures, usually maintained with refrigerated units.

• Bags stored under ideal conditions can be kept at least 3 months.

• Many hardwood species are lifted with the leaves exposed and can dry out quickly even under ideal storage conditions. Hardwood seedlings must be inspected frequently and be watered as necessary.

• TEMPS: 38° - 50°F Temperatures commonly found in non-refrigerated locations. Bags stored under these conditions can be kept up to 3 or 4 weeks.

• If temperature inside storage area is above 75ºF, do not store seedlings more than 24 hours.

• Seedlings should not be stored in bags/bundles/ boxes for more than a few hours at temperatures above 85ºF, or seedling damage will occur and survival will be adversely affected.

• Lethal temperatures occur in bags/bundles at 118ºF.

• Do not store seedlings in an area where the temperature is 32ºF or less.

• Do not allow seedlings to freeze.

• If trees have been frozen less than 36 hours: (1) Thaw seedlings slowly. (2) Determine condition.

• If frozen more than 36 hours, then seedlings most likely have been severely damaged and should not be planted.

• Containerized seedlings will suffer severe mortality if the root ball temperature drops to 22ºF.

Storing seedlings in the field

Store the seedlings in shaded location at all times. If no shade is available at planting site, improvise a portable shelter with a 1 foot air space between bags/bundles/boxes and shelter. A reflective tree planting tarp is preferred. Bags/bundles should not be stacked in layers more than 2 deep without spacers

Inspect and repair torn bags immediately. Opened bags of trees should be closed tightly and stored in the shade. Opened bundles of trees should be kept in the shade and covered at all times. If kept over 2 days, heel-in seedlings. If opened bags of seedlings must be kept for over 2 days, roots must be dipped and bag tightly closed, or heel-in seedlings. Store trays and boxes of containerized seedlings in shade and keep root plugs moist until seedlings are planted. During storage check moisture of root plugs periodically to determine condition

Field culling

• Open only 1 bag/bundle/box at a time.

• When handling, carefully separate seedlings to minimize damage to root system. Do not strike seedling root system on any object. This may remove beneficial root coating or mycorrhizae.

• Remove only a small number (handful) of seedlings at a time.

• Do not allow the roots to be exposed to the sun or wind any longer than 3 minutes.

• Roots must be kept visibly moist at all times.

• Assign properly trained person to be responsible for culling seedlings.

• Closely supervise the operation to maintain standards.

Tree Planting

• Train all new personnel prior to planting season.

• Provide refresher training to experienced planters periodically and if poor techniques are commonly observed.

• While hand planting, carry seedlings in a canvas bag, bucket, etc. to protect the roots.

• Do not carry seedlings in hand.

• Be sure roots are visibly moist before placing in container.

• When hand planting, do not use dibbles or other tools that will not make a hole or slit at least 8 inches deep.

• Remove only 1 seedling at a time from container.

• Insert root system to bottom of hole and lift seedling to proper planting depth.

• When hand planting trees with large root system, use a planting shovel, pointed KBC planting bar, or other suitable planting tool that will permit the complete planting of the large root system.

• Carefully separate seedlings to reduce damage and prevent the breaking of lateral roots (damage to laterals will reduce survival).

• Tap root should be planted straight using proper planting techniques and depth.

• L-roots that occur within 6 inches of the soil surface and L-roots that result in broken or ruptured root tissue are unacceptable.

• Do not plant seedlings in standing water or excessively wet soils.

• Adjust planting depth according to site drainage or soil types.

• On well-drained sites (sandy loams and sandy soils) plant root collars 2 to 3 inches below ground line.

• On poorly-drained sites (silt and clay soils) plant root collars 1 inch below ground line.

• Plant seedling vertically. Do not exceed 20 degrees from vertical.

• The planting hole must be tightly closed at both the bottom and top. (Ex. Push down lightly to check for below-ground air pockets.

• Seedling should not move down. Gently pull upward on 3 fascicles. Fascicles should break off without seedling moving upward.)

• Plant seedlings at approximate spacing prescribed for tract.

