time to order tree seedlings for spring planting

Although the weather is turning chilly, now is the time to begin planning for spring reforestation projects.

According to a University of Tennessee Extension forestry expert, site preparation for planting should be accomplished in the late fall to control herbaceous and woody weeds before spring planting.

Wayne Clatterbuck, a UT Extension professor and forester, also says bare root tree seedlings, both hardwoods and pines, should be planted before in the spring before seedlings break dormancy and begin to grow. This usually occurs before April 1. However, Clatterbuck says now is the time to reserve seedlings from the Tennessee Division of Forestry (TDF) nursery located near Delano in Polk County.

For more information contact your local Division of Forestry office or visit the web site: http://state.tn.us/agriculture/forestry/landowners/catalog.pdf for a seedling catalog containing order forms, price and species available for sale.

“Do not procrastinate,” says Clatterbuck. “The demand for seedlings of some species may exceed the supply.”