All That They Are Wrapped Up To Be? How the Advantages and Drawbacks of Paper-Wrapped Plugs May Play Out in Pacific Northwest Reforestation and Restoration

Ellepot is a brand name associated with a stocktype in which plants grow in a soilless medium contained in a biodegradable, paper-based sleeve. Although this technology has existed for 30 years, recent marketing focused on Pacific Northwest (PNW) reforestation and restoration managers has led to increasing nursery demand for this stocktype. Potential advantages of paper-wrapped plugs over the current PNW standard plug produced in Styroblock containers include the elimination of difficultto- recycle expanded polystyrene, a stabilized plug amenable to handling prior to complete root fill, early sorting of cells, ease of extraction for aggressive-rooting species at packout, and a more highly branched root architecture due to air pruning. Potential disadvantages include ongoing identification of an appropriate supporting container that balances air pruning, excess drying, and space efficiency. Additional challenges include economic production of plugs, as well as timely plug fabrication within the relatively short windows of greenhouse sowing in reforestation. Some PNW growers already use paperwrapped plugs based on the advantages described above. However, widespread adaptation in PNW reforestation and restoration will require (1) consistent production of a fibrous root system, (2) field trials confirming superior performance, and (3) nursery production costs justified by subsequent field performance. This paper was presented at Growing Pains: Scaling up the Reforestation Pipeline—Joint Annual Meeting of the Western Forest and Conservation Nursery Association and the Forest Nursery Association of British Columbia (Portland, OR, September 19–21, 2023).

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Author(s): Nabil Khadduri, Maxwell Wightman

Publication: Tree Planters' Notes - Volume 67, Number 2 (2024)

Volume: 67

Number: 2