How to Prevent Tree Seedling Damage
Tree seedlings are so delicate that any mistake that is made during their handling can cause serious damage to those trees. This article discusses some precautions that inexperienced people should take when they buy tree seedlings at a nursery for the first time.
Secure the Trees
You should think about how you will secure your tree seedlings after loading them into your vehicle. Poorly secured tree seedlings can roll during transportation. This can lead them to sustain damage to their trunks, branches and leaves. Different securement methods can be used for different sizes of seedlings. For example, you can pack smaller seedlings upright in a box so that the walls of the box limit the movement of those seedlings during transportation.
Use a Tarp
It is advisable for you to protect those tree seedlings from the effects of the wind as you drive from the nursery to your home. The wind can cause the leaves to wither and drop off. Using a tarp to cover the seedlings protects their leaves from being whipped by the wind.
Handle Them Individually
It is better for you to take longer during the loading and offloading process instead of losing some of your tree seedlings as you rush to put them into your vehicle or offload them. Handle one seedling at a time and place it carefully into the container that you prepared for transporting them. This will enable you to pack them closely together so that there is little room for them to shift around during the transportation process. Offloading one seedling at a time also helps you to identify which seedlings are no longer intact and need extra attention. For example, some may need additional soil in order to cover any roots that were exposed during transportation.
Keep Root Balls Intact
Some trees are dug up from a mother garden once they have grown to several meters. You should never remove the soil from the root ball when you pick such a tree from a tree nursery. That soil is essential in preventing the root ends from drying out during the process of transporting them. Find a way to secure the root ball so that no soil is lost. For example, you can wrap that root ball in plastic sheeting prior to transportation.
Work closely with wholesale nursery operators so that they can give you additional advice regarding the specific tree seedlings that you would like to transport to the chosen planting location.
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