Ohio Christmas Tree Producers Manual, Bulletin 670, Tree Planting Operations Ohio Christmas Tree Producers Manual Bulletin 670 Tree Planting Operations Planting of trees can be done by hand or machine. Efforts should be made during planting to ensure that trees within rows are lined up and spacing between rows is fairly uniform. This facilitates movement of equipment between rows without damaging trees and promotes uniform applications of herbicides, fertilizers, insecticides, fungicides, etc. It can be done in a number of ways. Stakes placed at intervals in rows can be used, particularly when trees are to be hand planted.
Marking rows with lime or a slit in the soil made with a disk or planting machine is also helpful.
Bars mounted on the tractor can be used when machine planting. The tip of the bar or a rope dangling from it is kept even with the previously planted row, regulating distance between rows. Hand planting methods fall into two general groups- hole and slit methods. Techniques used with these methods are illustrated in Fig. Hole planting can be done with a mattock, hoe or shovel.