Planting Southern Pines

By Mary Duryea and James C. Edwards

INTRODUCTION

In a survey, landowners were asked to identify the most important reasons for owning forest property; the top answers were wildlife, beauty, heritage for future generations, firewood and timber needs, recreation. hunting, and future investment (8). All these contribute to the importance of establishing a forest stand on a partial of land. In addition, by planting trees, a landowner can help provide the future wood supply of our nation.

In the South we are presently regenerating less than half of the acres that are harvested each year. Because of this, trends show that our forest land is being depleted, and the supply of wood from these forests will not meet the growing demands of the nation in the future unless we plant trees now. Because 60 percent of the forest land in the United States is owned by nonindustrial private forest owners, these landowners are extremely important to our future forests.

Most pine regeneration in the South is accomplished by planting. The objective of this circular is to provide information on the steps involved in successfully planting southern pine seedlings. Although pine regeneration is not difficult to accomplish, to be successful it does require advanced planning and careful implementation of each of the steps. When considering alternatives for each of these steps, it is a good idea to seek the advice of a professional forester such as your county forester or a consulting forester.

1.WHY PLANT PINES?

If you have land that is idle, nonproductive, or has recently been harvested, pine trees are a good crop to consider planting. The trees are not expensive ($30 to $55 per 1,000), and management costs range from $5 to $10 per acre per year. Also, tax benefits and other incentive programs for tree farmers are provided by the Farm Service Agency (FSA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and Florida Division of Forestry. These incentive programs are particularly helpful in lowering the costs of site preparation and planting.

The potential returns from pines in a 20-year rotation may range from $750 to $2,500 per acre. In addition to substantial economic returns, a forest stand provides recreational areas for picnicking, hiking, and hunting for family members, guests, and visitors (Figure 1a). Many tree farmers also use the forested areas to graze livestock (Figure 1b); however, animals should not be allowed on planted land until the trees are large enough to withstand cattle disturbance. Planting trees also may help control soil erosion.

2.HOW MUCH WILL IT COST?

Much of the work of planting trees can be a family project accomplished in spare time. However, for large acreages or where competing vegetation must be eliminated, mechanical equipment will be needed for site preparation and planting. Whether landowners use their own farm equipment or contract with others to do the work, these additional costs need to be considered.

Regeneration costs will include (1)cost of the seedlings and (2) costs for practices such assite preparation, planting, and site maintenance. (See the sections on each of these practices and see Appendices A and B for approximate costs.)

Keeping good records is an essential part of regeneration and land management (Table 1). Reliable information on the timing and costs of practices will help the landowner during tax preparation. Also, if problems with regeneration occur, the information may be useful in problem solving, and when another partial of land is regenerated, the information may be useful in regeneration planning.

Table 1. Regeneration Form
Parcel of land to be regenerated
Number of Acres
Persons involved
Regeneration Practice	Num. of Acres	Supplies Used	Persons Involved	Date(s) Practice Employed	Costs ($)		Comments
					Total	per Acre

3.WHERE TO OBTAIN SUPPORT

Many agencies provide technical and financial assistance to landowners interested in planting trees. The Farm Service Agency (FSA) and Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) administers federal incentive programs.The Florida Division of Forestry, through your county forester, provides management planning and technical assistance. Your county extension agent, of the Florida Cooperative Extension Service, provides educational and technical information on planting pines and managing your forest land (Figure 2).

4.SELECTING A SPECIES AND SEED SOURCE

One of the first decisions to be made is what tree species to plant, and in Florida, there is a choice of four major pine species: loblolly, slash, longleaf, and sand pines. Although selecting the right species depends to some extent on the final product desired, the soil condition on the planting site is one of the biggest factors determining what species to plant (Table 2).

Table 2. How to select the appropriate species for planting, based on soil moisture characteristics
If Your Site Is	Then Plant
Poorly drained	Slash
Moderately drained	Loblolly, Slash, or Longleaf
Dry	Longleaf or Sand pine

.It is a good idea to see what other landowners are successfully planting and to look at other forest stands nearby and on similar sites to see which species are doing best. Also, your county forester will be familiar with the benefits of growing particular species.

The Florida Division of Forestry nursery and commercial nurseries grow seedlings for your area. It is desirable to buy genetically improved seedlings, even though they might cost a little more. "Improved" means that they have been selected because they are better growers or because they are more disease resistant (Figure 3). In areas which have a disease problem such as fusiform rust, purchasing rust resistant seedlings will be beneficial.

5.PURCHASING SEEDLINGS

Pine seedlings should be ordered as early as possible before the planting season (November to February). Seedlings may be purchased from Florida Division of Forestry nurseries or privately owned nurseries. To find out where to order trees in your area, call your county forester. Place your order as soon as possible, beginning July 1, because often there may be a limited number of seedlings available. Select a date for delivery and pick-up of your seedlings which closely coincides with the planting date, because the longer the trees are kept out of the ground, the lower their survival rates will be after planting.

