OUTDOOR CORNER: PROPER PLANTING OF SEEDLINGS IS CRUICIAL

Okay, your seedlings have just arrived from the Missouri Department of Conservation's Forest Nursery. Now what do you do? Hopefully, you can plant them immediately and get them off to the best start possible.

If you have to store your seedlings for a few days, however, just keep them in the bundle and keep them cool. The cooler the better without freezing (35-50 F). If storage is going to last from one to two weeks, you probably want to unwrap the bundle and water the trees lightly two to three times per week. Be sure to rewrap the bundle tightly. Again, store them as cool as possible. We do not recommend storing the seedlings longer than two weeks unless you have refrigeration available.

Planting can commence any time after your seedlings arrive as long as the ground is not frozen and will not freeze for several days in a row. Usually this means after Feb. 1 in southern Missouri and Feb. 15. in northern Missouri. Avoid planting if the air temperature is below 32 F or above 85 F and relative humidity is below 30 percent. If the conditions are close to any of the extremes, or it is windy, special precautions must be taken to avoid letting the seedlings dry out or get too hot. The roots should be visibly moist at all times, but not wet.

A number of methods can be used to plant the trees. For large tree planting projects of 1,000 trees or more, tractor mounted planting machines are available. These machines open a slit in the ground in which an operator releases a seedling. The machine then automatically closes the hole.

Dibble bars, hoedads and mattocks are special hand tools that open a hole in the ground for the seedling roots. The hole created is not very large and therefore only suited to seedlings with compact root systems. A shovel can also be used to create the planting hole. Tractor and hand held augers dig excellent holes for tree planting, but usually are more time consuming to use. There is no need to add fertilizer or other soil amendments at planting time.

Some pruning can be done to the root systems, but this should be kept to a minimum and done in a protected location so that the root systems do not dry out. Often more damage is done to root systems during pruning than if the seedlings were left alone.

Remember to open the hole deep enough to allow the root system to be fully extended. One technique is to push the seedling to the bottom of the hole and then pull it up to the proper position. This will help avoid misshapen roots and allow maximum growth. The root collar should be at or one inch below the ground level when the hole is closed. Do not shallow plant the seedlings, and be sure to close the hole tightly.

While you are planting, it may be easier to carry 50 or 100 seedlings at a time in a bucket. A few inches of water and some moist sphagnum peat moss or even shredded newspaper can be mixed in with the seedling roots to keep them moist. Be sure to rewrap the remaining trees in the bundle and keep them in the shade. Root dips with absorbent gels can help the root systems moist, but research has indicated that these dips give little benefit as far as survival and growth are concerned.

Do not store seedlings in water for more than a few hours. Longer storage will kill the seedlings because of a lack of oxygen. Preferably weed control has been accomplished prior to planting either by disking, rototilling, mowing or with chemicals. Continued weed control is important to allow maximum growth and to avoid damage by mice and other critters.

Mulching and/or herbicides provide the best choice for long-term weed control.

The only thing left to do is to pray for some nicely timed rains, and watch your trees grow.

Tony Jaco is a resource forester with the Missouri Department of Conservation.