Planting pines in south Georgia [Sept. 1929]

Bulletin 1\'o. 9

v
SEPTH!BER, 1929

Georgia Forest Service
B. M. LUFBURROW, State Forester

Pla11til1g Pines l11 South Georgia
By FRED. B. MERRILL

NIVERSITY OF GEORGIA
( ,,ilfy 2 2 1968
LIQRARI!I

CONTENTS

Page

Can Pin e Trees Be Re planted ? __

____ 3

Vvh ere to Plant ____ _______________

______________________ ___________ ____________ 3

Fire Protection _____________________________________ ------------------------------------------- 3

\Vhat to Plant ___

------------- 4

How to Secure Reforestation -------------------------- ______________________ 4

Seed Spots ------------------------------------------------------------------ _____________________ 5

\Voods-Grown Se edlings __ _______ ______

___________________ 5

Seed-Bed Seedlings ______________ -------------- _______________________ ______ _ _________ 6

Planting Mistakes ______________________________________________________________ fi

Care of Planting Stock

_______________________________________ 7

Heeling In __________________________________________ _____ ------------------------------------- 7

Planti11g Space ___________________ ________________________________________________________ 7

Soil P reparation ------------------------------- ___ ---------------------------------------------- 8 Planting Method

Pruning --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------11

Protection ------------------- ------------

... -----------------------------------------12

Growing Seedlings ____

________________ ______________________________________ _12

Buying Seedlings ______ ____

_____________ ----------------------- ________13

Collecting Seed __________________________________ --------------------------- ___________ .13

Time to Plant ____ ---------------------------------- __________________________________________14

Seed-Bed Preparation ______ __________________________________________________________ 15

Sowing ________ _________------------------- ---------------------------------- ____________________J5

Covering ------------------------------------------------- _________________________________________ 16

Protecting _________________________

___________________ _____________________ ____16

Weeding ----------------------------------------------------- _______________________________________17

Planting Pines in South Georgia
CAN PINE TREES BE REPLANTED?
Many land owners in South Georgia still believe that it is impossible to transplant a pine tree and get it to live, yet other land owners in this same section have already transplanted the little pines to the extent of several hundreds of thousands with success. Many mistakes have been made in establishing these early plantations. yet there is conclusive evidence here and elsewhere that the idea is practical and that satisfactory profits are to be expected from the undertaking. This bulletin is distributed with the idea of aiding many to avoid the losses which some of the early planters sustained.
WHERE TO PLANT
In the first place there are many areas with such an abundance of seed trees, left from former logging operations, that nature will reseed the areas if forest fires are prevented. In general. if there are three or more seed trees per acre, well scattered over the property. the economy of artificial planting of trees is doubtful. The word "economy" is chosen in this instance because there is a growing belief that the greater number of mature trees per acre, the better spacing, and the greater ease of management that result from planting. will more than offset the extra costs. However, no plantings in South Georgia have as yet reached merchantable size, so no conclusive proof is available. Therefore, it can only be recommended that land owners go slowly in their planting operations on areas where natural reforestation can be obtained. This confines the sites definitely recommended for planting to old fields and areas without enough seed trees.
FIRE PROTECTION
No plantings will survive and no great amount of natural ~eproduction can be expected unless all fires are kept out of the

4

P LANTING PINES IN SOUTH GEORGIA

area for at least three years after the planting or after the seed year, so the land owner should not waste his time and money in planting unless he expects to follow up with a plan of forest fire protection. If fires can be prevented for three years, which has now been done in many places in South Georgia, it is reasonable to expect that the land owner can protect his property indefinitely, thus getting the benefits of the greater vitality and increased growth which his trees will have when protected from fire.

WHAT TO PLANT
Once it has been decided to plant certain areas, the next question is what shall be planted? Most people in South Georgia are thinking only of slash and longleaf pines, so these species will be the only ones given consideration in this bulletin. However, there are many other good trees to plant, information about which may be obtained by writing to the State Forester in Atlanta.
The slash pine (Pinus caribaea) now has the lead in popularity over the longleaf (Pinus palustris) for reforestation work. This popularity is deserved to a certain extent, but the longleaf pine should not be despised for it is probable that on certain sites, such as sandy ridges, it will do better than the slash pine. However, it is generally conceded that the slash pine will grow a little faster in early years, that its wood will sell equally as well as the longleaf pine, that it will produce a little more gum, require a little less scrape, and make a little better grade of naval stores products. Slow growth in early years has been one of the handicaps of the longleaf pine, but this has been overcome to a certain extent by the use of vigorous nursery grown planting stock. Such stock enables the longleaf pine to compete fairly well in height growth with slash pine planted on the same land.
HOW TO SECURE REFORESTATION
Broadcast Sowing-A number of ways of getting a stand
of pines has been tried. The first method that usually appeals

GEORGIA FOREST SERVICE

5

to people is to sow the seed broadcast. One trial of this method is usually enough. About all that is accomplished is to furnish birds and rodents with a supply of food. A few successful stands have been secured by this method, but even in these instances it has been found that the cost is too great. From 3 to 5 pounds of seed per acre are required, making the total cost of broadcast sowing $1 0 per acre and up. and with results not at all certain. It is advised that broadcast sowing not be tried.

