Chapter 14

Methods of Planting

Introduction

Planting trees is an easy and effective way to beautify

your property, provide shade in summer and wind protection
in winter and enhance privacy all while increasing real estate
values at the same time. Since a tree is such a visible part of
the landscape care must be taken to ensure proper growth
conditions are maintained. A tree is far more difficult - and
expensive - to replace, once mature in the landscape, than
most shrubs. However, with some advance planning, trees
too can be easily maintained.

Choosing a Tree

The first step in tree selection is to determine the type of tree

appropriate for your property and your needs. Climate and soil play
big roles. A date palm might have a tough time surviving a
Minneapolis winter, for example. And a water-hungry willow would
starve in the desert sands. Make sure that the tree species you are
considering can flourish in your local climate and soil conditions
(designated hardiness zone). And don’t forget some of these other
important factors:

Matching tree to site is a key part of the tree selection process. What
is the size of the site on which your new tree or trees will be
situated? How big will that spindly three-foot sapling be in 30 or 40
years? Is an oak or a willow, either very large when fully grown, the
best tree for a small front lawn in a city? On a large suburban lot, on
the other hand, will a single small tree or bush be lost in a vast
expanse of lawn?

A crucial factor to consider is proximity to buildings, sidewalks,

driveways, streets, utility lines, overhead and buried, and
septic systems. Trees spread out both above and below ground and
branch overhang and root growth can cause considerable damage and
incur considerable expense if a tree is poorly situated. Consider the
planting location with respect to foundation, concrete and asphalt
structures, and drainage structures.

Trees can play an important role in climate control. Deciduous trees

planted on the south, west and east perimeters of a lot will provide

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shade during the summer while allowing scarce sunlight through in the
winter when leaves have fallen. Evergreens, on the other hand, planted
on the north and west sides of a property, can reduce winter heating
costs by serving as windbreaks.

Drainage is yet another issue to consider. Young trees do best when

planted in good-quality, well-drained loamy soil. Heavy clays in poorly-
drained sites present particular problems as many species of trees
including white firs, yellowwoods, beeches, red oaks and yews will not
tolerate ‘wet feet.’ In all cases, stagnant water pooling around roots
can lead to ‘root rot’ caused by lack of available oxygen.

You can do a general test for soil drainage by digging a hole in the
planting area and filling it with water. If the water hasn’t drained away
in a couple of hours, drainage may be an issue. In areas where
drainage is a particular problem, planting in raised beds of 12 to 18
inches of well-drained quality topsoil may be a solution.

Soil quality in new subdivisions often presents tree-planting

problems. Construction materials, in addition to creating unsightly and
difficult-to-work rubble, can alter the soils fertility by raising or
lowering pH. Chemical and petroleum spills, which often occur during
building construction, pose additional concerns. In cases where soil
contamination is severe, the only solution may be to scrape away the
contaminated soil and replace it with good quality topsoil at a depth
associated with your planting objectives.

Personal taste is another key consideration. Think of how different

kinds of new trees can enhance the attractiveness of your property.
Make a list of the kinds of trees you admire and think about how they
would look. Consider how your selection will fill in to the planting area
over time. Make a few sketches or, if you don’t trust your own artistic
talent, consult available landscape design software, or a landscape
designer.

Types of Trees

Bare Root
Balled Container
and - Grown

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 Burlappe
d

Trees purchased from wholesale and retail nurseries and garden

supply stores generally come in one of three forms:

Balled and Burlapped

The roots of the tree and the ball of soil containing the roots are bound
in burlap.

Container-Grown
The plant is sold in the container in which it was grown.

Bare-Rooted
The plant is sold with the roots exposed. Not very common with trees.

When to Plant Trees

Climate plays a deciding role when determining the appropriate

planting time. Newly planted trees do best when exposed to moderate
temperature and rainfall and they need time to root and acclimatize
before the onset of intense heat and dryness of summer or the
freezing temperatures of winter. Spring and early fall, therefore,
are generally the best planting seasons (depending on your
location) with spring preferred over fall in the more northerly
latitudes. In the southern United States, however, which do not
experience an intense winter, planting can take place during the winter
months.

