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Seedling Program Conservation Plantings: Planning, Design, and Site Preparation

 Many factors must be considered in planning tree plantings, regardless of whether they are located in the mountains or plains, or whether they have been designed to benefit wildlife or control wind:

Tips for Improved Tree Planting

Choosing and planting the right type of tree on your land can be a confusing process.  Asking yourself a few questions and doing some research before you order your trees will help you decide what species of tree will be right to plant based on your goals and the conditions that landowners on Eastern Plains face.   What purpose will this tree serve?  Is the species appropriate for your area? How big will it get? Is your planting project a windbreak, shelterbelt, or living snow fence?  Are you trying to create wildlife habitat or control erosion? What is the average life expectancy of the tree? Answering these questions will determine what type of trees or shrubs will suit your needs. 

Selection of Trees or Shrubs

Select the correct species for the job because with all living things, plants have specific requirements necessary for their survival.  Be sure to consider the plant characteristic before you buy.   Keep in mind that all your plants must be able to tolerate some of the following conditions on the plains of Eastern Colorado, if not all of them:  high elevation, poor soils, high winds, low annual precipitation, probability of predation, rapid changes in temperatures, extreme cold, insects and diseases, invasive grass, weed and competition, and heavy snows.  The trees and shrubs the Forest Service and nurseries grow for us are specially selected for survival in the Colorado environment.  Various trees and shrubs will have different characteristics and serve different functions as they mature.   Some trees and shrubs are good for windbreaks and others are better suited for wildlife.  Which plants you select will depend on the end result you hope to achieve with the planting. 

Planning

Know what it takes to do the job correctly. A properly planted and maintained tree will grow faster and live longer than one that is incorrectly planted.   If you only have the weekend to install the planting then stick to a project size that is manageable.  If you’re also scarifying and hand-tilling the ground, installing weed barrier, shingles and tree guards then the project can be very time consuming and hard work.  The survival rate increases the sooner you get the plants in the ground after you get them.  Plant trees and shrubs in a competition free environment. Your project will fare much better if you plant in freshly tilled soil which is completely free from invasive vegetation.  You should till the soil as deep as you physically can and as wide an area around each plant as you can.  If you don’t have adequate site prep you won’t have acceptable plant survival.  Preparing the ground in the fall before the planting is desirable for most soils in the area.  Before digging call your local utilities to identify the location of any underground utilities. 

Transport and storage of seedling bare root

Bare root trees have no soil on the roots; they must be planted when they are dormant to avoid drying out.  The roots must be kept moist until planted.  Keep bare root stock out of direct sunlight by placing them in shade. Store bare root stock inside the garage, root cellar, basement, your refrigerator or wherever it’s dark and less than 50 degrees F. If you can not plant right away you can store the trees or shrubs for a short period of time.  Superior long term storage is called “heeling in” where you separate the seedlings, place them in a trench, cover the roots with loose soil, and keep moist until ready to plant.  If you leave them in the package they came in, fungal growth may occur.  Do not store your trees in a bucket of water; they may drown if you do this.  Trees are not a wetland plant.  The root system must stay covered and protected throughout the transport and planting process.   Fine seedling roots are extremely susceptible to drying; it takes only a few seconds of exposure to hot, dry conditions to damage roots.

Transport and storage of seedling regular potted stock

Protect your trees from damaging winds during transport.  Store potted stock in a protected, cool location such as the garage, on the north side of the house, under the porch or in the shade of mature trees.  Keep the soil moist until ready to plant.  Potted stock can be stored this way for a while but the sooner you plant the better the survival rate will be.  Make sure you remove all the tar paper from tree root system before planting so the tree does not become root bound later. 

Planting Day Operations

Start early when it is cooler and less windy.  First hydrate the polymer with about a ¼ lb. of polymer crystals to hydrate into 5 gallons of water to create slurry.  Five gallons will usually stretch into 1 handful of hydrated polymer for about 100 trees. Use the poly as slurry that coats the roots to protect them from dehydrating wind, sun or soil.  Just before planting remove the plastic wrapping and sphagnum and insert the entire bundle into the bucket.  Plant immediately to obtain the best results.   Do not soak your trees in just water because your seedlings may drown if you do this.  Follow the right spacing to plan for what size the trees will be in 20 years. If you are planting a windbreak or living snow fence consult the technicians at the Natural Resources Conservation Services for advice on the design and implantation prior to site prep and planting.

Use a shovel to dig planting holes that are at least as deep as the roots are long and four inches wider that the root system is in its natural form.  This procedure loosens the surrounding soil, allowing for better root establishment.  Root ends should not be curled upward and should spread naturally.  Avoid pre-digging the holes too far in advance; winds may evaporate moisture from the planting site.  If holes are pre-dug, recharge them with water 24 hours prior to planting.  Gently pack the soil from the bottom of the hole upward so that no air pickets exist.  A good practice is to fill the hole half full of soil, pack it, finfish filling with soil, pack again and water.

