As we get closer to lifting and planting season, ArborGen will share a series of articles on the best way to handle, transport, store, and plant your seedlings.
Jimmy Bielling, of Bielling Site Prep and Reforestation, is a reforestation site prep contractor and planter. As we get closer to planting season, we asked Jimmy about the need to keep seedlings cool on site.
Planting Tip; Keeping Seedlings Cool On Site Using Reefers
1. Seedling care is essential to a successful stand establishment.
Once the seedlings are lifted at the nursery, we like them to be placed in the cooler for 24 – 48 hours.
Consequently, we want to maintain that condition by using a refrigerated trailer to continue that environment through planting of the seedlings. We normally set the temperature to 38 degrees F. Between 38 degrees and 42 degrees is a good range.
You do not want to let the seedlings freeze, but on warm days, opening and closing the doors to retrieve seedlings increases the temperature within the refrigerated unit.
2. Ideally, you want to plant the trees as soon as possible.
It is not recommended, but the seedlings could remain in the cooler for three to four weeks.
Things happen, such as equipment failure, weather conditions, etc., that can delay planting the seedlings.
Needless to say, keeping the seedlings cool is very important to keep the seedlings in healthy condition.
3. Some contractors or owners prefer to run the refrigerated unit on a continuous cycle.
This means the unit will not shut down until it is manually shut off. It burns more fuel on this cycle, but the set point remains the same. Others prefer to run the unit on cycle.
On cycle, when the temperature reaches a certain degree, the unit will automatically crank up and cool down to the set point. This method uses less fuel.
Whichever method you choose as the unit manager, it is important to check on the unit daily and fill it with fuel on a regular basis.
Seedling care is most important to the success of a stand establishment.
No matter how well you prepare the site or plant the trees, mechanically or by hand, nothing will matter if the seedlings are damaged by heat stress (or extreme cold) before they are planted.
