Common Planting Mistakes to Avoid
With planting season coming to a close, it’s still vital to pay attention to the planting conditions and wide temperature fluctuations we experience every year.
Bareroot and containerized tree seedlings must be handled carefully from the time they are harvested at the nursery until they’re transplanted in the field. Equally important is planting seedlings correctly. In this edition of TreeLines, we’re going to cover 8 Tips to Ensure Best Survival and a few more planting mistakes to avoid – see the illustrations below.
Monitor environmental conditions and adjust field operations as necessary to optimize your seedling survival. By following these tips, you enhance the likelihood of successful planting. Reforestation costs are the landowner’s primary forestry investment during a timber stand’s life. Good seedling survival sets the stage for the next forest’s productivity and the landowner’s returns on investment. Remember that ArborGen Nurseries and Reforestation Advisors are ready to help you with your questions. Your success is our success.
8 Tips to Ensure Best Survival
- Keep seedlings cool.
- Keep seedlings from freezing.
- Keep seedlings moist. Seedling roots must never be allowed to dry out even for a few minutes.
- Handle seedlings carefully.
- Keep storage duration short.
- Don’t plant small, weak seedlings.
- Don’t plant when soils are dry.
- Don’t plant when weather conditions are critical.
Common Planting Mistakes to Avoid
Too Loose
A firm pull on one needle cluster moves the plant.
Excessive Tap Root Pruning
Pine seedling roots should not be pruned shorter than 5". Hardwood seedling roots should not be pruned shorter than 6".
Not Erect
The taproot should not be planted at more than 30˚ from perpendicular.
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Customer Spotlight: Perry Clements, III – Forestry Consultant
Perry Clements is a forestry consultant with Charles R. Rozier & Associates in Bainbridge, Georgia. Their firm provides professional management and consultation services for clients’ land tracts, and also serves as an advisor to landowners to help them rest assured that they are meeting all of the needs associated with their land investment.
Need a trusted partner to guide the way?
Get in touch with a Reforestation Advisor to explore your options!
Austin Heine
North Carolina and Virginia
910-660-3209
Greg Hay
Arkansas, Northern Louisiana, and Oklahoma
501-350-4217
Shannon Stewart
Eastern Texas, Southern Louisiana
936-239-6189
Paul Jeffreys, Ph.D.
Alabama & Mississippi
Manager Special Projects & Sustainability
205-712-9582
Drew Fasano
Reforestation Advisor
South Carolina
843-520-6865
Blake Sherry
Reforestation Advisor
Georgia and Florida
912-433-5407
Kylie Burdette
U.S. Sales Manager
864-650-4454
Jason Watson
Director, U.S. Sales
404-840-7489
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