Trends in container seedling production

In 1972 at the Containerized Forest Tree Seedling Symposium, container seedlings were described as "one of forestry's most promising new developments," "a possible solution to the age old problem of delayed reforestation," and part of the answer to the "quest for en masse' regeneration to meet the world's wood demand projections." In this part of the world the container seedling industry was being born then and is still in its infancy. Let's take a few minutes to consider where we've come from and where we are going. Many of the early container seedling facilities were small, producing a few hundred thousand seedlings each year. Production was carried out largely by hand with improvised tools. The seedlings grew quickly and many people were fascinated with how quickly a large seedling could be produced. We planted those seedlings in the field and hurried back to the greenhouse to plant more. 1.,e were well into our next crop when we received reports from the field that our trees weren't doing too well. We had been so busy growing tall, green tops that we had forgotten all about the roots. So we conducted root symposiums and learned a little about how to grow roots. We started talking about a balanced seedling and root/shoot or shoot/root ratios. Soon our seedlings began to shrink in height.

Download this file:

Download this file

Details

Author(s): James M. Sedore

Publication: National Nursery Proceedings - 1982

Event: Western Nurserymen's Conference
1982 - Medford, OR