Choosing trees for your site - Take into consideration:
Type of soil - wet, moist, dry, sandy, sandy-loam, clay.
Sun requirements - does your site provide full sun, partial sun, shade?
Our price lists on pages 4-10 list planting requirements to help you make the correct choice.
Preparing the planting site - Survival rates for containerized tree seedlings are good on all sites including rough sites. However, weed control can help them off to a good start. This can be accomplished by herbicides and/or mowing.
Care of seedlings before planting - Containerized tree seedlings shipped in the container give you flexibility of planting when it's convenient for you. Place the trees where they will get direct sun for part of the day. Avoid continuous hot sun. Water thoroughly as needed, generally every 1-3 days depending on weather conditions. If holding for an extended period of time (more than 3-6 weeks), elevate styroblocks a few inches on blocks to keep roots from growing into the ground. The night before planting, water the seedlings well. This gives time for excess water to drain out.
Planting your Containerized Tree Seedlings - To extract seedlings from the container, firmly pull at the base of the stem. Generally the seedlings should come out of the container easily. If they do not come out easily, tap downward on the top of the block. Keeping the plugs moist will help make it easier to extract the seedlings.
The seedlings root plug should be placed 1/4 to 1/2 inch below the ground surface, and the native soil firmed over the root plug. The soil around the plug should be firmed up, but be careful not to step on the seedling! Containerized seedlings may be planted with all types of planting tools and equipment including mechanical tree planters.