| 1506017 |
seedlings |
|
Art - "Operate seedling lifters carefully" |
| 1506022 |
seedlings |
|
Art - "Loading too many bags" |
| 1506023 |
seedlings |
|
Art - "Jumping on seedlings... pulling..string..." |
| 1506024 |
seedlings |
|
Art - "Physical abuse" |
| 1506026 |
seedlings |
|
Art - "Sun, wind and dry air" |
| 1506007 |
seedlings |
|
Art - "Put spacers between bales..." |
| 1506008 |
seedlings |
|
Art - "Park seedlings in shade" |
| 1506009 |
seedlings |
|
Art - "Cover seedlings to protect them..." |
| 1506001 |
seedlings |
|
Art - "Protect seedlings from freezing" |
| 1506002 |
seedlings |
|
Art - "Remember the sun moves" |
| 1506003 |
seedlings |
|
Art - "Protect seedlings from..day..night..: |
| 1506004 |
seedlings |
|
Art - "Re-bag the torn bags" |
| 1506005 |
seedlings |
|
Art - "Never stack more tan 2 high..." |
| 1506006 |
seedlings |
|
Art - "Deliver a one-day supply..." |
| 1505096 |
seedlings |
|
Art - "It's a desert out there for those seedlings |
| 1506019 |
seedlings |
|
Art - "Danger - high wind" |
| 1506020 |
seedlings |
|
Art - "Danger - dry day" |
| 1506021 |
seedlings |
|
Art - "Danger - high temp" |
| 1506018 |
seedlings |
|
Art - "Danger - Low moisture" |
| 1506025 |
seedlings |
|
Art - "Dry soil" |
| 1506016 |
seedlings |
|
Art - "Running to fast tears the roots" |
| 1506011 |
seedlings |
|
Art - "Leave space for cold air to circulate" |
| 1506012 |
seedlings |
|
Art - "B careful not to tear the bags..." |
| 1506013 |
seedlings |
|
Art - "Pack seedlings with care" |
| 1506015 |
seedlings |
|
Art - "Hot and dry is great for people..." |
| 1505097 |
seedlings |
|
Art - "Do you think these roots are drying out?" |
| 1505098 |
seedlings |
|
Art - "Wind has a very strong drying effect..." |
| 1506010 |
seedlings |
|
Art - "Seedlings in cold storage - tooo long" |
| 1160009 |
nursery operations |
|
Georgia Forestry Commission Flint River Nursery |
| 1160001 |
nursery operations |
|
Georgia Forestry Commission Flint River Nursery |
| 1160004 |
nursery operations |
|
Georgia Forestry Commission Flint River Nursery |
| 0010024 |
rooted/unrooted cuttings |
|
Cuttings grow relatively faster than seedlings so a crop can usually be grown in only one growing season. |
| 1160007 |
nursery operations |
|
Georgia Forestry Commission Flint River Nursery |
| 0010020 |
top pruning |
|
Some nurseries top prune their seedlings to control shoot height. This practice also increases crop uniformity because it exposes smaller plants which were overtopped by larger ones. The timing of top pruning is extremely critical so that the seedlings are not injured or stimulated to produce abnormal shoot growth. |
| 0010008 |
nursery operations |
|
Because of the frequent use of heavy equipment during periods when the soil is wet, soil compaction is a serious and reoccurring problem in forest nurseries. Many nurseries "deep rip" their soils with long shanks during the rest year. This operation is often done immediately after the organic matter application so that the sawdust can be incorporated throughout the soil profile, and prevent the formation of soil pans. |
| 0010017 |
fertilization |
|
Bareroot nurseries apply the mineral nutrients that are needed for rapid growth with chemical fertilizers. Unless soil tests show other nutrient deficiencies, nitrogen and potassium are the only fertilizers that are typically applied - remember that phosphorus is typically applied before sowing. During the growing season applications are called "top dressings" because they are done over the top of the crop. The application rates are determined by experience or from chemical tests of the soil and seedling foliage. |
| 0010018 |
root pruning |
|
Root culturing is one of the most important nursery operations because a tree seedling is only as good as its root system. During the latter part of the first growing season, seedbeds are undercut with a horizontal blade to severe the dominant tap roots and promote a more fibrous root system. Wrenching is a special type of undercutting that uses an angled blade to shatter the soil profile, and increases the soil permeability and aeration. Wrenching also induces a temporary seedling moisture stress which can be used to retard shoot growth and induce dormancy. |
| 0010021 |
nursery operations |
|
Seedbeds are sampled each year to determine the current inventory. In addition to counting the number of live seedlings per area of seedbed, the inventory crews measure the height and stem diameter of the crop to get an estimate of how many seedlings will make "shippable" grade by the time of harvest. |
| 1160002 |
nursery operations |
|
Georgia Forestry Commission Flint River Nursery |
| 4798086 |
undercutting |
|
undercutting bar |
| 1174025 |
