Tree Planting on Farms

Why plant trees on a farm?

Farm tree plantings serve different jobs. Windbreaks cut wind across fields and around buildings. Riparian buffers along streams filter runoff and shade the water. Shade trees help animals and people in summer. Woodlots, nut trees and orchards provide products.

Decide the main job first, because it shapes the species, spacing and location. A windbreak needs a different layout from a woodlot, and a buffer must follow the stream.

Make a rough sketch of your farm showing fields, buildings, water, lines and wet spots. Marking planned plantings on that sketch helps you spot conflicts before a single hole is dug.

When and where should I plant?

Planting time depends on where you live. In many regions, early spring and fall are common, when ground is workable and temperatures are mild. Local extension offices can tell you the best window for your area and soil.

Choose locations with the future in mind. Think about mature size, overhead power lines, septic fields, wells, buried lines and property lines. Roots and branches get big, and a tree in the wrong place becomes a cost later.

Soil moisture on planting day matters more than the date on the calendar. Avoid planting into frozen, waterlogged or bone-dry ground.

How do I prepare the planting site?

Grass and weeds are the main enemies of young trees. Clear a strip or circle around each planting spot and keep it clear for the first years. Mulch helps hold moisture and block weeds when applied properly, kept back from the trunk.

If you plant many trees, machine planting along prepared rows is common. For small numbers, hand planting works well. Call your state's utility locator service before digging so you avoid buried lines.

Spacing depends on species and purpose, and a crowded planting competes with itself. Ask a forester or extension agent what spacing they recommend for your trees.

How do I plant a seedling correctly?

Handle seedlings gently and keep roots moist at all times. Dig a hole wide enough that roots spread without bending upward, and set the tree at the same depth it grew in the nursery. Fill with the native soil, firm it to remove air pockets and water well.

Planting too deep is a very common error. So is leaving roots to dry in the sun or wind during the work. Plant in small batches and keep the rest in a cool, shaded, damp place.

• Keep roots moist from pickup to planting
• Spread roots, do not curl or jam them
• Set at nursery depth
• Firm the soil and water in

What care do trees need after planting?

The first two or three years are the most fragile. Water during dry periods, control weeds, and protect from deer, rodents and mowers. Trunk damage from string trimmers is a leading killer of young trees.

Check after storms and in spring and fall. Straighten leaning trees, replace dead ones and adjust protection as trees grow.

Livestock and trees mix poorly early on. Cattle, goats and horses will browse or rub young trees, so fence them out until trees are well established.

What can go wrong, and how do I plan for it?

Drought, flooding, frost, pests and browsing all take their toll. Plant a few more than you need and expect some losses. Planting several species lowers the risk that one disease or pest takes everything.

Keep a short log of what you planted and how each batch did. Next year you will plant smarter. Extension offices and state forestry agencies can often help identify problems early.

Mowing between rows is helpful, but keep equipment well away from trunks. A single pass with a mower can undo a year of care.

Is there help with cost?

Some state and federal programs offer technical advice or cost-share for windbreaks, buffers and woodland planting. Eligibility and funding vary and change. Ask your NRCS or state forestry office what is open to you.

Never assume a program covers work you start before approval. Ask first, in writing.

Walk the planting each season and compare against your notes. Healthy trees show new growth, good leaf color and firm attachment in the soil. Trees that are leaning, yellowing early or showing bark damage need attention. Survival counts are useful. Count live trees in a few sample rows and compare to what you planted. If losses are high, ask what changed, whether dryness, browsing, weeds or poor handling, and fix it before replanting.

• Count survivors in sample rows
• Look for animal damage on stems
• Check that weed control is still working
• Replace losses while the others are still small

Last reviewed: November 12, 2026. Written by the Rural Farm Life Editorial Team. See our editorial policy.