Planting woody vegetation is the best, though not the fastest, way to improve habitat for wildlife. It's a great way to create habitat where little or none exists.

Nurseries and garden centers are great sources for woody plants, but buying more than a few young trees can get expensive. Another source for native woody plants is West Virginia's Clements State Tree Nursery.

According to the nursery's website at www.wvforestry.com, "Seedlings are available to landowners in West Virginia and surrounding states for reforestation, coal mine reclamation, wildlife cover, and Christmas tree production. Most species are native to West Virginia and all are genetically suitable for planting throughout West Virginia and its neighboring states."

Bare-root seedlings come in bundles of 25 for $25. Available species include, but are not limited to, white pine, Virginia pine, redbud, gray dogwood, black cherry, tulip poplar, shagbark hickory, and sugar maple. Shipping is 15 percent for West Virginia residents and 20 percent for surrounding states. You can save shipping costs by picking up your order at the nursery in Mason County.

To order, visit www.wvforestry.com and click on "Nursery," or call 304-675-1820 before April 15. This year the nursery has a surplus of white oak, red oak, chestnut oak, and sugar maple seedlings. For nearly 50 years, Clements State Tree Nursery has produced 1 million to 2 million seedlings annually for many reforestation projects around the state.

When planting tree seedlings, it's important to remember that though seedlings are relatively fragile, they are easy to plant with the right tool. Digging a hole with an ordinary shovel is unnecessary if you have a planting bar, also called a dibble bar.

A dibble bar blade is 3 or 4 inches wide with a sturdy footstep and 10 to 12 inches long. The handle length can range from 36 to 40 inches. Using a dibble bar saves time when planting many seedlings.

Wherever you obtain seedlings, plant them as soon as possible and follow planting directions. Here's how to use the dibble bar.

1. Insert the blade at a 30-degree angle about 2 inches deeper than the length of the seedling's roots. Then push the bar to an upright position.

2. Remove the dibble bar and place the seedling in the hole. Hole should be deep enough so the roots do not fold over at the base of the hole. Be sure that there is no dry grass in the hole that could act as a wick and dry out the soil around the roots.

3. Insert the dibble about two inches from the seedling and pull the handle toward you. This firms the soil at the base of the roots and eliminates an air pocket at the bottom of the hole that can dry the roots and kill the seedling.

4. Now push the handle away from you to firm the soil at the top of the roots.

5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 on the other side of the seedling to firm the soil evenly.

6. Step on the soil around the seedling to eliminate air pockets.

To increase survival of bare root seedlings, here are a few more tips to keep in mind:

* For best results, brush aside leaves and grass and plant seedlings on bare soil.

* After receiving seedlings, plant them as soon as possible. If you can't get them planted immediately, keep the seedlings in a cool, protected area.

* Keep roots moist prior to planting.

* Plant under cool, cloudy skies with little wind.

* Do not over-water. Give freshly planted seedlings a deep soak, then let the soil dry out before watering again. This encourages roots to grown down in search of water. Frequent shallow watering produces trees dependent on irrigation and subject to blow down in high winds.

* Do not expect 100 percent seedling survival.

* Finally, seedlings take years to become trees, so remember that this is a long-term project.

Send questions and comments to Dr. Scott Shalaway, 2222 Fish Ridge Road, Cameron, WV 26033 or via my website, http://scottshalaway.googlepages.com.