Bagging the Seedlings

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Tools and Materials

• Shallow tray (2”-3” deep), to submerge sheets of newspaper in water.

Many things can serve as water trays; upside-down plastic bin lids, bottoms of small animal cages or dog crates, etc.

Many things can serve as water trays; upside-down plastic bin lids, bottoms of small animal cages and dog crates, etc.

The blue tray was cut from a laundry basket (like the white one). Metal shears cut this kind of plastic well.

This blue tray was cut from a laundry basket (like the white one behind it). Metal shears cut this kind of plastic well.

•  Newspapers - Only use newsprint. Glossy ads do not absorb water well.

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• Plastic Bags from newspapers,
mailbox ads, bread bags, etc.
You’ll need a variety of sizes
and configurations.
1. Check for holes. Tie a knot
above holes to make the bag
watertight again.
2. Cut two 3" slits in the top of
each bag, to create tie-tabs.
3. Sort bags according to size.

• Large Tub, or sheet of plastic to cover your work table.
The process of removing seedlings from buckets is messy.

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• Nippers - to prune seedlings.
•  Spritzer bottle - to keep roots moist as you tease them apart.
•  Bucket of water - to put the seedlings in while you’re bagging, to keep
their roots wet.     

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The Bagging Process:

Remove the seedlings from the buckets:
1. Lay the bucket on its side in the bucket or on the plastic sheet.
2. Snip off any roots that have grown through the drainage holes in the bucket.
3. Give the bucket a few good whacks on each side, to loosen the soil.
4. Lay the bucket on its side.
5. Have one person shake the bucket while another person gently pulls on the
seedlings.
6. Tease the roots apart, trying not to break even the smallest of them.  
• Spritz the roots with water often throughout the process.
- Do not let the roots dry out - ever!
• If the roots are tightly entwined around the bottom of the bucket
(root-bound), it is OK to snip some off.
7. Immediately place the bare-root seedling in a bucket of water.

Trim the seedlings:
Nip off little side shoots. This will start the seedling on its way to becoming a tree instead of a bush.

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Wrap seedling roots in wet newspaper and slide in plastic bag:
1. Lay a piece of newspaper in the tray of water, wetting both sides.
2. Lay seedling roots on the newspaper (still sitting in the water tray).
3. Roll the roots up in the newspaper.
4. Drain the excess water out of the rolled-up bundle.
5. Place bundle in a plastic bag. Make sure that none of the newspaper
sticks out of the plastic bag, as it will wick moisture out.
6. Gently squeeze the air out of the bag.
7. Tie the two ends of the plastic bag together, making an (almost) airtight seal.

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Note: Tree roots come in every configuration imaginable. Some work well with long slender newspaper bags, some need wide grocery bags, as you can see in the picture on the right. That’s why it’s good to have a variety of plastic bags.