Getting Started

- Buckets, Soil, and Such -

Buckets

Use tall buckets (15", 38cm, tall), as they facilitate good root development. Drill 3/8" holes in the bottom and sides of each bucket, as shown here.

Kitty litter buckets with a rectangular footprint are ideal, as they nest together snugly. They use garden space efficiently, and minimize water waste as you run down the row with a garden hose. Additionally, the wire mesh that is used to protect seeds from critter damage, can be cut to fit the rectangular bucket tops perfectly. You can usually get free kitty litter buckets through Freecycle.org, cat rescues, Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, etc.

Soil

A loose soil mixture enhances germination, and falls apart easily when taking the seedlings out of the buckets later. You can buy potting soil for house plants, or make your own:
• 1/3 bucket good, loose, garden soil
• 1/3 bucket organic material
(shredded leaves, compost,
peat moss, wood chips)
• 1/3 bucket fine sand, not
construction grade
• 4c horticultural perlite

Finding Free Soil Components:
1. Tree trimming companies:
When stumps are ground, wood chips mix with the soil. Companies are
usually glad to give you as much as you want, for free. Mix it with 2/5
bucket of sand and you have the perfect planting medium. Wood chips can
be mixed with garden soil to achieve the same thing.
2. Donations: Don’t hesitate to ask landscape companies, garden centers, etc for
material donations. A sincere explanation of what you are doing and why, is
often met with great support.

Wire Mesh - Protection from Critters

Critters eat tree seeds, and they like to dig in soft soil which uproots seedlings. Wire mesh solves both of those problems.

1”x1” cage wire does the job well, but won’t keep mice out. For nuts, like acorns and northern pecans (which mice love), use 1/2”x 1/2” hardware cloth.

Buckeye seedlings growing up through 1”x 1” cage wire. — Buckeye seedlings with 1”x 1” cage wire.

1”x 1” Cage Wire:
Cut the cage wire to fit the top of the buckets, using heavy duty lineman’s pliers. Soften the sharp cuts by rubbing them on a concrete sidewalk, or a concrete brick.

Attach the cage wire to the buckets with binder clips (information below).

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1/2”x 1/2” Hardware Cloth:
1/2”x1/2” hardware cloth is great for keeping the mice out, but the seedlings have a harder time making their way through the small mesh, than they do with the 1”x1” cage wire. Use a crochet hook to help guide any seedlings that get stuck (see info below).

Hardware cloth is easily cut with wire nippers.

You’ll need to remove segments to accommodate the 3/4” binder clips.

Binder Clips

Secure the mesh to the buckets with 3/4" binder clips (you only need a couple per bucket.)

Binder clips can be purchased at any office supply store, or less expensively in-bulk online.

Crochet Hook

Seedlings will usually find their way through the 1”x1” holes in cage wire, without any problem. For the few that get caught, use a crochet hook to gently pull them through.

With the 1/2”x1/2” hardware cloth, seedlings often need assistance finding their way .

Identify Trees in Your Area

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Familiarize yourself with trees in your area. There are 3 great apps for tree identification. You just take a picture of the leaves and (usually) the right species will pop up. Confirm the identification by googling the tree suggested, and confirm with other identifying features.

Get a sense of what their seeds look like (start with our Tree Info section), so you can watch for them to mature. This way you’ll be ready to harvest the seeds when the time is right.