Treesearch

As the world’s most important group of pollinators, bees are a crucial part of agricultural production and natural ecosystem function. Bees and the pollination they provide are relevant to the nursery industry because of their role in the performance of seed increase plots as well as the importance of pollination in supporting persistent plant communities in restored areas. Agricultural producers can increase seed or fruit production with colonies of European honey bees, managed native bees, or by managing land to increase populations of native bees. By meeting requirements for food and...

As applied forest tree improvement programs in the US Northwest move forward into the third cycle, seed orchards remain as the primary source of genetically improved forest tree seed used for reforestation. The vast majority of seed orchards in this region are coastal Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco), consistent with the high economic importance of this species. However, productive seed orchards are also in place for western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla (Raf.) Sarg.), noble fir (Abies procera Rehd.), western redcedar (Thuja plicata Donn), ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa...

This paper will describe techniques for growing bareroot seedlings of some of the “trickier” species that nursery managers often times have limited success growing. In addition, some information is provided about hardwood seed management and how that has improved nursery successes.

The forests in the South were devastated by aggressive harvesting that began following the Civil War. By the early in the 20th century, many millions of acres of land needed reforestation. Foresighted individuals began a committed effort to restore this land to a productive condition. This effort required dedication, innovation, cooperation, and leadership. The pioneering work of people including Carl A. Schneck, Henry Hardtner, J.T. Johnson, F.O. “Red” Bateman, and Philip Wakeley helped create the foundation of reforestation and nursery technology in the South, and the forests they helped...

The importance of seed to human culture and conservation of the natural world is briefly discussed. The effect of seed on seedling quality and cost is described through several examples and illustrations.

Clean seeds are a great asset in native plant restoration. However, seed cleaning equipment is often too costly for many small operations. This paper introduces how several tools and materials intended for other purposes can be used directly or made into simple machines to clean seeds.

This paper provides a brief overview of the importance of wood-boring insects to the forest nursery industry. Descriptions of the major insect groups are provided with special attention to the life stages that are most problematic within each group. Steps are provided to guide individuals to mitigate potential threats if a new insect is detected causing damage to trees.

This paper gives a brief history of the Southern Forest Nursery Management Cooperative’s (SFNMC) efforts in testing methyl bromide (MBr) alternatives for soil fumigation. In the southeastern United States, fumigation with MBr has been the most commonly used method for producing high quality, pest-free forest-tree seedlings in an environment that is conducive for soil-borne pathogens, nematodes, and weeds. As a result of the Montreal Protocol, the production and use of MBr was to be incrementally phased out beginning in 2005. Included in this process are exemptions allowing for continued...

Longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) seedlings cultured in four cavity volumes (60 to 336 ml [3.7 to 20.5 cubic inches]), two root pruning treatments (with or without copper coating), and 3 nitrogen levels (low to high) were grown for 29 weeks before they were outplanted into an open area in central Louisiana. Twenty-two months after outplanting, 3 seedlings were excavated from each of the 24 treatment combinations to evaluate effects of nursery cultural treatments on seedling growth and root system architecture. This paper reports some preliminary observations from that sample. Seedlings...

This paper summarizes ten of the biggest “pitfalls” or challenges I have encountered in my experience growing southern pine seedlings in containers over the past 30 years. Learning from challenges is an important part of growing successful nursery operations.