How to Purchase and Prepare Trees for Planting

How to Purchase and Prepare Trees for Planting Nurseries provide nearly 1.5 billion trees for planting in the United States each year. This represents over six trees annually propagated for every U.S. citizen. The United States Forest Service reports that nearly 3 million acres are forested with those billion and a half baby seedlings. For those that are interested, here are answers to questions on Tree Planting Statistics for the United States. I now want to break down planting trees in manageable bits for you. I will provide answers to the following questions with links for further information: Â   Why and Where Should You Plant Trees?When Do You Plant a Tree?How Do You Plant a Tree?Where Do You Get Trees to Plant? Why Plant a Tree? Planting a tree can have tremendous influences on communities. Tree planting improves our environment. Planting a tree can add to our incomes and decrease energy costs. To plant a tree can enhance our quality of life and improve our health. I cant think of many things that touch us so completely as does planting a tree. My point is, we need trees to be planted! Art Plotnik, in his book The Urban Tree Book, indicates eight reasons to plant trees . Trees reduce sound, produce oxygen, store carbon, clean the air, gives shade and cools, reduces wind and erosion and increases property values. This book, a big seller, attests to the fact that people also enjoy studying and identifying trees. Identifying trees is a hobby that millions of Americans practice. There are plenty to ID with over 700 tree species growing in North America alone. My most popular destination sites at About Forestry deal with identifying and naming trees. People cant seem to learn enough. First, take this simple quiz and find out how much you really know about tree planting! Where Should You Plant a Tree? Use common sense when planting a tree. If the planted tree is expected to grow tall or expand widely, give it the room it needs for future growth. Understanding species moisture, light and soil needs is extremely important. Plant according to the nursery instructions. A USDA tree and plant hardiness zone map is one good guide in helping you determine a tree’s ability to withstand an average minimum temperature. I refer to plant hardiness zones a lot when reviewing individual trees: See: USDA Tree Hardiness Zone Maps by Region More on Where You Should Plant a Tree Wildland tree planting (the most practical method of tree planting for reforestation) is done during dormant winter months, most often after December 15th but before March 31st. You may need to do it a little earlier or a little later in warmer or colder climates. Your nursery can help you decide. Always observe the ten commandments after seedlings are delivered. Although you do not plant most wildland trees during the summer you should make sure you have ordered your trees for the season by early summer. Many people who wait until fall to find available trees just might not find any seedlings. Always order your seedlings as early as you can. Planting urban trees is a little different. Horticultural planting has evolved into an all year operation because of the extra protection of a root ball with each tree. Any season is OK for planting balled or burlaped trees. More on When You Should Plant a Tree For simplicity, I want to divide planting into two categories - horticultural and wildland planting . Horticultural tree planting is geared toward urban situations where landscaping is of primary concern. Generally speaking, because these trees contain an intact root ball, they can be planted in any season. Where these higher valued saplings and trees are planted to enhance property, more effort should be spent on each individual tree. Kim Powell, Extension Horticultural Specialist, explores the types of trees available for transplanting and gives tips on purchasing, planting, and maintaining tree transplants . Here is a how to on planting balled in burlap saplings: Planting Balled Saplings Also, you would be well advised to take my Tree Wellness Quiz before planting the saplings. Dont worry about your score. The object here is to find out what you know and to give you some help with the things you dont know. Wildland planting, the preferred method for reforestation, is done over a much broader area. Even though this type of planting is cheaper on a per tree basis, it can be very expensive in total and should be done correctly. A plan can make your planting effort more effective. Reforestation using bare-root seedlings is done by government, industry, and private individuals. The plantings are most often made using coniferous species. Hardwood wildland planting is also a viable practice, but hardwood regeneration techniques also include sprouting and dormant seeds. Many times these non-planting techniques are the preferred methods of regeneration. Also, federal and state cost-share programs have historically supported funding pine, spruce, and fir planting over hardwood planting. Here is a how to on planting bare-root seedlings: Planting Bare-root Seedlings Coniferous planting techniques are similar for most species. I have included planting guides for the western United States created by Colorado State Forest Service and for the southern United Sates created by South Carolina Forestry Commission . These sources give you a good overview on how to deliver, handle, store, and transplant seedlings. You must use proper care with a big emphasis on the correct temperature range and moisture level. Again, always observe the ten commandments. More on How You Should Plant a Tree By now you have either decided to plant some trees, or have chucked the whole idea. If you are not too discouraged, let me help you get in touch with a nursery that can provide you with trees and suggest companies that can supply you with equipment necessary to the task of tree planting. First off, you can purchase trees over the Internet. I have a short list of reliable companies where you can buy a seedling or sapling online. Check out my seedling supplier source page An excellent forest nursery directory providing most tree species and covering the entire United States is maintained by the U.S. Forest Service. Also, you can find tree nurseries at most state forestry departments. You also may need some special planting tools. There are on-line specialty supply companies that provide equipment for natural resource managers. These forestry supply companies have a variety of planting equipment as well as other forestry equipment. So, the Tree is in the Ground... Things are pretty much out of your hands after the trees are planted. You have to leave things to Mother Nature. My experience has been that even when considering a freeze, insects, or fire, moisture is the most critical element in seedling survival for the first year or two. Trees and Drought is a short feature explaining the effect of the lack of moisture on trees, especially seedlings and saplings. Actually, most well-established trees will tolerate drought quite well, although much depends on the species and whether they are growing on an appropriate site.

