Planting season: why the shelter makes the difference
With the first autumn rains, the planting season starts across much of Spain and runs until late winter. Reforestation, dehesa pastures, woody crops and green spaces concentrate the planting of saplings in these months and, with it, the demand for shelters.
Aerix Packaging · Technical team
Planting early pays off. A study by IFAPA and the University of Granada with 2,400 holm oaks at four Andalusian sites concluded that, in the coldest areas, October planting gave better results than February. The researchers recommend planting in late October or early November, with the soil moist, and controlling weeds in the first years.
The shelter counts too. In a trial with holm oak in Almoguera (Guadalajara), presented at the Second Spanish Forestry Congress, 71% of plants survived with a ventilated tube, 49% with an unperforated tube and only 15% with no protection. Inside the closed tube up to 48 °C was measured with 30 °C outside: in hot areas, perforated is better. The shelter tube also keeps rabbits and hares off.
- Without shelter
- 15%
- holm oak survival in the Almoguera trial
- With ventilated tube
- 71%
- survival in the same trial
For distributors, cooperatives and reforestation companies the conclusion is practical: the shelters must be in the warehouse before the saplings. Choosing the right height, perforation and material for each tree shelter according to species and climate avoids replacing failures the following year.
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