Dig a round hole at least one foot in diameter. Make a small mound of soil in the bottom of the hole and spread one handful of polymer into hole. Take the seedling from the bucket of slurry and spread the roots out in all directions using the mound as a root support.  Pull loose soil and poly back over the roots, filling the hole half way.  Lightly tamp soil down or fill with water. Do not allow air to get trapped in the soil around the plant.  Plant one tree at a time. Do not layout trees ahead of you because the delicate roots will dry out. Plant the seedling at the right level which is the transition zone where the trunk turns into root system and where it was planted in the nursery.  Often there is a visible white ring with a slight swelling at this spot.  That is where the soil should be when planting.  Install fertilizer tablet off to the side of tree trunk (approximately 3” away to 3” deep) but not directly in the hole. 

Watering Requirements

Water trees with about one to two gallons of water minimum per tree per week during the planting for best results.  Installing a drip system with weed barrier fabric will get the best results and save time watering in the future.  Water periodically throughout the first two years depending on soil types, recent precipitation levels, presence or absence of mulch, vegetative competition, species composition, wind, day temperature and relative humidity.  If polypropylene weed barrier fabric is used, then a reasonable watering interval should be 8-10 gallons every 20 days.  It is better to apply infrequent heavy does than light does on a constant basis, water in winter about once a month when the weather is nice enough so the water does not freeze around the trees before it is absorbed into the ground.  Water immediately after planting to reduce the shock of plants and to get the root system established.  Water each seedling, regardless of specie with one to two gallons immediately after planting.  Water is the limiting factor for any plant growth and is particularly true of young seedlings with limited root capability.  For best results install a drip system.  If you install a drip system use a one gallon per hour emitter.   Call the Conservation District at 719-541-2359 ext.101 for the supplies to build a drip system.  A drip system allows you to turn it on when you go to work and water up to 500 plants simultaneously while you are away.  Regular watering maintenance should begin mid April to early May.  After the long, cold winter your trees and shrubs should begin to break dormancy at this time.  However weather conditions may not be conductive to proper maintenance until May, if so you should allow the soil to thaw before you begin to water.   

 Mulching and Protection

Mulches reduce competition and maintenance work.  Dark colored fabric mulches made from polypropylene store solar heat and transfer that heat to the soil which in turn encourages earlier and longer growth patterns.  Mulches also store moisture by reducing soil evaporation.  Don’t pile the wood chips or sawdust more than 3-4 inches deep and use dry material.  Avoid grass, hay, sheet plastic or weed mulches. 

Install animal protection because the plants are extremely palatable and easy to eat so they may be favored over native vegetation especially during the first 2 winters.  Install a fence to keep browsing of livestock and wildlife to a minimum.  There is also spray repellant on the market to discourage wildlife.  Having protection from the wind and sun like wood roofing shingles, snow fencing, or wooden pallets for conifers is also important to reduce dehydration and direct sun.  Northwesterly winds during the winter can severely damage recently transplanted evergreens.  Replace dead trees as needed to keep the row trees growing uniform.  The survival rate is about 80-90% on an average year.  A 50% survival rate is discouraging but not alarming.  Simply emulate nature and keep planting until your project reaches the success you require for your plans. 

Maintenance and Pruning

Prune as necessary as stem and branch damage occurs.  Snow breakage, insect and disease kill, and die back are common phenomenon with trees.  Simply follow good pruning techniques to reshape damaged plants.  Prune from mid April to the first of June just before bud break.   Pay particular attention for insect activity just after bud break and spray accordingly.  A good generic insecticide is Sevin made by Ortho and is good for most of the insects that feed on woody vegetation. 

While checking on the plants check the weed barrier, animal protection, sun screens, for unwanted vegetation around trees, and rodents’ activity in the soil.

Planting trees and shrubs takes work and money in the beginning but will provide beautification of your land, screening of sights and sounds, shade and energy conservation, wildlife habitat, protection of livestock and crops, erosion control, and provide plant diversity of the land.  Think about what your goals and limitations are before you order your trees and shrubs and the pay off will come when your land is improved by your efforts.

Steps to better Bare Root Planting

1.  Plant seedlings as soon as possible.  Prepare the soil and have supplies ready for the delivery day.  If seedlings cannot be planted immediately, keep them in a cool, shady place until planting still in packaging.  A garage, a cellar, or north side of building is good place for short storage.

2.  You should prepare a slurry of polymer or soil and water in a 5 gallon bucket to put the bare root plants in while planting.

3.  Make sure there is enough room for the roots so they are not crowded when placing in hole.  Recharge the hole with water 24 hours prior to planting.  Do not dig hole too far in advance to prevent the hole from drying out.

4. Gently pack the soil from the bottom of the hole upward to that no air pockets exist.

5. Use weed barrier and polymer to increase survival rates.