Planting Standards
Source: PEI Ecosystem-Based Forest Management Standards Manual (October 2025), pp. 4–5
These standards apply to every planting treatment: full, fill and enrichment planting.
Which sites qualify for which planting
What was growing on the site before disturbance decides which planting treatments are available.
| Pre-disturbance covertype dominated by… | Eligible for |
|---|---|
| White spruce, balsam fir, black spruce, eastern larch, white birch, trembling aspen, poor-quality red maple on low sites, plantation-grown red pine | All planting treatments |
| Red spruce, eastern hemlock, American beech, eastern white cedar, sugar maple, yellow birch, red oak, white pine, good-quality red maple on upland sites | Normally enrichment planting only |
| Any forest that has never been ploughed | Normally enrichment planting only |
| Cleared land or former agricultural land | Planting (all cleared and past-agriculture land is eligible) |
The second group is mostly the long-lived, shade-tolerant species of the original Acadian forest. The standards steer those stands toward enrichment rather than replacement.
Check natural regeneration first
Before any planting, assess whether the site already has enough appropriate natural regeneration — crop-tree species you would keep — to produce a viable stand.
- If eligible species already stock the site at more than 1,800 stems/ha throughout, it does not qualify for full planting.
- It can still receive a partial planting to supplement the natural regeneration.
Density and species choices
- Hardwood and softwood densities are set in the management plan and must fall within each treatment’s range.
- When planting hardwoods, take steps to limit browsing damage from mammals.
- As a rule, do not plant black spruce on former agricultural land.
Handling seedlings
| Step | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Transport | The planter moves trees from the holding area (J. Frank Gaudet Tree Nursery or a district holding site) and between planting sites, in a vehicle that protects the seedlings |
| Holding on site | No more than 30 hours from delivery to planting, stored so the seedlings cannot dry out |
| Tools | All planting tools must be approved by the Department before planting starts |
| Reporting | A planting report form stating the number of trees planted on the property, submitted within one day of finishing that property |
| Containers | Payment can be withheld until the empty planting containers are back at the nursery or holding area for collection |
Quality standards for every seedling
| Check | Standard |
|---|---|
| Stocking | Within ±5% of the pre-treatment planting form. Payment may be capped at the prescribed stocking (or the permitted variance). |
| Coverage | Plant the whole designated site wherever practical |
| Microsite | Somewhere with adequate moisture and drainage for vigorous growth |
| Stem angle | At least 75° from horizontal |
| Roots | Not jammed into the hole, sharply bent, or twisted in a circle |
| Firming | Soil pressed around the plug or roots with fingers or foot and covered with mineral soil, leaving no air pockets |
| Depth | The top of the plug (or the root collar) no more than 2.5 cm below the surrounding mineral soil surface |
Every planting site is assessed using Department-approved procedures that check both the quality and the number of seedlings planted.
Based on the PEI Ecosystem-Based Forest Management Standards Manual (October 2025), pp. 4–5. Where this guide and the manual differ, the manual governs.