Speak the Language

For a first time planter, one of the most confusing part of the job is learning the tree planter slang. Slash, screef, reefer, high-baller, duff- what does it all mean?? It can feel as though you've been thrown into a foreign country, and everyone around you is speaking a totally different language.
Although it can all seem so confusing at first, most of the words you'll pick up within the first few weeks of planting. I'll give you a head start and go over a majority of the words here.

A piece of land from my first contract, covered in slash

The Block: This is the land that is being replanted.

Tree line: The edge of the clear cut, also the back boundary of the planting land.

Cream: The good planting soil, always hunted by planters. It can also be called peanut butter, but that's more of a personal choice.

Duff: Duff is a layer of decomposing organic material that can be found above the good planting soil. It can contain decomposed moss, leaves or sticks, and cannot be planted in. It is usually kicked out of the way by planters, which is known as screefing.

Screef: Screefing refers to the act of removing the duff from the creamy soil that a tree needs. This is usually accomplished by kicking it aggressively.

Slash: When trees are cut down in the logging areas, not all of them are collected. There are fallen trees scattered around the planting area, providing more obstacles for planters. Stumps, underbrush and branches also qualify as slash. There are also slash piles, which are piles of logs left beside the logging road, which becomes the planting road. Planters have to walk over or around those piles to get to their land, which can be time consuming.

Red Rot: Decomposing wood that can cover the soil, always a red color.

Red rot and duff on the planting soil

Highballer: The people on the planting crew who plant the most trees consistently.

Tree Runner: The person on the crew who brings trees to the planters. They have to make sure every planter has trees to plant at all times.

Reefer: The 18 wheeler used to hold all the trees before their planted. They have built in refrigeration to keep the trees cool.

Bag Up/Out: The act of filling the planting bags with a few hundred trees, and running out of trees after planting them.

Planter's slang is pretty weird, but it does make sense when you experience it every day.