Forestry Commission The ARCHIVE Forestry Authority Forestry Commission Bulletin 111 Forest Nursery Practice Edited by J R Aldhous and WL Mason FORESTRY COMMISSION BULLETIN 111 Forest Nursery Practice Edited by J. R. Aldhous and W. L. Mason LONDON: HMSO © Crown copyright 1994 Applications for reproduction should be made to HMSO. First edition Crown copyright 1972. ISBN 0 11 710323 3 FDC 232.32 : (410) KEYWORDS: Seed Forest Nurseries Forestry Propagation Enquiries relating to this publication should be addressed to: The Research Publications Officer, The Forestry Authority, Research Division, Alice Holt Lodge, Wrecclesham, Famham, Surrey GU10 4LH. Front cover: Precision sowing into prepared beds at Wykeham Nursery using a Summit precision sower. (39375) Contents Page Preface vii Summary ix Resume ix Zusammenfassung ix List of contributors X L Nursery policy and planning 1 1.1 Whether to start a nursery 2 1.2 Planning production 3 1.3 Records 4 1.4 Sale of plants 5 1.5 Quality of plants 6 1.6 Names and ages of plants 10 2. Selection, layout and formation of a nursery for the production of bare-root plants 13 2.1 Physical limits for nursery sites 13 2.2 Site selection 14 2.3 Layout of nursery 17 2.4 Breaking-in a new nursery 20 2.5 Costs of formation 23 2.6 Site requirements for nurseries producing other types of forest planting stock 23 2.7 First crops in new nurseries 23 3. Forest nursery soils 25 3.1 Physical characteristics 25 3.2 Soil pH 29 3.3 Soil analysis 32 4. Plant nutrition 37 4.1 Foundations 37 4.2 Use of fertilisers 41 4.3 Nutrient deficiencies and remedial fertilisers 50 4.4 Soil organic matter 58 5. Seed 66 5.1 Choice of seed origin 66 5.2 Seed identity numbers 68 5.3 Procurement of seed 70 5.4 Collection and extraction of seed 71 5.5 Seed storage 71 5.6 Seed testing 72 5.7 Seed dormancy 79 6. Production of bare-root seedlings and transplants Seedbed production 84 6.1 Preparation of the ground for sowing 84 6.2 Preparation of seed for sowing 87 6.3 Sowing 88 6.4 Subsequent care 96 Transplant production 97 6.5 Transplanting 97 6.6 Plants for transplanting 98 6.7 Technique and methods of lining out 100 6.8 Tending 102 7. Mycorrhizas, actinorhizas and rhizobia 104 7.1 Mycorrhizas 104 7.2 Non-leguminous nitrogen fixers 107 7.3 Legumes and their nitrogen fixers 109 8. Production of undercut stock 112 8.1 Potential of undercutting 112 8.2 Sowing for undercut production 114 8.3 Recommended undercutting regimes 116 8.4 Use of undercutting with other systems 119 8.5 Implications for nursery management 120 9. Container production of tree seedlings 122 9.1 Container systems 122 9.2 Nursery facilities 123 9.3 Growing media 125 9.4 Liquid feeds 128 9.5 Seedling production 129 10. Vegetative propagation 135 10.1 Propagation of broadleaves 136 10.2 Propagation of conifers 139 10.3 Overview and future developments 146 1L Irrigation 148 11.1 Energy and water demand 148 11.2 Soil water 150 11.3 Water tension in plants 154 11.4 Planning for irrigation 155 11.5 Irrigation equipment 160 11.6 How much water to apply and how often 162 iv 12. Nursery weed control 167 12.1 Weed control over the whole nursery 167 12.2 Chemical control of weeds in nursery stock in open ground 168 12.3 Recommended herbicides 170 12.4 Mechanical control of weeds 178 12.5 Spraying equipment 178 13. Protection against climatic damage, fungal diseases, insects and animal pests 181 13.1 Climatic damage 181 13.2 Protection against fungal diseases 183 13.3 Control of insects 188 13.4 Protection of seedbeds against birds 195 13.5 Protection of seedbeds against mice 196 13.6 Damage by other animals 196 14. Lifting, storage, handling and despatch 198 14.1 Integrated procedures 198 14.2 Causes of damage and loss of plant quality 199 14.3 Factors affecting the overwinter physiological condition of plants 202 14.4 Plant attributes influencing survival 205 14.5 Lifting 207 14.6 Culling, grading and counting 209 14.7 Storage 210 14.8 Insecticide treatment 216 14.9 Packing and despatch 218 14.10 Handling of plants raised in containers 220 15. Legislation and the nursery manager 223 15.1 Forest Reproductive Material Regulations 223 15.2 Seed and plant sales 228 15.3 Seed stand registration and seed collection 230 15.4 OECD scheme for the control of reproductive material moving in international trade 232 15.5 Plant and seed health 233 15.6 Current pesticide legislation 236 15.7 Seed and plant breeding 239 15.8 Other legislation 241 v Appendices I a) The Forestry Authority - list of addresses 247 b) Laboratories undertaking soil analysis 249 II Glossary 250 III Common and botanical names of forest trees 254 TV EEC standards for nursery stock 256 V Conversion factors 260 Index 261 vi Preface This Bulletin is a revision of the first edition of Bulletin 43 Nursery practice published in 1972. That edition provided an introduction to nursery practice for managers, supervisors