nursery operations |
|
Private nursery |
| 1217059 |
nursery operations |
|
Recently top clipped slash pine |
| 5389064 |
nursery operations |
|
Sessile oak in the nursery |
| 5389065 |
nursery operations |
|
European beech in the nursery; inside of shade house |
| 5389091 |
nursery operations |
|
Protection of conifer sowing with Rashel netting |
| 1509041 |
pesticides |
|
5-nursery-bed boom sprayer |
| 1509043 |
pesticides |
|
Fertilizer soil injector |
| 0010012 |
seeding or sowing |
|
Nurseries without sowing equipments, hand sow their seeds in the seedbed. It is more difficult to control seed spacing with this broadcast sowing, however, and so seedling density can often be too sparse or too dense as in this slide. |
| 1160005 |
nursery operations |
|
Georgia Forestry Commission Flint River Nursery |
| 0976080 |
nursery operations |
|
large, refrigerated trailer used to haul tree seedlings |
| 0976051 |
packaging |
|
opened jelly roll showing 25 2-0 bareroot seedlings; South Park Ranger District |
| 0976052 |
packaging |
|
completed jelly roll with burlap wrap held shut using a metal nail; South Park Ranger District |
| 0976049 |
packaging |
|
burlap jelly rolls being stored in stock water trough to keep them moist; South Park Ranger District |
| 0908073 |
lifting, grading, & storage |
|
Georgia Forestry Commission nursery, in 1985 |
| 1429001 |
lifting, grading, & storage |
|
hand lifting operations |
| 1429002 |
lifting, grading, & storage |
|
transport from field to grading shed |
| 1429014 |
nursery operations |
|
refrigerated trailer for seedling transport |
| 0010014 |
nursery operations |
|
All seed is sown by seedlot, and each different lot is immediately labeled with some sort of marker that contains all pertinent information. The location of all seedlots is also permanently mapped in case the markers are lost. The identity of each seedlot is carefully maintained during the entire nursery operation to make sure that the seedlings are returned to the environment to which they are adapted. In the Western States, some nurseries sow literally hundreds of different seedlots each year that reflect the many diverse environments in that mountainous terrain. |
| 0010022 |
nursery operations |
|
All of these cultural practices are aimed at producing a uniform crop of seedlings that meet the morphological and physiological specifications of the customer. |
| 0010080 |
nursery operations |
|
In conclusion, both bareroot and container seedling have a place in modern reforestation. The choice of which type of seedling to use will depend on the available nursery system, the nursery climate, and the conditions on the outplanting site. |
| 0010034 |
packaging |
|
Shippable seedlings are placed in moisture retaining boxes or bags, and sphagnum moss is sometimes added to the bag to keep the roots moist. The seed code is marked on each bag or box as they are filled with seedlings. |
| 0010019 |
root pruning |
|
The lateral roots between the seed rows are also pruned with a vertical root pruner. This piece of equipment is sometimes "belly-mounted" under the tractor which allows precise placement by the tractor operator. |
| 0010025 |
lifting, grading, & storage |
|
At the end of the crop cycle, the seedlings are ready for harvest. Harvesting, or "lifting", is done during the dormant period when the seedlings are in a state of maximum hardiness, or resistance to stress. This time period is known as the "lifting window" and occurs during the late fall, winter, or early spring. In nurseries where the ground freezes, there are two narrow lifting windows: one in the fall, and another in the spring. Because the weather is often too wet in the spring, some nurseries lift a significant portion of their crop in the fall. |
| 0010026 |
lifting, grading, & storage |
|
Lifting consists of drawing an inclined, vibrating blade under the seedlings, usually at a depth of about one foot. The inclined blade lifts the seedlings out of the seedbed and the vibrating action loosens the soil from around the roots. |
| 0010027 |
lifting, grading, & storage |
|
Hand lifting consists of pulling the seedlings from the soil by hand, shaking the loosened soil from the roots, and placing them in a box. The lifting boxes are lined with wet burlap to keep the seedling roots from drying out. |
| 0010028 |
lifting, grading, & storage |
|
Several different types of mechanical harvesters are also used to lift seedlings. Most use a digger blade to lift the entire seedbed width onto a moving, vibrating belt that shakes the soil from the roots. They are then placed into boxes for transport to the pre-storage cooler. |
| 0010029 |
lifting, grading, & storage |
|