How to Plant a Tree

While planting each of these different types of trees differs in the

details, all trees eventually end up in a hole. But not any old hole will
do.

The most common mistake when planting a

tree is a digging hole, which is both too deep
and too narrow. Too deep and the roots don’t
have access to sufficient oxygen to ensure proper

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growth. Too narrow and the root structure can’t expand sufficiently to
nourish and properly anchor the tree.

As a general rule, trees should be transplanted no deeper than

the soil in which they were originally grown. The width of the
hole should be at least 3 times the diameter of the root ball or
container or the spread of the roots in the case of bare root trees. This
will provide the tree with enough worked earth for its root structure to
establish itself.

When digging in poorly drained clay soil, it is important to avoid

‘glazing’. Glazing occurs when the sides and bottom of a hole
become smoothed forming a barrier, through which water has
difficulty passing. To break up the glaze, use a fork to work the
bottom and drag the points along the sides of the completed hole.
Also, raising the centre bottom of the hole slightly higher than the
surrounding area. This allows water to disperse, reducing the
possibility of water pooling in the planting zone.

Planting Balled and Burlapped Trees.

Balled and burlapped (B & B) trees, although best

planted as soon as possible, can be stored for some
time after purchase as long as the ball is kept moist
and the tree stored in a shady area. B & B trees
should always be lifted by the ball, never by
the trunk. The burlap surrounding the ball of earth
and roots should either be cut away completely (mandatory, in the
case of synthetic or plastic burlap) or at least pulled back from the top
third of the ball (in the case of natural burlap). Any string or twine
should also be removed. Backfill soil (combinations of peat moss,
composted manure, topsoil, etc.) is then placed in the hole surrounding
the tree just to the height of the ball or slightly lower to allow for some
settling. Be careful not to compress the back fill soil as this may
prevent water from reaching the roots and the roots from expanding
beyond the ball.

top

Planting Container Trees.

Container trees (though subject to greater heat and drying conditions

than B and B) can also be stored for a brief period of time after
purchase as long as the soil in the container is kept moist and the tree
stored in a shady spot. The procedure for planting container trees is

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similar to that for B & B trees. In the case of metal or plastic
containers, remove the container completely. In the case of fibre
containers, tear the sides away.

Once carefully removed from the container, check the roots. If they
are tightly compressed or ‘potbound’, use your
fingers or a blunt instrument (to minimize root
tearing) to carefully tease the fine roots away from
the tight mass and then spread the roots prior to
planting. In the case of extremely woody
compacted roots, it may be necessary to use a
spade to open up the bottom half of the root
system. The root system is then pulled apart or
‘butterflied’ prior to planting. Loosening the root
structure in this way is extremely important in the
case of container plants. Failure to do so may result
in the roots ‘girdling’ and killing the tree. At the very
least, the roots will have difficulty expanding beyond the dimensions of
the original container. To further assist this, lightly break up even the
soil outside the planting zone. This allows roots that quickly move out
of the planting zone to be more resilient as they anchor into existing
surrounding soil conditions.

Once the tree is seated in the hole, the original soil is then back-filled
into the hole to the soil level of the container. Again, remember not to
overly compress the back-filled soil especially by tramping it with your
feet. Compress gently using your hands instead.

top

Planting Bare-Rooted Trees.

Planting bare-rooted trees is a little different as

there is no soil surrounding the roots. Most
importantly, the time between purchase and
planting is a more critical issue. Plant as soon as
possible. When purchasing bare-rooted trees, inspect the roots to
ensure that they are moist and have numerous lengths of fine root
hairs (healthy). Care should be taken to ensure that the roots are kept
moist in the period between purchase and planting. Prune broken or
damaged roots but save as much of the root structure as you can.

To plant, first build a cone of earth in the centre of the hole around
which to splay the roots. Make sure that when properly seated on this
cone the tree is planted so that the ‘trunk flare’ is clearly visible and

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the ‘crown’, where the roots and top meet, is about two inches above
the soil level. This is to allow for natural settling.

