Talisay seedling (5 months old) ready for planting.

Newly planted talisay seedling.

Plant in stormy weather or during  the rainy season.

1. Plant only in the rainy season. (Believe it or not, one of the best times to plant is during a storm!) Planting between June to October will ensure the survival of your saplings especially in the first few months after they are planted. This will be the critical period during which time it can take root and get established.

2. Recommended time of day: Start planting at 3pm (as shadows are cast and as transpiration rate slows). Planting towards the latter part of the afternoon will give the plant the following evening to recover from the trauma of transplantation.   

Plant with family and friends.

4. Plant with family or friends. Planting in groups is much more fun and makes for more efficient work. Assign each one to a specific task (i.e. diggers, planters, stakers, water bearers) and rotate the tasks every so often so that everyone gets to try out actual planting.

Tree planting tool

5. Tools to buy or borrow -

a. Pick/hoe
b. Barretta
c. Shovel
d. Hand spades
e. Machete(bolo),
f. Water container (used-1 gallon mineral water bottles).

Stake your saplings.

6. Stake your saplings. Always mark your newly planted saplings with 2-4 stakes. The larger (the more conspicuous) the better, so as to ensure these are not accidentally trampled upon or cut.

Document your work.

7. Take a photo of the newly planted saplings and note its height, date of planting and the name of the planter.

8. Make an area map indicating what you planted where and keep an inventory of your trees. This will help you monitor their survival and growth. You may also want to track their growth by occasionally measuring and noting their height.

Make a plot map.(click here)

PLANTING IN SAND

Digging the hole.

1.Using a shovel, dig a hole around 2 feet deep and 1.5 feet in diameter. (Keep the loosened sand or soil only a foot or two away from the hole, as this will be used to fill the gaps alter on.) 

	Place good soil and/or  leaves, coconut husks, saw dust or similar organic rooting material at the bottom of the hole.

2.Fill the bottom with 4-6 inches of good soil, leaves and other compostable material. (avoid including roots of other trees or plants as these may have toxins that will prevent your sapling from taking root.)

3.Carefully remove the seedling from the seedling bag or pot*. (Cutting or tearing the seedling bag may be necessary to ensure that the soil remains compact and the roots of the sapling are not unnecessarily exposed. This will be crucial to the survival of the sapling.)

4.Carefully place the soil holding the roots and base of the sapling into the hole.

Gently place the base of the sapling into the hole.

Use compostable materials as fillers.

5. Fill the gaps with soil or sand until the medium at the base of the sapling is about 1 inch below the surface level. (Leaving such an allowance will make for a catch basin for water during the rains.)

Press firmly.

6. Gently press down on the soil surrounding the seedling(using your feet and the weight of your body), but be careful not to damage the roots or the seedling. 

	Water your newly planted tree seedling.

7. Water your newly planted sapling by gently drizzling it, allowing water to flow from the top of the stem down to its base. (You can say a prayer of blessing while you're at it, if you want.)

Stake your newly planted seedlings.

8. Cover the base of the newly planted sapling (2-3 feet in diameter) with a lot of dried leaves to prevent the soil from quickly drying up.

9. Stake your newly planted seedling.

* If the sapling to be planted is potted...

	.
Water the potted sapling before removing from pot

1. Water the potted sapling (so ensure the soil is compact.) 

Use a sopade or bolo to separate sides of the pot from the base of the sapling.

2.Insert a long flat spade or a bolo, and run along the side of the pot (in between the soil and the side) to separate the soil from the pot. Try not to damage any of the roots in the process. 

Cover the top of the pot with your palm then gently invert.

3.Cover the top of the pot with your palm then gently invert the pot. Try to ensure the soil in the pot stays compact and does not crumble away to expose the roots.

4.Immediately place into the prepared hole

When Planting in dry, hard soil......

Use barreta to loosen dry hard soil.

1.Use a barretta to make the hole in the ground and loosen the soil.

Shovel out loosened soil to create the hole.

2.Use a shovel to remove the loosened soil. (Keep the loosened soil only a foot or two away from the hole, as this will be used to fill the gaps alter on.)

3.Fill the bottom with 4-6 inches of good soil, leaves and other compostable material. (avoid including roots of other trees or plants as these may have toxins that will prevent your sapling from taking root.)

Fill the bottom of the hole  with good soil or compostable materials.

Removing from the pot.

4.Carefully remove the seedling from the seedling bag or pot*. (Cutting or tearing the seedling bag may be necessary to ensure that the soil remains compact and the roots of the sapling are not unnecessarily exposed.) 

5.Carefully place the soil holding the roots and base of the sapling into the hole.

Immediately place base of the sapling into the hole.

Fill the gaps with soil.

6.Fill the gaps with soil until the medium at the base of the sapling is about 1 inch below the surface level. (Leaving such an allowance will make for a catch basin for water during the rains.)

7.Gently press down on the soil surrounding the seedling(using your feet and the weight of your body), but be careful not to damage the roots or the seedling.

Gently compress the soil around the base of the sapling upon filing with soil.

Water the newly planted sapling.

8.Water your newly planted sapling by gently drizzling it, allowing water to flow from the top of the stem down to its base. (You can say a prayer of blessing while you're at it, if you want.)

Dried leaves or hay can be put to good use as ground cover at the base of your newly planted sapling.

9.Cover the base of the newly planted sapling (2-3 feet in diameter) with a lot of dried leaves to prevent the soil from quickly drying up.

10.Stake your newly planted seedling

When planting in firm mud

Planting in firm mud

Use a barreta to make hole.

1. Use a barretta to make a hole (roughly the same size as the seedling bag containing the sapling to be planted.)

Carefully remove sapling from the bag.

Carefully into the hole.

2. Carefully remove the seedling from the seedling bag or pot*. (as above)

3. Carefully place the soil holding the roots and base of the sapling into the hole.

Gently press down on the soil around the base of the sapling.

4. Fill the gaps with mud.

5. Gently press down on the soil surrounding the seedling(using your feet and the weight of your body), but be careful not to damage the roots or the sapling.

6. Stake your newly planted sapling.

When planting in soft mud...

Planting in soft mud.

Rhizopora propagules directly planted in soft mud.

1. Directly plant the propagules (e.g. of rhizophora or bruguiera) by sticking them into the mud. Make sure the propagules are set firmly in place but with their tops remaining above water level at low and medium tides.
2. Stake your newly planted sapling.