Planting Plugs & Tubelings

Plugs and tubelings establish quickly when they go into moist soil at the right depth with good root contact. The technique is simple, and getting it right on a large planting makes a big difference in survival.

Before you start

Water the flats an hour or so before planting so the root balls slide out of the cells easily and hold together. On dry sites, water the planting area the day before as well. Lay out a section at a time so plants aren’t sitting bare-rooted in the sun while you work.

Planting

1. Make a hole as deep and slightly wider than the plug. A dibble, planting bar or bulb auger on a drill all work well and are much faster than a trowel on large jobs.
2. Push the plug up from the bottom of the cell rather than pulling it by the stem. If roots are circling tightly, tease or score the outside of the root ball.
3. Set the plug so the top of the root ball sits level with the soil surface. Plugs set too high dry out and can be frost-heaved; plugs buried too deep can rot at the crown.
4. Firm the soil around the root ball with your fingers or heel to remove air pockets, without packing it hard.
5. Water the plants in thoroughly the same day.

Mulch

In landscape beds, a two-inch layer of shredded hardwood or leaf mulch holds moisture and keeps weeds down. Keep it pulled back an inch or so from each crown. In large meadow and restoration plantings, mulch is often skipped; there, keeping competition mowed or cleared does the same job.

Planting into slopes and blanket

On slopes covered with erosion-control blanket, cut a small X through the blanket, plant through the opening and fold the flaps back around the stem. Plant plugs slightly into the slope so water collects around them rather than running past.