Water, Mulch and Fertilizer

Watering

Newly planted trees should be watered at the time of planting. In

addition, during the first growing season, they should be watered at
least once a week in the absence of rain, more often during the height
of the summer. However, care should be taken not to overwater as this
may result in oxygen deprivation.

If you are uncertain as to whether a tree needs watering, dig down 6-8
inches at the edge of the planting hole. If the soil at that depth feels
powdery or crumbly, the tree needs water. Adequately moistened soil
should form a ball when squeezed.

Regular deep soakings are better than frequent light wettings.

Moisture should reach a depth of 12 to 18 inches below the soil surface
to encourage ideal root growth.

One new way to ensure a constant supply of moisture is through the

use of superabsorbent polymer crystals that absorb moisture when
the surrounding soil is moist, and release it again when the soil dries
out.

Mulching

To conserve moisture and promote water and air penetration,

the back filled soil surrounding newly-planted trees can be covered
with mulch consisting of material such as bark, wood chips or pine
needles (although the acidity associated with pine needles is not suited
for many plants). Mulch depth should be between 3 to 4 inches. Do
not, under any circumstances, cover the area surrounding the tree with
plastic sheeting since air and water movement are prevented. Porous
landscape fabric can be used since it freely allows water and air
penetration.

Fertilizer

Since all soils have a history, it can be beneficial to get soil

analyzed properly for macronutrients such as Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus

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(P) and Potassium (K), micronutrients, pH, soil type, and drainage.
Although many trees survive without fertilizer at time of planting, the
majority of plants suffer root loss and stress associated with movement
between ideal nursery grown conditions and the final planting.

To compensate for root loss during planting and to alleviate

transplant shock, treat your trees with mycorrhizal fungi and
fertilizers with the right formulation for the type of tree you are
planting. A biostimulant can also aid in root development and
general tree health.

Staking and Guy-Wiring

Young trees should be able to support their

own weight, but when they are transplanted, they
often need time to reestablish themselves. Also,
many nurseries plant their trees very close together
to maximize use of space and stake them to
promote height growth at the expense of trunk
strength. When shopping for trees, look for trees
with branches all along the trunk - not just at the
top.

Once a tree is planted, it will concentrate its energy on standing

upright. If it is unable to do so, try thinning out the upper branches to
reduce wind resistance. If that is not enough and you find you have to
stake a tree, remember the following"

1. Only stake the tree long enough for it to be able stand on its own.

2. Stakes should not be too tight - there should be room for the tree to
sway in the wind.

3. Stakes should not be too loose - the tree should not rub against the
stakes.

4. Stakes should be buried at least 1.5 feet underground to provide

ample support.

Wrapping and Pruning

Wrapping

Wrapping refers to the technique of winding a

crepe-type paper around the barks of trees.

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Generally speaking, you only need to consider doing this in the
northern United States and Canada to prevent the ‘sun-scalding’ of
thin-barked trees like soft maples and crabapples during the first one
or two winters after planting. Commercial tree-wrap is sold at nurseries
and in garden-supply stores. To wrap a tree, start at the bottom and
wind the paper around the tree to the level of the second branch.
Fasten the paper at the top with a tack. Don’t forget to remove the
wrapping each spring to prevent moisture buildup, disease and insect
infestation.

Pruning

Use restraint when pruning your newly-planted trees. Prune only

to remove damaged or broken branches. Do not prune the top of the
tree as this may alter the structure of the tree excessively (check
species requirements) and may hamper carbohydrate production. Do
not paint the cuts with compounds (e.g. Latex) that prevent air from
accessing the wound, thereby slowing the healing process.

Transplanting Trees

There is always danger in moving plant

material from one location to another. Root material
is sacrificed, and depending on the previous state of
the plant, this can be a severe stress. If necessary,
it is possible to transplant trees from one area of
your property to another. The key lies in ensuring
that the tree to be transplanted has a good
healthy root ball and that the tree and ball
together are not unmanageably heavy.

• Start by tying the branches together loosely.

• Then dig a two-foot deep trench around the tree at least one foot
larger than the size of the root ball (or as much intact viable root
material as practical). Once the trench is dug, undercut around the
shrub. Carefully prune the roots extending from the ball as you dig
down.

