Redwood
Region
Logging
Conference

Reforestation

Hi! My name is Tom. My father works in the woods. During the winter time my father is the supervisor of a tree planting crew. Did you know that for every tree which is harvested in California, seven trees are planted to replace it?

Every winter my dad's crew begins planting after the first rainy period, which is usually in December or January. All of the workers on my dad's tree planting crew wear bags on their backs or around their waists. These bags are called tree bags. Tree planters walk through the forest carrying the trees in their tree bags. Tree planters have a tool that helps them plant the trees. This tool is called a hoedad. It looks something like a garden hoe, only much bigger.

The first step in planting a tree is to clear a small area around the spot where you are going to plant your tree. Then with the hoedad, make a hole in the dirt large enough for the entire root system of the tree to fit in it. Then carefully place the tree in the hole, making sure not to bend it's roots. Then you need to push some dirt around the tree. With your foot, pack the dirt gently around the tree. The last thing you do is to pull slightly on the top of the tree to make sure it does not come out of the ground. Some tree planters can plant as many as 1,000 trees per day.

1. For every tree that is harvested, __________ trees are planted.
2. Every winter, tree planting begins after the first __________ period.
3. The planting tool that makes a hole in the dirt is called a __________.
4. Some tree planters can plant as many as __________ trees per day.