In Western Australia, most planting of commercial trees is done by hand, using seedlings grown in peat 'jiffy' pots, or in specially moulded plastic trays. Planting blue gums using the planting tube and planting tray. Nurseries sow tree seeds into trays of potting mix from December to February. The seedling trees are then ready for planting after the 'break of season' in May. For larger quantities, most nurseries grow to order, so early ordering helps them meet your requirements.
Most nurseries factor in a level of discard plants.
Check with the nursery how many healthy seedlings can be expected in each tray. Order 5 to 10 per cent more trees than you need, to replace seedlings that become damaged or that die when transplanted. Root training If possible, buy seedlings in trays designed for root training. Seedlings that are pot-bound or have tightly coiled roots are likely to develop root problems later. Most modern trays have individually moulded cells for each seedling.