• When the ball is partially exposed, begin to wrap the ball in burlap
starting from the base of the tree down using twine to secure the
wrapping. Keep digging until the ball is undercut and sitting on a soil
pedestal.

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• Then carefully tilt the tree and ball and finish wrapping and securing
the burlap underneath.

• Then carefully tilt the tree and ball and finish wrapping and securing
the burlap underneath.

To help your tree establish itself when transplanted, treat the planting
area with mycorrhizal fungi, a specially formulated fertilizer and
biostimulant.

The do-it-yourself approach is useful only for small trees. For

large trees, hire a professional who has the specialized
equipment and knowledge to do the job safely.

Conclusion

Well that wasn’t so difficult, was it? Now all you have to do is
remember that it can take a year or more for newly planted trees to
adjust to their new surroundings. During that time, you should make
sure that they are receiving sufficient water. In some cases, you may
want to fertilize as necessary.

Methods of Planting Rice

There are two methods for planting rice:

transplanting and direct seeding.

Seedlings are prepared by any of the

three methods described in Methods of
Raising Seedlings. The seedlings are
now ready for transplanting in the field.
Transplanting is done in one of two
methods: random or straight-row.
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In the random method, seedlings are transplanted without a definite
distance or space between plants as you can see in this frame.

The straight-row method follows a uniform spacing between plants.

The seedlings are transplanted in straight rows. 2

You will need planting guides to have uniform spacing. Planting guides
are made of wire, twine, and wood. Set the planting guides in the field
before transplanting.

In this method, make sure the roots and base of the seedlings are
inserted into the soil right under the loop or mark on the planting wire.

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After planting one row of seedlings, move the guides to the next row
and then continue planting. Move backward for each subsequent row.

Plant the wetbed seedlings at a depth between one and a half to three
centimeters. The dapog seedlings are planted at one and a half
centimeters deep or just deep enough for the roots to come in contact
with the soil. 3

The wooden marker is also used to transplant in straight rows. Mark

the rows with a wooden marker of desired width and with the teeth
spaced at twenty or twenty-five centimeters.
Pull the marker straight along the length of the field and then pull it
again perpendicular to the first markings.

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Plant the seedlings where the lines intersect.

You can also use another method of transplanting in straight rows:

mechanical or machine transplanter.

The Methods of Raising Seedlings module describes raising seedlings

for mechanical or machine transplanting. 4

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When the whole area is planted, place the extra seedlings in small
bundles along the levee. Use them later for replanting missed hills
within ten days after transplanting.
Keep the water level at about one centimeter until the plants recover
in three to four days. If there are problems such as golden apple snail
infestation, keep the soil saturated but without standing water.

Earlier, we say that we can plant the seedlings at random or at a

uniform spacing. Note the advantages of straight-row planting. Straight
rows facilitate management practices such as hand or rotary weeding
and application of fertilizers, herbicides, or insecticides. Most
importantly, we achieve optimal plant spacing.

18
Optimal spacing is dependent on variety, season, and soil fertility. No
single type of spacing is best for all varieties.

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Plant spacing is an important factor in transplanting rice. Proper
spacing can increase the yield by twenty-five to thirty-nine percent
over improper spacing. With proper spacing you can save money on
inputs, labor, and materials.

Proper spacing can increase grain yield. It minimizes shading and

regulates the utilization of solar radiation for photosynthesis.

21
Variety is the first factor that determines plant spacing. Regardless of
the season, tall, leafy, heavy tillering, and susceptible to lodging rice
varieties should be placed farther apart than short, lodging-resistant,
and photoperiod-insensitive varieties.

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 Season is the second factor. Plant the
seedlings closer during the dry months, when solar radiation is higher,
than during the rainy or wet season. Plants become more vegetative
during the wet season. This increases mutual shading.

Soil fertility is the third factor. Plant the seedlings farther apart in
fertile soil and closer in poor soil. Distance prevents mutual shading in
fertile soil, while plants grown in poor soil tend to have tillers, thus,
they can be planted closer together. 6

With the factors contributing to good yields, we can state that tall,
leafy, heavy-tillering varieties are spaced:
During the dry season: twenty-five by twenty-five centimeters in
relatively poor soil, thirty by thirty centimeters in fertile soil.
During the wet season: thirty by thirty centimeters in relatively poor
soil, thirty-five by thirty-five centimeters in fertile soil.

