By Maddy Rohr, K-State Research and Extension news service

Manhattan, KS — The Kansas Forest Service has opened orders for tree and shrub seedlings and other items for use in conservation plantings.

Officials say orders will be taken through May 1, 2023. Plantings may function as wildlife habitat, windbreaks, wood lots, timber plantations or educational and riparian (streambank) plantings. The seedlings typically vary in species, are low-cost, and range from 8-18 inches tall.

Kansas State University horticulture expert Ward Upham said consumers ordering seedlings should look for two types: bareroot and containerized.  Certain trees may come as one or the other or both.

“Containerized provide a higher survival rate and quicker establishment,” Upham said, who suggests ordering early “to ensure receiving the items you want.”

Upham said orders start being shipped mid-March. All items are sold in single species units consisting of 25 plants.

“For example, a unit of Eastern Red Cedar has 25 trees per unit,” he said. “Though a single species unit is most commonly purchased, four special bundles are also available, including a quail bundle, pheasant bundle, eastern pollinator bundle and western pollinator bundle.”

Tree planting accessories and tools are also available to order including marking flags, root protective slurry, rabbit protective tubes, weed barrier fabric and tree tubes.

“If there have been problems with deer browsing on young trees, the tree tubes are a must,” Upham said

Seedlings may not be used for landscape (ornamental) plantings or grown for resale, Upham said.

Additional details and order forms are available through The Kansas Forest Service Conservation Tree Planting Program. Order forms are also available from local K-State Research and Extension offices.

Upham and his colleagues in K-State’s Department of Horticulture and Natural Resources produce a weekly Horticulture Newsletter with tips for maintaining home landscapes and gardens. The newsletter is available to view online or can be delivered by email each week.

Interested persons can also send their garden and yard-related questions to Upham at wupham@ksu.edu, or contact your local K-State Research and Extension office.