How

    Planning the tree planting program involves deciding on the sections of your land which will be planted, selected appropriate species, and ordering seedlings.

    Factors to consider when deciding the areas to be planted are

        1. Existing native vegetation.
        2. Non-productive areas.
        3. Saline areas.
        4. Moisture status such as seepage areas and seasonal flooding.
        5. Soil types.
        6. Erosion prone areas.
        7. Prevailing winds and other environmental factors.

2. Species selection

    Always keep in mind the purpose for which you are establishing the trees, whether that is salinity control, windbreaks, stock shelter, timber, fodder crops, etc or a combination of these. A species list of available trees showing selection criteria such as height, suitable soil types, rainfall requirements, uses, salt tolerance, etc should be sufficient for you to make a short list of suitable species from which, with further research and/or advice, a final decision can be made. Local species should be given preference as these will be well adapted to the local soils and climatic conditions.

    Nurseries mainly seed from November through to March so as to be able to supply seedlings ready for planting in the following winter. Orders should be therefore be placed before this time so as to make sure you can obtain the numbers and species you require. Warren Valley Nursery seeds those species which are already ordered first and then seed more of those species for which they anticipate a demand if they have extra capacity. Some species may not be available if they are not ordered beforehand. A 10% discount is applicable for orders received before seeding.

    Elimination of competition for moisture and nutrients by weeds is essential to ensure the seedlings survival in the first year. This can be carried out by mechanical or chemical means.

    Mechanical. Scalping the top 5 to 7 cm of soil with a grader will remove weeds and the seed bank but this method is not recommended on shallow duplex soils as clay may be exposed.

    Chemical. A knock-down spray combined with a pre-emergent spray should be used according to manufacturer's directions. A swathe 1.5 to 2 metres wide should be treated, depending on the height of the weeds.

    It is essential that heavy soils and recommended that all sites are ripped. Ripping will assist rapid growth and reduce the need for summer watering by allowing the root system to develop more rapidly with deeper penetration and should be carried out to depth of at least 450mm and ideally to 1 metre. In sandy soils one line may be sufficient but in heavy soils up to three lines may need to be ripped, spaced at the ripping depth apart. To reduce the risk of erosion rip-lines should follow the contours or if this is not possible either cross rip or establish discontinuous rip-lines by lifting the ripper out of the ground at intervals dependant on the slope. Ripping is best carried out during summer to allow some settling of the soil to reduce air pockets.

3. Mounding.

    Mounding is recommended in wet and/or saline areas. This will help to guard against waterlogging by raising the seedling. By dishing the centre of the mound in saline situations the winter rains can be concentrated to leach the salts.

    Rabbits will cause extensive losses by eating leaves, stripping bark, and digging out the roots of seedlings. An effective rabbit eradication program must be implemented before planting, or reliable exclusion methods implemented.

    Planting should not be undertaken until the season has fully broken, usually from the middle of May to Late June, depending on the area. This means that initial rains will have penetrated the soil profile and subsequent rain will maintain adequate moisture levels in the soil to enable the seedling to become sufficiently established before the summer. Planting can be continued until September in the South West depending on the season. Some studies indicate that later planting can result in higher growth rates but this must be balanced against the risk of a dry spring and summer.

2. Techniques.

    Ensure that the root system of the seedling is well watered and that excessive root growth is removed.

Plant into moist soil.

If the seedling is in a jiffy (peat) pot it is beneficial to remove the base of the pot and tease out the bottom 1cm of soil.

Plant the seedling in the rip line at a level 1 to 2cm below the level at which it was grown.

Firm the soil around the roots so as to remove any air pockets around the root ball.

Tree guards are effective in promoting early growth of the seedling by creating a beneficial microclimate around the tree as well as providing a physical barrier to rabbits where they are a problem. Cost and time becomes a major factor in large scale plantings.

Planting tubes or spears are recommended for planting large numbers of trees as these greatly increase the rate of planting and minimize the repetitious bending down involved in hand planting.

    Fertilizing increases growth rates, speeds root penetration and establishment, and improves drought resistance. Care must be taken that seedlings are not damaged by excessive or incorrect fertilizing.

       Slow release fertilizer tablets for trees are available or a general purpose fertilizer such as Potato E, NPK Blue, Nitrophoska Blue, etc at a rate of 60 to 100gm per seedling can be used. The fertilizer is scattered around the tree or "planted" about 15cm downhill from the seedling using the planting spear. Surface application of fertiliser will also encourage weed growth if weed control is inadequate.

    An additional application of fertilizer the following year will improve growth and health of the tree.

    Many factors affect the watering requirements, such as rainfall, temperature, wind, soil type, and plant size. As a general rule natural rainfall will be sufficient if planted in winter but under exceptional conditions additional watering may be necessary. Close observation of the plantings should be maintained if inadequate moisture levels may be problem.

    If additional watering is required this should be applied in heavy infrequent amounts rather than many light applications, especially if water with high salinity levels is used.

    With large scale plantings additional watering may not be feasible and a higher percentage of losses may have to be accepted and factored into the initial planting density.

    If the initial weed control is effective no problems should occur. However if additional control is necessary selective herbicides such as Fusilade and Sertin have been used over newly planted trees. These herbicides are not effective against broad-leaved weeds and the removal of grasses can allow these to proliferate, thus maintaining the weed problem. It is advisable to carry out trials before carrying out extensive spraying operations.

    Herbicides such as glysophate can only be used if the trees can be protected from any spray drift by completely covering the seedling or careful use of a spray guard.

Obviously the best course is to ensure effective weed control before planting takes place.

    Seedlings are affected by a wide range of insects which are naturally present in the environment. Grasshoppers are the most damaging of these, usually wingless grasshoppers within 50km of the coast and the Australian plague locust throughout the agricultural areas. Control is by spraying or use of baits. Agriculture WA produces a farmnote describing control methods. Methods of control for other insect pests change frequently so contact Agriculture WA or CALM for identification and current information.

Note:-     Information included on this site has been provided in good faith as an indication only. For implementing the information for a particular purpose it is recommended that appropriate professional advice be obtained.