and students and had been in steady demand until it went out of print. The preparation of a second edition has provided the opportunity to bring its contents more into line with contemporary develop­ ments in forestry and nursery practice. While the substantial programmes of upland afforestation of the 1970s and 80s have lessened in recent years, there has been an off-setting increased interest in planting at lower elevations and greater emphasis on planting stock for conservation of amenity and wildlife. At the same time, new developments in techniques - such as, for example, container-raised plant production - have widened the range of commercially viable production systems available to the nursery manager. Possibly the most significant long-term development is the increasing availability of seed of superior performance potential, resulting from tree selection and breeding programmes. The large-scale vegetative propagation of plants raised from such seed marks the emergence of the forest nursery industry from being based solely on seed from wild populations to one where, increasingly, the products of genetic improvement will play an important part in forest composition. Associated with increasing use of vegetatively propagated stock is the ability in the nursery to exercise greater control over the growing environ­ ment for plants, both through more sophisticated instrumentation, and through the ability of electronic data capture to provide information to man­ agers in a way that had previously been thought totally impossible. A development of a different sort is the recognition of the need to keep dis­ tinct the variety of seed sources of native Scots pine where these occur within the natural range of the species. Nevertheless, this and the increased use of vegetatively propagated plants from ‘improved’ seed have in common the need for high standards of nursery management and record keeping, to ensure plants are supplied true to name. A further recent development has been a greater understanding of the physiological response of plants to handling in the critical period between lifting in the nursery and delivery to the forest. A dilemma faced by the editors has been whether to mention proprietary products and firms. We concluded that it is more helpful to mention these where relevant, at the same time making it clear that no judgement is to be inferred where other similar products are available on the market. Mention in the text of the Bulletin does not imply endorsement of the particular product or company, nor does omission infer any criticism. This second edition has been prepared along similar lines to the first edi­ tion, except that the authors of the individual chapters are named in the chapter headings. All contributors have been faced with the challenge of pro­ ducing an informative introduction to their particular topic within the space contraints of a single volume. Where readers find they would like more detailed information, it is hoped that the references given will provide rele­ vant sources. Finally, most sincere thanks must be expressed to everyone who has con­ tributed to the content of the revised Bulletin. This includes not only present staff in Forestry Commission and private nurseries, but also all those whose past work has provided the foundation of knowledge and practice on which present methods and understanding are based. J. R. Aldhous W. L. Mason Forest Nursery Practice Summary This Bulletin, written by experts in their field, describes techniques involved in successful production of bare-rooted and cell- (small container-) grown stock of the tree species most widely planted in United Kingdom forestry. The subjects covered include: formation of new nurseries; maintenance of the fer­ tility of existing nurseries; procurement of seed; production of seedlings and transplants; production of cell-grown planting stock; the role of mycorrhizas; vegetative propagation; irrigation; weed control; control of diseases and insect and other pests; plant storage and handling; legislation affecting nursery management. References are given to supplementary sources of information. La Gestion des Pepinieres Forestieres Resume Ce Bulletin, compose par des experts pertinents, decrit les techniques pour la production reussie des plants a racines nues et des plants en cellules (petits recipients) pour les especes forestieres plus plantees dans Le Royaume-Uni. Les sujets y compris sont: la formation des nouvelles pepinieres; l’acquisition des graines; la production des semis et des plants repiques; la production des plants en cellules (recipients); le role des mycorhizes; la propagation vegeta­ tive; l’irrigation; le desherbage; la lutte contre des maladies, des insectes nuisibles et des autres depredateurs; le stockage et la manutention des plants; et la legislation a l’egard de la gestion des pepinieres.