To plant tree seedlings, plant bare-root stock while it is dormant, before buds break. Keep the roots moist and out of sun and wind. Open a slot with a dibble bar or spade, hang the roots straight down, set the root collar at or just below the soil line, then close the slot and firm the soil with your heel.
Here is how to plant tree seedlings by the hundred or the thousand, from Tennessee Wholesale Nursery, the family-owned wholesale nursery in Altamont, Tennessee, near McMinnville, growing trees, shrubs, perennials, wetland and native plants. This site is the nursery's own guide to planting in bulk. It covers the dibble bar method for bare-root tree seedlings, a spacing table that turns your acreage into an order, and the first-year care that keeps them alive.
How to plant tree seedlings at the right time of year
Plant during the dormant season, when the seedlings have no leaves. Tennessee Wholesale Nursery ships bare-root plants from September to April, while they are dormant. Its bare-root information page says to plant in temperatures over 31 degrees and before the buds start to swell. Cooler months are the best time to plant.
Fall and winter planting works as long as the stock is dormant and the ground can be worked. For a spring planting, University of Missouri Extension gives March to May for hardwood seedlings. Whatever the season, get them in before bud break, and wait out frozen or waterlogged ground.
Handling bare-root seedlings on arrival
Bare-root seedlings arrive with no pot and no soil, so the roots are exposed, and roots that dry out can kill a seedling. Open the bundles the day they arrive and check that the roots are damp.
- Planting within two weeks: leave the seedlings in their shipping bundles in a cool, shaded place. Spread the bundles apart so they do not heat up, and mist the roots if they feel dry.
- Planting later than that: heel them in. Dig a shallow trench in a shady, protected spot, lay the seedlings in it and cover the roots with moist soil.
- On planting day: take out only what your crew will plant that day. Carry the seedlings in a bucket or planting bag packed with wet peat moss or wet burlap.
Watch out: Many guides say to soak the roots in a bucket of water before planting. Missouri Extension's planting guide says not to submerge the roots in buckets of water. Keep them damp in wet moss or burlap instead.
Tools for planting tree seedlings in bulk
- Dibble bar (tree planting bar): a steel blade on a long handle. It opens a planting slot in one push, so a crew can plant far faster than with shovels.
- Sturdy spade: for roots too long for the dibble's slot, and for rocky or heavy clay ground.
- Planting bag or bucket: lined with wet moss or burlap, to keep the roots covered between holes.
- Measuring line or marked rope and flags: to keep rows straight and spacing even.
- Pruning shears: to trim broken roots or roots too long for the hole.
How to plant tree seedlings in the ground with a dibble bar
This method follows the steps in Missouri Extension's guide to planting forest tree seedlings. Once a planter has the rhythm, each seedling takes only a few moves.
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Open the slot
Push the dibble bar straight down to the full depth of the blade, then pull the handle back toward you to open a slot.
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Set the seedling
Hold the seedling by the stem and drop the roots into the slot. Pull it up to the right depth so the roots hang straight down, not bent into a J at the bottom.
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Check the depth
The root collar, where the stem changes color or swells slightly, sits at the same depth the seedling grew at the nursery, or up to half an inch deeper. It should end up just below the soil surface.
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Make a second slot
Push the dibble straight down again, three to four inches from the seedling.
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Close the bottom, then the top
Pull the handle back to press soil against the bottom of the roots. Then push it forward to close the top of the slot, and rock it to pack the soil.
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Fill the second hole
Close the second slot with your boot heel and firm the soil all around the seedling.
Check your work by tugging the seedling gently. A well-planted seedling stays put and stands upright on its own. If it lifts out, replant it.
Planting with a shovel instead
With a spade, dig a hole deep and wide enough for the roots to hang straight down without crowding. Set the seedling at the same root collar depth, backfill with the soil you dug out, and firm it with your foot to remove air pockets. The nursery's planting instructions say to water each plant right after planting.
Seedlings per acre by spacing
An acre is 43,560 square feet. Multiply the space between rows by the space between seedlings in a row, then divide 43,560 by that number. The table rounds down to whole seedlings.
| Spacing (feet) | Square feet per seedling | Seedlings per acre |
|---|---|---|
| 6 x 6 | 36 | 1,210 |
| 6 x 8 | 48 | 907 |
| 6 x 10 | 60 | 726 |
| 8 x 8 | 64 | 680 |
| 8 x 10 | 80 | 544 |
| 10 x 10 | 100 | 435 |
| 12 x 12 | 144 | 302 |
Tighter spacing suits screens, windbreaks and fast canopy cover. Wider spacing leaves room to mow between rows. If a cost-share or forestry program pays for the planting, use the spacing it asks for. The nursery's seedlings are sold in bundles of 100, 500 and 1,000, so round your order up to the next bundle.
Worked example: 5 acres at 8 x 8 feet is 5 x 680, or 3,400 seedlings. Three bundles of 1,000 and one bundle of 500 give you 3,500, which leaves 100 spares to replace any seedling that gets damaged on planting day.
How to care for a tree seedling in its first year
- Keep weeds back: Missouri Extension advises a weed-free circle or square 3 to 4 feet across around each seedling for the first three to four growing seasons. Tilling, mulch, fabric or herbicide all work.
- Water after planting: water each seedling right away, then keep the soil moist through its first dry spells.
- Mulch: the nursery's planting instructions suggest mulch or pine needles around the stem, so water soaks in slowly.
- Walk the rows: check after heavy rain or frost heave and firm any seedling that has loosened.
Tree seedlings to plant this season
Each of these comes bare-root in 6 to 12 inch, 12 to 18 inch and row run 6 to 24 inch sizes, in bundles of 100, 500 or 1,000.
- White Oak Seedlings, listed for zones 3 to 9.
- Red Oak Seedlings, listed for zones 3 to 9.
- Sugar Maple Seedlings, listed for zones 3 to 9.
- Sourwood Seedlings, listed for zones 3 to 9.
- White Pine Seedlings, listed for zones 3 to 8.
- Loblolly Pine Seedlings, listed for zones 6 to 9.
Questions about planting tree seedlings
How deep should a seedling be planted?
Set the root collar, where the stem changes color or swells slightly, at the depth it grew in the nursery or up to half an inch deeper, so it sits just below the soil surface. The roots should hang straight down in the slot, never bent up into a J at the bottom.
What tools do I need to plant tree seedlings?
A dibble bar handles most ground and is the fastest tool for a crew. Add a sturdy spade for long roots, rocky soil or heavy clay, a bucket or planting bag lined with wet moss to carry seedlings, pruning shears for broken roots, and a line or flags to keep spacing even.
How to care for a tree seedling?
Water it right after planting and through its first dry spells. Keep a weed-free circle 3 to 4 feet across around it for the first three to four growing seasons, add mulch or pine needles around the stem, and firm any seedling that frost or heavy rain has loosened.
