The plowing of contour furrows at six-foot intervals, on heavily vegetated areas, makes bar or mattock planting quicker and easier, simplifies control of spacing, and gives some temporary protection from fire. Furrows should be plowed sufficiently in advance of planting to allow time for settling. Scalping is usually done at the time of planting with a mattock. It consists of removing surface vegetation from an 8 to 10 inch square, cutting just deep enough to reduce the regrowth of grasses from the roots. Scalping is necessary only on the more fertile soils where a rank growth of grasses or other close growing vegetation is expected to compete seriously.
Seedlings usually can compete successfully with coarse weeds, such as ragweed.
Observations have shown that the mulching of critical areas such as strip mines or the mulching of planted trees on severely eroded areas, has increased initial survival and initial growth. The tight mulching of such areas easily can double planting costs. Where mulching materials are not readily available, costs mount rapidly. Straw-type mulching material is desirable. Proper mulching consists of a light uniform coating of straw, pine or cedar branches, leaf litter, or sericea stems.