An apparatus for planting seedlings comprising: a planting head for automated individual planting of the seedlings, wherein the planting head comprises a bladed pocket including a set of retractable blades and a body , wherein when the bladed pocket is in a closed position, the set of retractable blades and the body form a substantially continuous perimeter to hold a seedling and when the bladed pocket is in an open position, the set of retractable blades and the body retract relative to each other allowing the seedling to pass through the bladed pocket; a seedling handling system for retrieving and transferring the seedlings; a seedling chute system for receiving seedlings from the seedling handling system and delivering a seedling to the planting head; and a frame portion for mounting the planting head to a vehicle, characterized in that the frame portion including a mounting apparatus and a set of supports , each of the set of supports connected at one end to the mounting apparatus via couple points and at an opposite end to the body via pivot points and wherein the frame portion is configured to move the planting head for planting the seedling between a raised position, a partially-raised position, a lowered position where the planting head creates a hole in the ground, and a lowered and extended position where the planting head releases the seedling wherein the supports rotate about the couple points (316-319) from the raised position to the partially-raised position so that the body is proximate to the ground; wherein the body is lowered into the ground by sliding the coupling apparatus vertically towards the ground along a shaft until a tip of the body creates a hole in the ground; the coupling apparatus continues to slide vertically towards the ground along shaft and the supports rotate about the couple points so that the supports approach a horizontal orientation with respect to the ground for moving the planting hear to the lowered and extended position.. a planting head for automated individual planting of the seedlings, wherein the planting head comprises a bladed pocket including a set of retractable blades and a body , wherein when the bladed pocket is in a closed position, the set of retractable blades and the body form a substantially continuous perimeter to hold a seedling and when the bladed pocket is in an open position, the set of retractable blades and the body retract relative to each other allowing the seedling to pass through the bladed pocket; a seedling handling system for retrieving and transferring the seedlings; a seedling chute system for receiving seedlings from the seedling handling system and delivering a seedling to the planting head; and a frame portion for mounting the planting head to a vehicle, characterized in that the frame portion including a mounting apparatus and a set of supports , each of the set of supports connected at one end to the mounting apparatus via couple points and at an opposite end to the body via pivot points and wherein the frame portion is configured to move the planting head for planting the seedling between a raised position, a partially-raised position, a lowered position where the planting head creates a hole in the ground, and a lowered and extended position where the planting head releases the seedling wherein the supports rotate about the couple points (316-319) from the raised position to the partially-raised position so that the body is proximate to the ground; wherein the body is lowered into the ground by sliding the coupling apparatus vertically towards the ground along a shaft until a tip of the body creates a hole in the ground; the coupling apparatus continues to slide vertically towards the ground along shaft and the supports rotate about the couple points so that the supports approach a horizontal orientation with respect to the ground for moving the planting hear to the lowered and extended position.. <EOS>