• Avoid planting seedlings in areas of loose soil that cannot be compressed around roots.

• Always supervise and maintain quality control of planting

• All planting should STOP, unless localized on-site weather and soil conditions warrant an exception. On-site weather conditions must be documented to verify that planting can occur on a Severe Day.

• Do not plant seedlings if cold temperatures that will freeze ground are forecast for several days following tree planting.

Proper Tree Planting using a dibble bar.

Process for using a planting/dibble bar:

Step 1. Insert bar straight down. Pull backwards.

Push down tip of bar into the hole.

Push bar forward (away from you), slightly past vertical to widen out the hole.

Step 2. Remove bar. Insert seedling in center of hole.

Step 3. Insert bar straight down about 2 to 3 inches behind the seedling.

Step 4. Pull bar backwards (towards you) to close-off the bottom of the hole.

Step 5. Keeping the bar in the hole, now push the bar forwards (away from you), to close-off the top of the hole.

Step 6: Lightly pack down soil around seedling with boot heel.

Process for using a shovel

Process for using a shovel:

Step 1. Insert the shovel straight down into the ground with the blade reversed.

Step 2. Push the handle away from you and then pull the blade up to remove the soil.

Step 3. Make a second cut to straighten the opposite side of the hole.

Step 4. Pull the soil toward you, and hold the hole open with the shovel. Place a seedling in the hole with roots straight.

Step 5. Remove the shovel and fill the bottom of half of the hole with soil.

Step 6: Firm the soil with your heel. Then fill the remainder of the hole and firm the soil again.

Planting using grubbing hoe/hoedad

HOEDAD TREE PLANTING TECHNIQUES

The hoedad is a scalping and planting tool particularly suitable for planting hillsides and rough terrain.

The blade must enter the ground vertically to insure proper placement of the seedling. Two brackets are available.

• The Earp bracket sets the blade at a 100-degree angle and is recommended for flat or gently rolling terrain.

• The standard bracket sets the blade at a 90-degree angle and is more suitable for mountainous terrain. Hoedads are restricted by heavy brush or slash where they cannot be swung freely for clean, deep penetration.

• Extra efforts are required to plant seedlings correctly under these conditions and in rocky and heavy clay soils.

Process for Using a Hoedad

Step 1: Swing hoedad from overhead downward, sinking the blade its full length vertically into the soil.

Minimum depth of slot is eight inches.

Step 2: Pull the blade upward slightly by lifting the end of handle.

Push the handle downward while pulling back to open hole.

Step 3: With blade in cavity to hold back loose soil, carefully place seedling in hole making sure roots are fully extended, then remove the blade.

Step 4: Remove the hoe and allow the soil to fall back into the hoe. Firm the soil with your feet. Close the planting hole completely. Close the planting hole completely.

Seedling Storage “Healing In”

Heeling-in can provide on-site short-term storage of seedlings. If opened bags of seedlings must be kept for more than 2 days or if a bag is damaged beyond repair, the seedlings can be heeled-in.

1. Dig a V-shaped trench in a moist shady place.

2. Spread out the seedlings evenly in the trench.

3. Backfill the trench to completely cover the root system of the seedlings.

4. If possible, water the soil then firm with feet

Planting and Handling Hardwood Seedlings

Do not plant small, inferior hardwood seedlings that are below minimum planting standards.

Quality Hardwood Planting Stock Hardwood seedlings should be graded to select for seedlings with acceptable root collar diameters (RCD) and adequate primary first order lateral roots (FOLR).

For timber purposes, most hardwood seedlings should have at least a 3/8 inch RCD.

Planting for other uses such as wildlife, wetland mitigation, riparian buffers can use smaller seedlings with at least a minimum of 1/4 inch RCD, but the 3/8 inch RCD is still preferred.

References

North Carolina Forest Service, North “Carolina Forest Service Tree Planting Pocket Guide”, 8th Edition.

Maryland Department of Natural Resources. Bare Root Seedling Planting Guide. March, 2019.