Special Public Works Programmes - SPWP - Planting Trees - An Illustrated Technical Guide and Training Manual (ILO - UNDP, 1993, 190 p.): 1. Planning a plantation: 1.6 When to plant?

Special Public Works Programmes - SPWP - Planting Trees - An Illustrated Technical Guide and Training Manual (ILO - UNDP, 1993, 190 p.)

1. Planning a plantation

		(introduction...)
		1.1 What regeneration method to use?
		1.2 What species to establish?
		1.3 Whether to plant a single tree species or a mixture of several?
		1.4 What type of planting stock to use?
		1.5 What planting pattern to use and how many seedlings to plant?
		1.6 When to plant?
		1.7 How to protect the seedlings?
		1.8 The plantation plan

1.6 When to plant?

Planting should be completed early in the rains in as short a time as possible. The trees must be given time to become well established prior to the dry season. A good rule of thumb is to start planting when the soil is moist to a depth of 15-25 cm or to the bottom of the planting hole. Failures because planting is too late are more common than failures because of planting too early. In many tropical sites, the optimum planting time is two to four weeks each year. To obtain good results and avoid labour shortage in these areas considerable preparatory planning is needed. The size of the plantation might have to be adapted to the availability of labour. If dry sites cannot be planted in time, planting should be postponed until the next season.