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Abstract
Today there is an increased interest in growing royal paulownia (
Paulownia tomentosa) in the southeastern United States, but difficulties have been encountered in the Piedmont due to heavy clays and intense competition for moisture. Two royal paulownia plantations were established on the Virginia Piedmont to evaluate the effects that weedmats have on tree survival and growth. The trees with weed-mats on the first plantation, an upland site, had 28 percent greater survival, were 2.8 feet taller, and had .9 inch greater diameter at breast height (dbh) at 4 years after coppice than the trees with no weed-mats. The trees with weed-mats on the second plantation, a bottomland site, had 10 percent greater survival, were 1.6 feet taller, and had .2 inch greater dbh at 4 years after coppice than the trees with no weed-mats.
Citation
Mitchem, David O.; Johnson, James E.; Kreh, Richard E. 2002. Response of Planted Royal Paulownia to Weed Control Treatments After Coppice. In: Gen. Tech. Rep. SRS-48. Asheville, NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Research Station. pg. 276-278