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Place the short, lodging resistant, and photoperiod-insensitive varieties
at twenty by twenty centimeters regardless of season. However,
desirable spacing in less fertile soils must be at twenty by fifteen
centimeters or twenty by ten centimeters.

The other method of growing rice is by direct seeding. In this method,

we will focus on direct seeding rice with dry land preparation.

There are three techniques of direct seeding

1. broadcasting
2. drilling
3. dibbling

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You can broadcast eighty to one hundred kilograms of seeds per
hectare uniformly on the field or in furrows in a one-hectare field.

Make shallow furrows by passing a furrower along the prepared field.

After broadcasting, cover the seeds

using a spike-tooth harrow.

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 Another technique is drilling eighty to
one hundred kilograms of seed per hectare by hand on prepared
furrows, or by seed drillers. 8

The third technique is dibbling, or hill planting. This is usually practiced

along mountain slopes or where plowing and harrowing are difficult.
Use a long wood or bamboo pole with a metal scoop attached at the
end for digging holes. Then drop the seeds into the holes and cover
them with soil.

We will now discuss the direct seeding methods for wetland

preparation.

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The method of direct seeding on a wet field is through broadcasting, or
drilling seeds into the mud.

In this method, broadcast the pregerminated seeds (soaked for twenty

four hours and incubated for forty-eight hours) by hand at eighty to
one hundred kilograms per hectare. Seeds for the mechanical or
machine seeder are incubated for only twenty-four hours. 9

Seeding a field with standing clear water is also practiced in developed

countries. This practice is usually conducted with the aid of an
airplane.

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There are two advantages to using direct seeding:
1. It requires less labor. You do not have to prepare the seedbed, care
for, and pull the seedlings.
2. Direct-seeded plants mature seven to ten days earlier than
transplanted rice. They are not subjected to stress such as being pulled
from the soil and reestablishing fine rootlets.

However, it also has disadvantages:

1. In direct seeding, the seeds are exposed to birds, rats, and snails.
2. There is greater crop-weed competition because rice plants and
weeds are of similar age.
3. Plants tend to lodge more because there is less root anchorage.
4. More seeds are required, eighty to one hundred kilograms per
hectare compared with thirty-five to sixty-five kilograms per hectare
required for transplanting. 10
Before we end this lesson, let us answer the following.
Identify the advantages and disadvantages of direct seeding. Click the
buttons that correspond to your answer.

Glossary

Broadcasting–sowing rice seeds uniformly on the surface of the field

by hand.
Dapog Method–raising seedlings in a seedbed prepared as in the
wetbed method, but covered with banana leaves or plastic sheets, or
raising seedlings in concrete flooring.

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Dibbling–planting rice seeds in holes made by any pointed implement
such as a bamboo or wooden stick. It is usually practiced along sloping
or hilly areas.
Direct seedling–sowing seeds in the field with either dryland or
wetland preparation
Drilling–sowing seeds in rows by hand or drilling machine.
Drybed method–raising seedlings in a dry seedbed. It is usually
practiced in rainfed areas or where irrigation water is not adequate.
Dryland preparation–plowing and harrowing the field when the soil is
dry or below the water saturation level.
Incubation–setting soaked seeds at room temperature to allow
germination.
Lithao–a local farm implement for making furrows.
Pregerminated seeds–seeds soaked in water for 24 hours and
incubated for 24-48 hours.
Pulling–uprooting rice seedlings from wetbed or drybed.
Seedbed–prepared layers of wet or dry soil where rice seeds are
grown before transplanting.
Spike-tooth harrow–a tillage implement used to cover seeds that are
broadcast or drilled in furrows.
Transplanting–planting seedbed-grown seedlings in the field.
Wetbed method–raising seedlings on seedbed where land is prepared
wet and puddled.
Wetland preparation–plowing and harrowing the field when soil is
saturated with water or flooded.

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