Top Pruning of Bareroot Hardwood Seedlings

There are two schools of thought (prune or no-prune) regarding top pruning bareroot hardwood seedlings. Those who recommend top pruning usually consider the economic advantages of top pruning. In some locations, the total cost of establishing hardwoods might be 7 percent lower for top-pruned stock compared with nonpruned stock. Top pruning can reduce the production of cull seedlings (e.g., those that are too tall for shipping), reduce the cost of lifting and shipping, decrease the chance of dieback, and increase growth after planting. Benefits of top pruning appear greater when nonpruned seedlings have low root-weight ratios (root dry weight to total seedling dry weight) and experience stress after planting. In most studies, height growth is stimulated so that, after 3 years in the field, top-pruned seedlings have caught up to the heights of nonpruned seedlings. This paper was presented at a joint meeting of the Northeast Forest and Conservation Nursery Association and Southern Forest Nursery Association (Kent Island, MD, July 20–23, 2015).

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Author(s): David B. South

Publication: Tree Planters' Notes - Volume 59, Number 2 (2016)

Event: Joint Meeting of the Northeast Forest and Conservation Nursery Association and Southern Forest Nursery Association
2015 - Kent Island, MD

Volume: 59

Number: 2