6.TYPES OF SEEDLINGS

Two types of seedlings are planted in the South:bareroot seedlings grown in soil in nursery beds and containerized seedlings grown in small containers (Figure 4a and Figure 4b). Most planting is done successfully with bareroot seedlings. However, containerized seedlings may be beneficial under some planting conditions. Containerized longleaf pine seedlings may have better survival rates because of their protected, undisturbed root system. Containerized seedlings may perform better on adverse sites. Also, the planting season can be extended (past the normal November to February season) using containerized seedlings if soil moisture and weather conditions are favorable [1].

7.PREPARING THE SITEhttp://www.sfrc.ufl.edu/Extension/img/cir767f5.jpg

There are two main objectives for preparing the site:(1) to remove the slash and other plant debris to facilitate planting, and (2) to eliminate unwanted vegetation which will compete with newly planted trees for water, sunlight, and nutrients (Figure 5).

Three major methods of site preparation include use of (1) a prescribed fire, with either a broadcast burn or the burning of piles after mechanical site preparation; (2) mechanical site preparation, which may involve chopping, disking, shearing, raking, piling, or bedding; and (3) chemical herbicides. One or any combination of methods may be effective on a particular site. (For more details on site preparation, see IFAS Fact Sheet FRC-37 [5] and Special Series FOR-10 [2]). The ideal methods are those which cause minimal site disturbance, clear slash and competing vegetation best, and have the lowest cost [5, 6].

8.FERTILIZING

Many Florida soils need additional nutrients for optimum tree growth. Two soil groups (A and B) established by the Cooperative Research in Forest Fertilization (CRIFF) program at the University of Florida need fertilizer at the time of planting (Table 3) [6, 7]. Landowners should determine if the soil on their land belongs to a soil series in either of these groups; soil series maps are available in your county extension office or ASCS office. Useful information on the forest soils of Florida is available in Fact Sheet FRC-33 [7]. Fertilizers should be incorporated at the time of site preparation.

Table 3. Soils needing fertilizers at the time of planting.
Soil Groups	A , B, and sometimes C on poorly drained sites
Major Land Areas	Savannas and Flatwoods
Drainage	very poor to poor
Soil	Sandy surface layer less than 20 inches deep, with clayey soil below
Recommendation	Phosphorus at 50 lb/acre
Recommended Sources	Ground rock phosphate -565 lb/acre Concentrated superphosphate - 257 lb/acre Diammonium phosphate - 250 lb/acre

9.TRANSPORTING SEEDLINGS

SEEDLINGS ARE PERISHABLE and should be protected from temperature and moisture extremes at all times. During transportation, seedlings should be covered to prevent drying or overheating. A refrigerated truck or cooler (34 to 360 F) is best; if this is unavailable, seedlings should be covered to protect them from the sun and wind (Figure 6).

10.HANDLING AND STORING SEEDLINGS

Try to avoid physical damage to seedlings by handling them carefully and as little as possible. keep seedlings out of direct sunlight. Longleaf and sand pine seedlings are extremely perishable and should be planted as soon as they are received. It is best to plant loblolly and slash pine seedlings within a week, but if you must store them, refrigerated storage (34 to 36 degrees F) conditions are best. If cold storage facilities are not available, store seedlings in a cool, shady place. Seedlings which are in bundles should be watered to prevent drying (Figure 7) unless they have already been coated with clay or other absorbent material. Avoid any exposure to freezing temperatures - the roots are very sensitive and will die if frozen.

11.PLANTING THE SEEDLINGS

Seedlings may be planted either by hand or by machine. Usually about 500 to 800 seedlings are planted per acre for a pulpwood plantation. The rows on the planting site are most often 10 to 12 feet apart, and the seedlings are planted 5 to 8 feet apart within the row. A 6- by 10-foot spacing will have 726 trees per acre. (To calculate this: 43,560 ft ² /acre ÷ 60 ft ² /tree = 726 trees per acre.)

Seedlings are usually planted at the same depth as they were at the nursery (with the root collar at the ground line). Longleaf should be planted so that the terminal bud is at or just below the ground line.

Usually a tractor and a mechanical planter are used for machine planting (Figure 8). Before planting begins, the following should be checked:

(1)The planter must make a furrow deep enough for the entire root system.

(2)Spacing should be checked and regulated to ensure desired spacing between each planted seedling.

(3)Depth of planting must be correct.

(4)Packing wheels should be properly aligned to avoid running over seedlings.

(5 )Shading and moisture need to be provided for the seedlings carried on the planter.

On well-drained soils, the mound of soil created by the planting machine may eventually wash away, and seedlings should be planted 1 to 2 inches deeper to account for this.

Tools commonly used for hand planting are hoedads, bars, dibbles, and shovels (Figure 9). The hole is made, and the tree is inserted with the root collar at or slightly below the ground line (Figure 10). The soil is then firmly packed around the seedling.

