When To Give the Seedlings Away

The seedlings must be dormant when given away. If the buds have started to swell, it’s too late. Late fall, winter, and early spring are the best times.

The pictures below show dormant buds (far left), and the buds breaking dormancy (middle and right pictures.)

Tulip poplar bud swell.

Tulip poplar

Buckeye bud swell.

Buckeye

The seedlings should be as large as possible, but not root-bound. Some species (bur oak, buckeye, bald cypress) are ready to give away after one growing season, while others (chinkipin oak, ginkgo) need 2 or 3 seasons.

There will be a lot of variation between seedlings within a given bucket. Only give away those with a strong stem, robust root system, and well developed buds. Any that do not meet this criteria will not thrive well - toss them on your compost pile.

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Stem

Seedling stems.jpg

The stems should be supple but provide a good amount of resistance if you try to bend them. These two stems vary markedly in diameter, but both are well developed and resist bending well.

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Root System

A strong root system is extremely important. Seedlings should have lots of lateral roots coming off the main one. Tease the roots apart gently, careful not to damage the smallest of them. If root-bound, it’s OK to snip a few roots to untangle the mass. Never, ever, let the roots dry out (keep a spray bottle handy).

Ginkgo roots after 3 seasons.

Ginkgo roots after 3 seasons.

Bur oak roots are massive after one season.

Bur oak roots are massive after one season.

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Buds

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The terminal bud is at the very tip of the seedling, from which next year’s vertical growth will emerge. The smaller buds on the sides are called lateral buds, from which branches will develop. Bud appearance will vary between tree species but they should appear well developed and firm to the touch.

The example shown here is a buckeye.