Care & planting of seedlings

How should I plant Shand Greenhouse Seedlings?

You can plant either by hand or with a tree planter. Keep in mind that all bare roots must be buried and covered with soil.

Planting with a tree planter:

• cover the root plugs with wet burlap to prevent drying - do not dip them in water or they will fall apart
• plant seedlings upright with one centimetre of soil covering the root plug - do not expose any of the root plug or else it will quickly dry out
• pack soil firmly around the seedling immediately after planting to ensure good soil-to-root contact and work out any air spaces that may surround the roots
• water seedlings immediately.

Planting by hand:

• dig a hole larger than the root plug - hold the tree erect in the hole and cover the root plug with one centimetre of soil;
• pack soil firmly around seedling and leave a shallow depression around each seedling to collect water
• water seedlings immediately

Suggested spacing for tree and shrub species:

• within rows
• coniferous trees (eg. spruces, pines, larch) - 3.5 metres (12 feet)
• deciduous trees (eg. maple, green ash, poplar, willow) - 2.5 metres (8 feet)
• shrubs (eg. buffaloberry, choke cherry, lilac) - 1.0 metres (3 feet)
• between rows
  • between adjacent deciduous rows - 5 metres (16 feet)
  • between adjacent deciduous and coniferous rows - 6 metres (20 feet)
  • between adjacent coniferous rows - 5 metres (16 feet)

Denser stocking might be appropriate for block forest and wildlife planting projects.

• 1.83 metres (6 feet) by 1.83 metres (6 feet) = 2,965 trees/hectare
• 2.44 metres (8 feet) by 2.44 metres (8 feet) = 1,729 trees/hectare