12.CHECKING PLANTING QUALITY

During the planting operation it is important to check the quality of the planting. Check to make sure that the depth is correct, the seedling is vertical and firmly planted in the ground, and the roots are properly placed in the hole (Figure 11). To check if the seedling is firmly planted, grab the seedling and gently but firmly pull upward; if the seedling is too loosely planted, it will come out of the soil. The placement of the roots can be checked by carefully digging several seedlings with a shovel, observing the placement of the roots, and then replanting them before they dry out.

13.MAINTAINING THE PLANTING SITE

Four years after planting, southern pine seedlings planted with complete weed control may be three times as tall as seedlings growing in weeds (Figure 12) [4]. Weeds should be controlled for at least 2 years following planting. Chemical herbicides, hand-cutting, and mowing are three possible methods to control weeds which surround seedlings. The newly planted plantation should also be protected from grazing and fire.

14.EVALUATING PLANTING SUCCESS

For the first 2 years after planting, it is important to assess the success of your planting efforts. If, after 2 years, the planting site has less than 300 trees per acre, replanting will be necessary.

To estimate the number of trees on the site, one I/100th-acre plot should be evaluated for every acre planted; for greater accuracy, two plots per acre can be sampled. In the following example, 24 plots were sampled on a 24-acre planting site.

Follow the steps in Figure 13 to establish a sample plot.After adding up the total number of live trees on all plots, use formulas F1 and F2 to calculate the number of live trees per acre (Table 3). To calculate the survival percentage of planted seedlings on the site, use the estimated number of live trees per acre (from formula F2) in formula F3.

APPENDIX A: Approximate costs for forest regeneration practices in the Southern Coastal Plain. (1996 costs from a Southern United States survey by Dubois et al 1997). Costs will vary locally, depending on site conditions, operators, etc.

Regeneration  Practice	Cost per acre (dollars)
Mechanical Site Preparation
Single chop	86
Chop and bed	86
Rip only	81
Shear, rake, pile	140
Shear, rake, pile, bed	166
Burning
Burning after chopping	16
Burning after herbicide	13
Burning aerial drip tourch	13
Chemical herbicides (includes the cost of chemicals)
Aerial spray	86
Ground spray with backpack sprayer	144
Injection	68
Mobile ground sprayer	82
Planting (Based on planting 650-700 seedlings per acre. Does not include seedling costs)
Hand planting-old fields	43
Machine planting-old fields	37
Hand planting-cutover land after intensive site prep.	43
Hand planting-cutover land after less intensive site prep.	39
Machine planting-cutover land after intensive site prep.	49

APPENDIX B: Pine seedling costs for 1997-98 planting season, based on prices at the Florida Division of Forestry nurseries for genetically improved seedlings.

Pine Species	Cost for 1,000 seedlings (dollars
Slash pine	30
South florida slash pine	40
Choctawatchee sand pine	33
Ocala sand pine	33
Loblolly pine	32
Long leaf pine	55

LITERATURE CITED

[1] Barnett, J.P and J.C. Brissette. 1986. Producing southern pine seedlings in containers. USDA Forest Service. Southern Forest Experiment Station, New Orleans, Louisiana. General Technical Report SO-59.71 p.

[2] Campbell, P and A. Long. 1995. Vegetation management in Florida's private non-industrial forests. Florida Cooperative Extension Service, IFAS, University of Florida, Special Series FOR-10, 14p.

[3] Dubois, M.R., K. McNabb, and T.J. Straka. 1997. Costs and cost trends for forestry practices in the South. Forest Landowner Manual 56(2):7-13.

[4] Gjerstad, D.H., L.R. Nelson, J.H. Dukes, Jr., and WA. Retzlaff. 1984. Growth response and physiology of tree seedlings as affected by weed control. Pages 247-257 In Seedling Physiology and Reforestation Success. (M.L. Duryea and G.N. Brown, eds.) Proc. of Society of AmericanForesters Physiology Working Group Technical Session. October 16-20,1983. Martinus Nijhoff/Dr. W. Junk Publishers. Dordrecht.

[5] Jack, S., K. Munson. and D. Flinchum. 1984. Site preparation: alternatives for plantation establishment. Florida Cooperative Extension Service, IFAS, University of Florida. Forest Resources and Conservation Fact Sheet FRC-37. 4p.

[6] Long, A. And E. Jokela. (In Press). Fertilization of Florida's forest plantings. Florida Cooperative Extension Service, IFAS, University of Florida.

[7] Munson, K.R. 1984. Forest soils of Florida: Useful groupings for forestry purposes. Florida Cooperative Extension Service, IFAS, University of Florida, Forest Resources and Conservation Fact Sheet FRC-33. 4 p.

[8] Young, R.A. and F.H Perkuhn. 1985. PNIF management: a social-psychological study of owners in Illinois. North. Journal Appl. For. 2: 91-94