Seedlings

Ordering Seedlings

Once you select your species, order your seedlings from the nursery. You can search for seedlings in our Tools section. Plan ahead to allow for adequate site preparation and to insure availability of seedlings. Most state and private nurseries begin taking seedling orders in mid-summer. Place orders early so that you have enough seedlings to meet your planting needs. Several decisions must be made before ordering seedlings, such as how many seedlings you need and when they should be delivered. To determine the number of seedlings to order, consider several points:

1. How many acres are you going to plant? Determine acreage by actual field measurement, or estimate from maps, aerial photos, or other records.

2. What spacing will you use? Most pine plantations are established with 600 to 800 seedlings per acre. More or fewer seedlings may be planted based on the timberland owner's objectives. A minimum of 600 seedlings per acre may be required for participation in many federal assistance programs. In some cases the forest industry has planted seedlings at densities of up to 1,000 seedlings per acre to maximize fiber production in short rotations for use in their pulp mills. However, most timberland owners will get better returns by planting 600 to 700 trees per acre and managing for multiple products, such as pulpwood, chip-n-saw, sawtimber, and poles. Seedlings are planted at different spacings to achieve the desired density. A general trend is toward wider spacing between rows for better stand access for fire control, thinning, and harvesting equipment. Compare various spacings by using Table 1. Determine the number of seedlings required for any spacing by using this formula:

   Multiply desired spacing in feet and divide that product into the number of square feet per acre. For example, how many seedlings would be required to plant one acre at a spacing of 6 by 12 feet?

   6 feet by 12 feet = 72 square feet
   43,560 square feet per acre/
   72 square feet per seedling =
   605 seedlings per acre.

3. Make an allowance for cull seedlings. Cull seedlings are seedlings that are too small or too large to plant and those that died or were damaged before planting. When ordering, allow for a 10-percent cull factor (i.e., seedlings that you will discard and not plant). In effect, you will be ordering 10 percent more seedlings than you calculated you needed for planting. This also helps to account for any shortage in the number of seedlings actually packaged. If you order seedlings to plant 35 acres at 7 by 10 spacing and allow for a 10-percent cull factor, you need to order 24,000 seedlings.

   7 by 10 spacing = 622 seedlings per acre (See Table)
   35 acres by 622 seedlings per acre = 21,770 seedlings
   10% cull factor: 21,770 x .10 = 2,177 seedlings
   23,947 rounded to the next highest 1,000 = 24,000 seedlings to be ordered

Delivery Dates

Planting season begins in December and should be completed in March. The optimum period is from late December to mid-February. Weather conditions often force extension of the planting season, causing problems with proper seedling storage.

Early planting before cold weather can kill seedlings if they have not hardened off while still in the nursery beds. Hardening-off is a physiological process where seedlings become acclimated to colder temperatures by reaching a stage of dormancy where active growth is temporarily suspended. Some nurseries use chilling hours (temperatures between 33 °F and 40 °F) as an indication of dormancy. Chilling hours are monitored in the nursery, and seedlings are lifted after 200 or more chilling hours have accumulated. This allows seedlings to be planted immediately or stored for no more than two or three days. When 400 chilling hours have accumulated, seedlings reach peak dormancy and can be cold-stored for up to 8 weeks. When you order seedlings, ask how the nursery determines that seedlings are properly hardened-off and are ready to lift.

If large acreages are to be planted or delays expected, arrange with the nursery to split shipments of seedlings to allow you to store and handle a minimum number of seedlings at a time.