Nutrition and irrigation regime affect size and early growth of white oak seedlings

Abstract

Modifications of our nursery protocol for oaks during 1997 and 1998 by instituting dormant season irrigation resulted in high white oak seedling quality. The improved growth was associated with the consistent presence of succulent fibrous roots on the upper 10 to 15 cm of taproots. Many of these fibrous roots on 1-1 stock were as sturdy as many of the permanent first-order lateral roots. White oak seedlings from the 1998 nursery crop grown under the modified irrigation schedule have developed well in the field. At age 4 many are 4.0 m tall with up to 50 mm stem diameters.

Parent Publication

• 13th Central Hardwoods Forest Conference

Citation

Kormanik, Paul P.; Sung, Shi-Jean S.; Kormanik, Taryn L.; Tibbs, Thomas; Zarnoch, Stanley J. 2003. Nutrition and irrigation regime affect size and early growth of white oak seedlings. In: Van Sambeek, J. W.; Dawson, Jeffery O.; Ponder Jr., Felix; Loewenstein, Edward F.; Fralish, James S., eds. Proceedings of the 13th Central Hardwood Forest Conference; Gen. Tech. Rep. NC-234. St. Paul, MN: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, North Central Research Station: 425-430