The time period from when the seedling are lifted until they are outplanted is one of the most critical in the entire reforestation sequence. The tiny fibrous roots are especially prone to drying and can be killed by a few minutes of exposure to heat or direct sunlight. The lifting crew includes several people that are assigned to keep the seedling boxes wet until they can be moved to the pre-storage cooler. |
| 0010030 |
lifting, grading, & storage |
|
Progressive nurseries monitor seedling quality during the seedling harvesting to outplanting operation. The pressure chamber directly measures seedling moisture stress and is used to determine when weather conditions are too dry to lift, and to identify potential problems. |
| 0010031 |
lifting, grading, & storage |
|
Boxes of seedlings are brought into the packing shed where the seedlings are graded and counted. The workers visually rate each seedling according to predetermined grading standards. |
| 0010032 |
lifting, grading, & storage |
|
Bundles of "shippable" seedlings are placed on a moving belt, and "culls" are discarded onto the floor and destroyed. Seedlings that have been grown especially for transplanting are also graded in this manner, and some nurseries use a multiple grading system: shippable, transplants, and culls. |
| 0010033 |
lifting, grading, & storage |
|
Grading standards are determined by the customer, depending on their intended use. Larger seedlings are needed for moist planting sites where planting competition is severe, or on sites where animal damage is serious. Shorter, stockier seedlings with a proportionally larger root system are required for harsher, drier planting sites. Often, the nursery manager negotiates these standards with the customer when the seedling order is taken. Grading standards usually consist of a range of acceptable shoot heights, a minimum acceptable caliper (stem diameter), and the length and fibrosity of the root system. Of course, the seed code for the specific seed lot is also carefully monitored during the grading process. |
| 0010035 |
lifting, grading, & storage |
|
Storage containers are transported to a cooler where they are kept at temperatures near freezing to maintain dormancy and cold hardiness. Each box is marked with the proper seed source code which describes the origin of the seedlot. |
| 0010036 |
lifting, grading, & storage |
|
Cold storage facilities keep the ambient temperature near freezing, but it is important to monitor the temperature inside the storage container. For long term storage of more than 3 months, some nurseries utilize coolers that keep the storage temperature at slightly below freezing. Research has shown that frozen storage can maintain high seedling quality for over 6 months, and also retards the development of storage molds. |
| 0010037 |
lifting, grading, & storage |
|
Hardwood seedlings are sometimes "heeled-in" in outside beds until they can be outplanted. This process is normally only used where refrigerated storage is not available. Heeling-in is effective because dormant hardwoods have lost their leaves and therefore loose little moisture through transpiration. Seedling dormancy cannot be maintained under these conditions, however. |
| 0010007 |
fertilization |
|
In addition to the organic matter supplied by the cover crop, many nurseries add organic amendments such as sawdust during the fallow year. Nitrogen fertilizer is added at the same time to speed the decomposition rate; if no fertilizer is supplied, the microorganisms will utilize all the nitrogen in the soil and cause a deficiency in the subsequent seedling crop. |
| 0010016 |
irrigation |
|
The newly-sown seedbeds are kept "moist, but not wet" and seeds germinate within a few weeks. The overhead sprinkler irrigation not only supplies water for seedling growth, but also is used to cool the soil surface while the new germinants are still succulent. Irrigation can also provide protection against late fall or early spring frosts. |
| 0010013 |
mulching |
|
Some nurseries cover the sown seedbed with soil wherease others use a mulch, such as hydromulch. Mulches serve several functions, including controlling soil erosion, retarding moisture loss, and reducing soil temperature. |
| 0010011 |
seeding or sowing |
|
After the seedbeds are formed, the seed is sown. Some nurseries sow in the fall so that the seeds can undergo natural stratification. Spring sowing is more common, however, and begins as soon as soil temperatures are warm enough. Larger nurseries use seed drills which sow the seed in 6 to 8 rows per seedbed. Some seed drills automatically cover the seed with soil, whereas others leave the seed exposed so that it can be covered with a mulch. The number of seeds that are sown per area of seedbed is determined by a ‘sowing factor’ that includes information on seed germination, desired seedling growing density, expected seedling survival etc |
