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How to plant a tree seedling ... and more



Contents

  1. 1 Care and planting of seedlings
  2. 2 Trees to plant in the Catoctin Forest

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Care and planting of seedlings

Tree seedlings require water and cool temperatures
to survive until planted.If you intend to plant the trees
within a week, keep them in the shipping package
in a cool or shaded location, such as a cooler
(above freezing), basement, out building or on the
north side of a building.

If planting will be delayed longer than a week, open
the package, make sure that the roots and packing
materials are damp, reseal, and store the package
in a cool place, periodically checking the condition
of the tree's roots. Or, dig a trench deep enough to
accommodate the roots and plant the seedlings,
packing soil around their roots. Do not allow the
roots to dry out while they are heeled-in in this
manner.

Your seedlings have just come through a dormant
season. As living organisms, they need sunlight,
carbon dioxide, oxygen and water to get a fresh
start after planting. The longer you wait to plant the
trees, the fewer the number that will survive,
regardless of the care given in storage.


FOR MORE INFORMATION
Maryland Department of Natural
Resources
Forest Service
Tawes State Office Building
580 Taylor Avenue, E-1
Annapolis, MD 21401
(410) 260-8531

Trees to plant in the Catoctin Forest

There are many excellent trees that are native to the Catoctin Forest that you may consider planting. Here are a few recommendations:

  • AMERICAN PLUM (Prunus americana)
    Height: 10'-30', Spread: 10'-25'. A small tree growing from 10 to 30 feet tall, American plum produces fruit an inch in diameter which is a valued wildlife food source.
  • PIN OAK (Quercus palustris)
    Height: 60'-70', Spread: 25'-40'. Strongly pyramidal with ascending branches. One of the faster growing oaks. Full sun. Tolerates wet soils but is adaptable to many soils types. Most widely used oak for landscaping. Used on lawns, parks, golf courses and around commercial buildings. Acorns are at the top of the food preference list for wood ducks, pheasants, grackles, jays, nuthatches, thrushes, woodpeckers, rabbits, foxes, squirrels and deer.

  • RED OAK (Quercus rubra)
    Height: 60'-80', Spread: 45'-65'. Habit is round-topped and symmetrical. Full sun. Prefers loamy, well drained soils. Fast growing tree for lawns, parks and estates. Acorns are at the top of the food preference list for wood ducks, pheasants, grackles, jays, nuthatches, thrushes, woodpeckers, rabbits, foxes, squirrels and deer.

  • SWAMP WHITE OAK (Quercus bicolor)
    Height: 60'-80', Spread: 50'-80'. Swamp white oak tolerates salt, drought and soil compaction in urban environments. It is transplanted more readily than most other white oaks. The acorns are eaten by a wide variety of wildlife.