11 Entry Level Jobs in the Healthcare Industry That Are in High Demand

11 Entry Level Jobs in the Healthcare Industry That Are in High Demand you’ve got your degree, or other certification, in the healthcare industry. the trouble is: you don’t have any field experience. yet! but don’t despair. here are 11 jobs with tons of openings throughout the industry- and all of them entry-level. if you’re looking for a jumping off point to start your healthcare career, then start interviewing for one of these positions stat. registered nursethere is such a high demand for rns right now- nearly 200,000 job openings! as long as you have supervised clinical experience (even just as part of your academic program), you’re qualified. you need a nursing license and a degree, but you can make over $65k per year right out of the gate.licensed practical nurselicensed practical and vocational nurses are also in extreme demand. you’ll need to pass the nclex-pn and complete a year-long practical nursing program with some clinical experience, but then you could make about $40k a year.medical health servic es manageryou’ll need a bachelor’s  and a master’s  in something relevant to health services, plus some admin or nursing experience. but not years and years. this job pays extremely well, with a median income of over $88k.certified nursing assistantcertified nursing assistants don’t make as much money, but earn invaluable experience. there are no degree requirements, just a state approved training program.medical assistantsimilar to a cna, a medical assistant only needs an associate’s degree and some on-the-job training to get started in the field.physical therapistphysical therapists require a lot of schooling, usually a doctorate of some kind, plus a residency or internship of at least one year, but then they make a median salary of nearly $80k and demand and growth are both quite high.icu registered nurseto become a registered nurse in an intensive care environment, you need the same training and certification as an rn outside the icu enviro nment. take your pick! where would you fit best?medical secretaryif you have a high school diploma, plus solid knowledge of medical technology and terminology, then you can get started right away as a medical secretary, earning usually over $30k per year.patient service representativeit’s best to have a bachelor’s degree, but sometimes a high school diploma will do. and if you’re good at customer service, you’ll be an asset in this position. the median salary is about $42k.occupational therapistoccupational therapists are a lot like physical therapists in that they work in rehabilitation, but the field is more specific. if you have your master’s degree in ot and have done some work or volunteering in that setting, then you should be good to go! ots make a median salary of over $75k.records info technicianmedical records and health information technicians are in charge of documenting and tracking patient information. if you have an associateâ€℠¢s degree and perhaps a professional certification, you’ll be hirable. it wouldn’t hurt to take a few related medical courses to beef up your application, but you could earn over $30k per year starting out.