Southern Tablelands

Farm Forestry Network

Farm forestry

Fact sheets

Extension & resources

Directory of services

Newsletter

Membership

Events

Contact us

Planting pines

[Print this fact sheet - 109kb]

Radiata pine seedlings are planted out over the winter months usually between July and August. This is because soil conditions are moist and cool. At this time of year young pine trees will be dormant and will suffer less stress when planted.

To insure the health of young trees it is essential they are handled correctly prior to planting out. Pine trees are typically supplied ‘barerooted’, that is, they are not potted but lifted directly from the ground and placed into wax carton boxes or similar, with about 100 trees per box. A water retaining gel should then be covered with a cloth to keep them cool and moist.

Pine trees should ideally be transported in refrigerated containers. They can then be placed directly in refrigerated storage at a constant temperature of around 4^oC until they are planted out. They can be kept under these conditions for around two weeks provided they are kept moist.

For transporting smaller loads to the site for planting it is essential the boxes of seedlings are covered to prevent the wind they are exposed to from drying them out. If you plan on putting them on the back of the ute, cover them with tarpaulin. If it is necessary to store pine trees on site they need to be kept out of the sun, preferably somewhere cool like under the house or shearing shed and watered daily. Ideally the pines should be planted out as soon as possible as the longer they are left out of the ground the higher their mortality rate.

When you receive your pines check that they are of an appropriate quality. Your ideal pine should meet the following criteria.

• Trees appear healthy and are a dark green colour
• 30-35cm tall
• No insect, fungal or mechanical damage
• Roots of trees are moist
• Roots are trimmed to 10cm
• Fair amount of soil maintained on roots
• Root collar diameter 5-12mm
• Abundant fine roots with mycorrhiza present
• Trees should be topped

When planting pines in the paddock follow the steps below. Remember to take the pines out of the box one at a time. Do not lay them ahead of planting as they will dry out quickly.

1. Cultivate a hole in the rip/mound line 30-40cm wide to a minimum depth of 30cm. A good planting spade will achieve these dimensions.

2. Open a planting slot in the hole at least 10-20cm wide at the bottom.

3. Place the pine tree behind the spade making sure the roots of the pine are at the base of
the planting slot. Remove the spade and fill in the hole. The pine should be partially buried
and the roots may be twisted and pointing the wrong way.

4. To correct the roots gently hold the top of the pine and carefully give it a positive pull upwards about 10cm. Leave about 5cm of the green material of the pine buried as this will protect it better.

5. Still holding the stem firm the soil around the pine’s  roots by pressing down with the soles of the boot. This will secure the tree and remove air pockets. Do not use heels as this may damage the roots.

Back to top