Planting Hardwoods

Hand Planting

Bareroot seedlings can be planted by hand using a variety of tools: dibble bars, power augers, hoedads, shovels, tree bars, and mattocks.

A well-planted seedling should remain in the ground if it is tugged upward gently by the top of the shoot. The seedling also should remain vertical when standing freely. The soil should be packed firmly with no air pockets around the roots. Additionally, no roots should be visible above the ground.

Hand planting is less expensive than machine planting, but requires more labor. Fewer seedlings can be planted in the same amount of time compared to machine planting. The planting depth can be adjusted for each individual seedling, but spacing is not as precise and can vary widely, depending on the planting crew. Seedlings can be damaged during planting, resulting in low seedling survival. The planting crew must ensure that seedlings are kept moist, that roots are not injured when seedlings are removed from the planting bags, and that seedlings are planted properly.