Before you unwrap your seedlings, have digging tools and water ready for planting. Clear an 18” x 18” wide patch of vegetation for each hole. Remember, these trees grow tall and should not be planted under overhead utility wires.

Tree seedlings should generally be planted a minimum of 8’ apart or in staggered rows seven feet apart for a windbreak. Dig each hole at least six inches wide and one-half inch deeper than the seedling container. Break up the soil to be used for backfill and at the bottom of the holes.

Find the seedling’s root collar which is a slight bump or color change just above the roots. This collar needs to be at ground level when planted. Hold the seedling straight up in the hole and adjust hole depth so the collar is level to the ground.

Back fill the hole by distributing soil evenly, making sure the roots stay straight. Prevent air pockets by packing the soil around the bottom of the roots. Pack the freshly turned soil down with a firm stamp of your heel. Water each seedling with one to two gallons at planting time. Watering is the best method to settle the soil, eliminate air pockets, and provide moisture to the root system.

It is best to plant the seedlings in cool, moist soil and water them regularly. A periodic light application of fertilizer is acceptable, but not necessary. Young trees can be “smothered” by competing brush and grass soon after planting. You may have to control this by scalping, mowing, or weeding.