Native tree seedlings start in a seed bed: one season makes 1-0 stock, two make 2-0. Smaller one-year stock suits large plantings, rocky soil and low weed competition. Bigger two-year stock suits weedy, windy or rodent-prone sites. Tennessee Wholesale Nursery sells by height: choose a 6-12 inch grade for the first, 18-24 inches for the second.
Tennessee Wholesale Nursery is a family-owned wholesale nursery in Altamont, Tennessee, near McMinnville. We grow trees, shrubs, perennials, wetland plants and native plants, and tree seedlings are part of what we grow. This guide explains how native tree seedlings go from seed bed to bare-root bundle. It shows what the stock codes on a reforestation order mean, and how to match a seedling size to your site.
How native tree seedlings are grown, from seed bed to bundle
Bare-root tree seedlings for reforestation and conservation work follow the same basic path. The steps below use the stock-type definitions published by the Minnesota DNR and Oregon State University Extension.
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Seed is sown in a seed bed
Seed goes into a nursery bed, where the young trees grow close together through their first season.
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One season makes a 1-0 seedling
A seedling lifted after one year in the seed bed, and never moved, is one-year stock.
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A second season makes a 2-0 seedling
Left in the same bed for another year, the seedling grows a taller top, a thicker stem and more root.
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Some seedlings move to a transplant bed
Smaller seedlings can be lifted and replanted in widely spaced rows to grow into larger transplants, such as 1-1 stock.
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Seedlings are lifted while dormant
Bare-root seedlings are dug with no leaves on, then stored cool and shipped before they break bud.
What 1-0, 2-0 and 1-1 mean on a seedling order
A stock code is two numbers. The first is the years the seedling grew in the bed where its seed was sown. The second is the years it spent in a transplant bed. Add them for the seedling's age.
| Stock code | Years in seed bed | Years in transplant bed | Total age |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-0 | 1 | 0 | 1 year |
| 2-0 | 2 | 0 | 2 years |
| 1-1 | 1 | 1 | 2 years |
| 2-2 | 2 | 2 | 4 years |
How to choose between one-year and two-year seedlings
Age matters less than size and the site you are planting. Oregon State University Extension ties larger seedlings to tough, competitive sites and smaller seedlings to poor, rocky ground.
Choose one-year or smaller seedlings if
- You are planting a large area and want the most trees per bundle budget
- Your soil is poor or rocky, where a shallower planting hole is easier to dig
- Your site is easy to manage, with little weed or grass competition
Choose two-year or larger seedlings if
- Weeds, grass or brush will compete hard with young trees
- Soil movement, falling debris or wind could bend a small stem
- Weevils or rodents are a problem on the site
Choosing a height grade in the Tennessee Wholesale Nursery catalogue
Our seedlings collection lists native seedlings by height grade, not by age code. Each species comes in bundles of 100, 500 or 1,000. So the one-year or two-year choice becomes a choice of height: shorter grades for big, budget-led plantings and rocky ground, taller grades for harsh, competitive sites.
| Native seedling | Height grades offered | Bundle sizes |
|---|---|---|
| White Oak | 6-12 in, 12-18 in, row run 6-24 in | 100, 500, 1,000 |
| Southern Red Oak | 6-12 in, 12-18 in, row run 6-24 in | 100, 500, 1,000 |
| Bald Cypress | 6-12 in, 12-18 in, row run 6-24 in | 100, 500, 1,000 |
| Cherrybark Oak | 12-18 in, 18-24 in, row run 6-24 in | 100, 500, 1,000 |
| Swamp White Oak | 12-18 in, 18-24 in | 100, 500, 1,000 |
- White Oak Seedlings and Southern Red Oak Seedlings come in a 6-12 inch grade, for large plantings, rocky ground or sites with little weed competition.
- Bald Cypress Seedlings come in the same three grades as white oak.
- Cherrybark Oak Seedlings and Swamp White Oak Seedlings come in an 18-24 inch grade, for weedy, windy or rodent-prone sites where a bigger stem helps.
- Row run bundles mix heights from 6 to 24 inches in one order, for plantings that do not need one uniform size.
Tip: Height is only part of it. Oregon State University Extension names stem diameter (caliper) as the most important measure of seedling quality, along with a fibrous root system and a top in balance with its roots. When your bundle arrives, look for sturdy stems and plenty of fine roots.
How Tennessee Wholesale Nursery digs, packs and ships seedlings
Once you choose a grade, here is what happens to your order. As our bare-root information page states, all nursery stock is freshly dug to order. We take tubs of Terra-Sorb gel to the field, dig the order and dip the roots right away.
Our packaging page explains the rest. Plants are dug fresh and kept dormant in large refrigerated coolers. Before packing, the roots soak for 2 to 4 hours in troughs of water and Terra-Sorb gel. They are then packed in wet paper filler, wrapped in plastic and boxed in corrugated cartons. Trees, shrubs and seedlings ship in the dormant season, from the end of October to May.
Planting bare-root seedlings when they arrive
Dormant seedlings arrive with no leaves. Our bare-root page asks you to plant them as soon as they arrive, before temperatures reach 58 degrees and budding begins. Our planting instructions cover the rest:
- Plant before temperatures reach 58 degrees, while the seedlings are still dormant.
- Dig a hole twice the size of the roots.
- Plant the seedling and water it right away.
- Keep watering on a regular schedule.
Planting a mix of species? Our restoration and mitigation plants collection gathers native plants for restoration work in one place.
