Containerized pine seedlings for revegetating difficult sites

Excerpt

DEMAND for forest products is increasing. Favorable sites for intensive forest management are decreasing. Consequently, better methods are needed for reforesting difficult sites.

In the South and Southwest, reforestation is needed on wet flatlands, deep sandy soils, highly erodible fragile soils, spoil banks from mining operations, and the drier tension-zone soils.

Most attempts to regenerate pine on these sites using conventional artificial and natural techniques have proved unsatisfactory. Failures in direct seeding and planting of nursery stock are mainly the result of unfavorable environmental conditions at seeding or planting time. Lack of seed and of locally produced nursery seedlings also contribute to the regeneration problem.

Conventional techniques can and should be used where they work. But new pine regeneration methods, including container-grown seedlings, are needed that will permit successful seedling establishment on difficult sites.

Some advantages

Use of container-grown pine seedlings has several advantages that may increase field performance on poor sites:

▴ Improved seedling survival and growth

Container planting improves survival and growth of many species. Seedlings grown in containers perform better than bare-root stock (2, 6, 10), no doubt because the root system is relatively undisturbed. Container-grown seedlings also can be out-planted …