2015- Proper Planting Improves Seedling Survival HO
Transcript of 2015- Proper Planting Improves Seedling Survival HO
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Proper Planting Improves
Seedling SurvivalTom Starkey
Primary Goal
• Place seedlings into the ground in a manner that will optimize survival, growth and stand establishment.
• Success is influenced by:
1. Environmental factors
2. Equipment
3. Planting technique
The underlying key to success?
• Seedling quality
– which is influenced by nursery irrigation, fertilization, cultural practices, quality of lifting and seedling handling after lifting
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Environmental Factors
• Planting season
• Planting weather
• Soil conditions
Planting Season
• For Bareroot – traditionally from late November to late February
• Seedlings should be lifted when dormant
• Seedlings should be planted early enough to allow root growth to start before bud break
from Wakeley 1954, pg 127Effects of planting date on
bareroot loblolly pine survival
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Time to plant• Nov – Dec: avoid late season freezes, generally good soil moisture, start good root growth , not as dormant as later lifted seedlings
• Plant Early for good seedling nutrition
– Bareroot and Container nurseries manage seedling growth during the growing season so they reach their target size at the beginning of the shipping season.
– Prior to and after this target size is achieved, fertilization is normally reduced or stopped.
– Therefore, seedlings shipped early generally will have the highest seedling nutrition.
– The level of nutrients in the spring determines the ability of the seedling to initiate root growth
New root growth and planting date
BILAN, M.V. 1961. Effect of Planting Date on Regeneration and Development of Roots of Loblolly Pine Seedlings. Proc. 13th Congr. Int. Union For. Res. Organ., Vienna 2(l), Sect. 22/15, 5 pp.
That’s > 6 feet of new roots
That’s > 10 feet of new rootsSeedlings
planted every
2 weeks Nov to March
All dugup on
April 23 orJune 13
Time to plant
• January to Feb: good chilling hours for freeze tolerance, ease of handling, good RGP, susceptible to freeze injury if not well established
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• Container Seedlings:1. When site prep is properly completed
2. When there is adequate soil moisture
3. When the container plug holds together
• Bareroot Seedlings:1. Mid‐November to February
2. When site prep is properly completed
3. When there is adequate soil moisture
When should I plant?
Planting Weather
• Critical at time and shortly after planting, especially if seedlings are not handled properly.
• Seedlings can rapidly die due to moisture loss as a result of temperature, relative humidity and wind speed.
• Temperatures too high – bad
• Temperatures below at or approaching freezing ‐ bad
Weather Guidelines
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Soil Conditions
• Dry soils at time of planting or during first spring/summer are often related to seedling mortality. Especially on seedlings planted late.
• Never planted if soils are frozen.
• For high or perched water table – delay planting until soils dry and water table recedes. Ark – 15% survival in Feb with perched water table, 99% survival I May
Soil Moisture Guidelines
Method of planting(machine vs hand)
• Machine planting – primarily used on sites with gentle slopes (<15%) and where surface debris will not effect planting operation.
– Most efficient on large tracts
• Hand planting steep slopes, broken topography, heavy residual debris, flat bedded areas with high water table
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Productivity• Almost always considerably higher for machine planting (trees/day/person).
• Higher on old field sites as opposed to cut over sites
• Assume – 605 TPA (TR Clark 2015)
• Machine – 9,000 per day (for crew of 2)(15 a)
• Hand – Dibble ‐ ~2,000 per day/person(3.5 a)
–Hoedad ‐ ~ 2,700 per day/person (4 ‐4.5 a)
Productivity
• Cost – very similar (based on Barlow/Dubois 2011)
• Bareroot:
– Hand – $0.051/seedling
– Machine – $0.047/seedling
• Container
– Hand ‐ $0.14/seedling
– Machine $0.10/seedling
Machine Planting
• Virtually all must be pulled (tractor, skidder, bulldozer)
• Attached to 3‐pt hitch – can be lowered/raised as needed
• Basic operation
1. Create opening in soil
2. Insert seedling
3. Pack soil around roots
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Machine Planting• Simplest form:
– Coulter
– Trencher
– Packing wheel
– Seedlings placed in slit by hand
• A step up:
– Seedlings “grabbed “ by “fingers” and placed in ground
Machine Planting
• Following chemical site prep ‐mechanical tree planters can use a V‐blade on front of tractor to clear debris from planting area
• Sod scalper can also be used on heavy sod sites:
video
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xqPlW4V7F8
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1TYTQU6eL8
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_6pthOUwIM
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iq2A06MDDFQ
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Hand Planting
• Two most common planting tools
1. Dibble bar (OST, KBC)
2. Hoedad
Hand Planting
• Strictly for Container
– Container seedling dibble
– Dibble stick
Hand planting
• Hoedadhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvNERQdTQ4k
• Planting in Canada
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzsSv1Wa7EA
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Handor
Machine Planting?
0102030405060708090
100
%
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9Stand
DibbleMachine
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Do• Plant seedlings as soon as they arrive at the site.
• Create a good planting hole (at least 8”deep).
• Properly align the seedling in the hole.
• Pack the soil around the seedling to insure contact of the soil and roots.
• Check planting quality by gently pulling on top of seedling.
The Do’s and Don’ts of Planting
• Plant in dry soils.
• Plant if temperatures are < 35 F and falling .
• Plant if soils are frozen.
• Plant too fast ‐ both hand and machine planters.
• Allow handplanters to carryseedlings out of the bagin their hand from hole to hole.
• Plant too soon after chemical site prep
The Do’s and Don’ts of Planting
Don’t
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YES!
HOEDAD
Improper Planting with
Hoedad
Lack of contactbetween the roots and soil
IMPROPERPLANTINGWITH
HOEDAD NO!
Planting depth
• 2 Planting Groups:
1. Loblolly, slash, shortleaf
2. Longleaf
• Plant deep on sandy dry sites, less so on wet sites
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“J” “L” “U”Rootedseedlings
Is “J” or “L” rooted seedlings, a problem?
Or is it that the planting holes are not deep
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• “J” rooted seedlings are not a problem .
–When the planting hole is deep enough to allow deep planting of the seedling.
• “J” rooted seedlings are a problem.
»When the planting hole is not deep enough to allow deep planting of the seedling.
Which is a correct statement?
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Screen clipping taken: 4/26/2012 2:29 PM
Summary of Planting Guidelines
• Planting spot clear of debris
• Plating holes perpendicular to soil surface
• Planting holes deep to accommodate proper planting
– Deep – Loblolly, slash, shortleaf
– At root collar ‐ longleaf
• Seedlings should not be twisted or pulled up in hole
• Protect roots of seedlings to be planted