TreeLines

So, can you tell the difference between these seedlings?

Most tree seedlings look the same – green top, roots on the bottom. BUT the genetics of each seedling can be very different. Chain of custody, or making sure what you start with is what you end up with, is crucial in making sure what you pay for is delivered to you. At ArborGen, we take the process very seriously. It begins with genetically fingerprinting every tree, in every seed orchard.  Additionally, for our MCP®, we tag every bagged branch to make sure all the flowers (females) are pollinated by the selected, genetically-elite males.

All the flowers below those tags are open-pollinated. Without this tagging process, MCP/CMP and OP could mix, and you could be paying MCP/CMP prices for OP genetics.

The process doesn’t stop there. We maintain strict labeling and database information from the orchards to the nurseries to ensure you get the seedlings you ordered.

Take a look and watch the short video below.

After doing your homework and deciding on the best seedling genetics for your site, should you plant bareroot or container?

The answer is yes, and it depends. For most reforestation situations, bareroot seedlings will provide survival rates of around 88% to 90%. Planting with container seedlings can improve survival on droughty sites and may be planted early in the planting season (October/November).

Under typical conditions during the standard planting window (December to March), however, bareroot seedlings will survive and grow equally to container seedlings. Remember that after you thin your stand, you will leave only 125-150 crop trees, so either stock type will provide more than adequate survival for this target. 

Planting containerized seedlings is not a substitute for good quality site preparation. Landowners should not use containerized seedlings to skimp on-site preparation, thinking that containerized seedlings will compensate for poor or no site prep. For example, failing to bed on a wet site and planting containerized seedlings will likely not give results as good as bedding and planting bareroot seedlings.  The growth and survival will not be as good because the limiting factor (excessive soil moisture and poor aeration of the roots) has not been addressed.

ArborGen offers both container and bareroot seedlings for almost all of our pine seedling products. Contact one of our Reforestation Advisors and they can help you decide which planting stock will work best for your situation.

Hear Geoffrey Hill talk more about your options in the video below.

Click here for the previous edition of TreeLines.