| 0010038 |
transplanting |
|
Transplants are grown when the customer wants a larger, more robust plant. A typical transplant is grown for one year, and then planted back into nursery beds and grown for another 1 to 2 years. Nurseries either grow seedlings specifically for transplanting, or use smaller stock that have been graded for transplanting. Mechanical transplanters use a vertical "shoe" to open the soil, and a wheel with clips places the seedlings into the slit at the proper spacing. |
| 0010039 |
transplanting |
|
Transplants are planted into rows, and the beds look similar to seedbeds except that the growing density is less to allow for faster growth. Transplant beds are fertilized, irrigated, and have the same root culture treatments as do bareroot seedlings. The transplanting process creates better caliper and roots than a comparably-sized seedling. Transplants are used for harsher outplanting sites, where animal browsing is a problem, or plant competition is severe. |
| 0010023 |
rooted/unrooted cuttings |
|
Not all forest and conservation plants can be produced from seed. Some species, such as willow and cottonwood, can be propagated more efficiently with hardwood cuttings. Shoots are collected during the winter dormant period, are cut into sections, and stored under refrigeration until they can be planted the following spring. |
| 0010040 |
planting stock |
|
The end of the bareroot nursery process comes when the seedlings, cuttings, or transplants are shipped to the outplanting site, which is in the same general geographical region where the seed or cuttings were collected. |
| 0010005 |
planting stock |
|
Bareroot seedlings take from 1 to 3 years to produce, depending on the species and the location of the nursery. A typical crop rotation for this 2+0 ponderosa pine is 2 years in the seedbed, followed by a 1 year rest or fallow period. |
| 0010006 |
nursery operations |
|
A cover or green manure crop is typically grown during the fallow year. A cover crop protects the soil from wind and water erosion and controls weeds, whereas a green manure crop is primarily grown to supply organic matter to the soil. These crops also capture mineral nutrients, such as phosphorus and iron, in a readily-available form. The cover crop is plowed down in the late summer to allow time for the organic matter to decompose. |
| 0010009 |
nursery operations |
|
Most of the larger bareroot nurseries fumigate their seedbeds with a poisonous gas, such as methyl bromide/chloropicrin, to sterilize the soil. Fumigation is expensive, but eliminates all the common nursery pests: pathogenic fungi, insects, nematodes, and weed seeds. The fumigant is injected into the soil and then immediately covered with a plastic tarp, allowing the gas to permeate throughout the soil. After several days, the tarp is removed, the gas dissipates, and the soil is ready to plant. Currently, the use of methyl bromide is being curtailed because of potential damage to the ozone layer. |
| 0010010 |
nursery operations |
|
The next cultural operation is to add the "pre-plant" fertilizer amendments. Based on tests, the soil pH can be adjusted to the ideal range of 5.5 to 6.5 by adding dolomite to raise the pH, or sulfur to lower it. Phosphorus fertilizer is often incorporated into the soil at this time, rather than as a top dressing during the growing season because phosphorus is not mobile in the soil. Often, these amendments are applied immediately before the soil is formed into the typical raised seedbeds. Seedbeds are approximately 4 ft. wide, a standard dimension that corresponds to all mechanized equipment that is used in forest nurseries. |
| 4798094 |
lifting, grading, & storage |
|
bareroot pine seedlings in bags being transported to delivery or planting sites. Bags are not stacked on top of each other which prevents damage and heat build-up. |
| 4798095 |
lifting, grading, & storage |
|
Storage racks with bareroot seedlings in bags. |
| 4798088 |
root pruning |
|
lateral root pruning |
| 4798084 |
nursery operations |
|
seed bed fumigation with Methyl Bromide at Weyerhaeuser Fort Towsen Nursery |
| 4798085 |
nursery operations |
|
top pruned seedling at Champion International Nursery in Polk County, Texas |
| 4798087 |
undercutting |
|
undercutting seedlings in nursery bed |
| 0976050 |
packaging |
|
vermiculite being soaked in metal trash cans prior to being used for jelly-rolling |
| 1748098 |
pesticides |
|
laying plastic for fumigation using Methyl Bromide of forestry nursery seed bed |
| 1748088 |
forest nursery |
|
|
