COMMUNITY TREE PLANTING GUIDELINE - SPGS

LAWLOG PRODUCTION GRANT SCHEME
4.1 Seedling handling and
transportation to the
planting site
When conditions are ready for planting, seedlings are
transported to the plantation site. Depending on the
care taken while loading, transporting and off loading
of seedlings, their quality may be affected making them
stressed or otherwise unfit for planting.
4.1.1 In which ways can seedling
quality be affected?
Seedling quality is usually affected as a result of several
handlings that occur when seedlings are picked from the
nursery bed ground while loading them on containers
then when being transported to the planting site. After
reaching the site, again in the process of off-loading
from the transportation containers to the ground some
seedlings become affected. Generally, the seedlings are
affected in these ways:-
• Seedlings losing a lot of soil in their pots thus
exposing their roots to dry up.
• Mechanical damage by breaking seedling roots,
leaves and stems.
• Drying of seedlings due to long transport
causing them to become stressed.
Well packed seedlings on small designed containers like crates ready
for transportation
• Seedlings should be watered first before
transporting to avoid excessive drying and soil
loss.
• Transport seedlings in the morning and evening
to avoid hot day sun shine and shelter them
from wind.
• Offload seedlings at the planting site carefully not
holding by their shoot, watered and temporary
shaded. After the seedlings have recovered from
stress which you can tell when their shoots stand
upright they should be immediately planted.
A young man off loading pine seedlings: Some seedlings have already lost
soil and their roots are at a high risk of dying or being bent.
Seedlings badly placed on the ground and also kept too long unplanted
4.1.2 How can you minimize
loss of seedling quality when
handling them?
• Seedlings should be packed on small designed
containers like crates that are later packed on a
car. If you have no containers yet, please let the
seedlings be loaded upright on the car but not
lying.
4. 2 How to successfully plant a
tree seedling
Planting a seedling appears to be a simple process but
basic mistakes are often made and more attention needs
to be paid to the operation. Seedlings not planted well
will grow poorly. For proper planting of a seedling the
following procedure should be followed:-
• Remove the stick once used to mark the hole
during pitting process and dig a small hole
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Community Tree Planting Guideline