SEED SPOTS
Another method sometimes employed is to sow seed spots. In other words, in every place that one wants a tree, hoe up a little spot and plant a few seed. Then when the trees come up, thin them out in case there are too many. This method is a little less expensive than broadcast-seeding and is a little less susceptible to damage by birds and rodents, but little better results can be expected from seed spots than from broadcast
~owmg.

\VOODS-GROWN SEEDLINGS
Another method that appeals to the land owner is to go out tn the woods and dig up or pull up little seedlings and transplant them. This method has considerable merit, but it is open to many objections. The beginner usually feels that the bigger the young tree he can get, the better start he has and he takes trees from 3 to 6 feet tall. If so, he finds that it requires several minutes to dig one tree, that only a few trees can be transported at a time, that the trees are difficult to handle and finally that he will need a posthole digger to plant them. Of course, the cost of planting such trees is excessive and at the end of the year thz planter is almost sure to be discouraged, for most of the trees will have died from the shock of transplanting, or from the results of poor handling. Woods-grown seedlings one or two years old may be successfully transplanted, but trees taller than two feet should not be used and trees of less than one foot in height will prove to be the most satisfactory.

6

PLANTING PINES IN SOUTH GEORGIA

SEED-BED SEEDLINGS
The surest and most satisfactory planting stock may be obtained by using seedlings grown in seed beds. One-year-old seedlings of this sort have better root systems and a greater percentage of them survive. The growing of seedlings in seed bed~ is discussed in detail further on in this bulletin.

State Tree Nursery at Athens
PLANTING MISTAKES
A number of other mistakes in planting have been observed in South Georgia, and in almost every case they have led to poor results. Most people have been pulling up the seedlings. In order to do this they have selected young trees growing in moist areas and the damage to the roots has not been so great. As might be expected, however, on moist areas the food supply of the tree is more in solution than elsewhere,

GEORGIA FOREST SERVICE

7

consequently the young tree does not have to develop small fibrous roots as abundantly as do upland trees. Thus, the planter starts his operations with a poor class of materials, for young transplanted trees should have abundant fibrous roots.
Better results will be obtained from seedlings dug than from those that are pulled, for it stands to reason that pulling is going to injure many of the smaller roots. Therefore, use a spade or shovel to help get seedlings from the woods.

CARE OF PLANTING STOCK
After the seedling has been dug, either put it at once m a bucket partly filled with muddy water or else wrap the roots in burlap that is dripping wet. It is not necessary that some of the dirt remain on the roots. Be sure to keep the roots moist at all times while they are out of the ground. If they dry out, you will save time and money by throwing them away.

HEELING IN
If the trees cannot be planted the day they are dug, they may be "heeled in." This means digging a trench, setting the seedlings in it and covering their roots with moist, not wet, earth. Firm the earth around the roots, for if the air gets to them and dries them out, they will be no good. Plant the trees as soon as possible after they are dug and at all times keep the roots from drying out.

PLANTING SPACE
Several different spacings are being used for planting trees. These vary from 6x6 feet, or 1210 trees per acre, to I Ox I 0 feet, or 4 3 6 trees per acre. The idea in spacing is to get as many trees per acre as that acre will grow satisfactorily and at the same time give the greatest value in forest products. If planting for timber alone, a close spacing ( 6x6 feet) is best, for within a few years the branches of adjoining treees will meet and the lower branche~

8

P LA NT I NG PIN ES IN S OU TH GEORGIA

will die out and fall off for lack of sunlight, thus reducing knots and assuring a maximum amount of high-grade lumber. If naval stores is the object of the planting, then wider spacing is desirable, for the yield of gum varies with the size of the crown.
Planting trees now is starting something that will not be available for use for at least twelve years. No one can tell what forest product will be most in demand at that time. Present indications are that the man who has timber fifteen years from now will reap a good profit from lumber and other wood products. The outlook for the naval stores industry is also promising. Therefore, it seems best to advise medium spacing that will work for the benefit of both lumber and naval stores. A proper spacing appears to be about 8x8 feet, or 6 8 0 trees per acre. With this spacing it is believed that the trees will grow vigorous! y until they reach 9 or 10 inches in diameter. This wili bring them to the proper size for profitable naval stores operation. If at this time every other tree is worked for ten years for naval stores, the unworked trees will shoot ahead and th~ worked trees can then be removed, using them for low-grade lumber, posts, poles and fuel.
It is recommended that pine trees in South Georgia be spaced 8x8 feet apart, or at the rate of 680 trees per acre.

SOIL PREPARATION
A number of people have been using a middle buster or other plow to make furrows eight feet apart through the area to bl planted. This removes the competing grass, makes planting easier and gives the trees a better chance. Another method is to throw two furrows together and plant in the loose soil. Both methods have met with success, but the plowing costs about a ciollar an acre and the aim is to get a satisfactory stand of trees at the lowest possible cost. Some people are trying the planting of trees without any preparation of the soil, with satisfactory results. Both methods may be tried to make sure which works

GEORGIA FOREST SERVICE

9

best on each type of land. There has been some discussion of the treatment of areas to be planted when furrows are not plowed. Some believe that burning will make planting easier and reduce danger of insect infestation or disease, while others say that burning favors soil erosion especially harmful to very small longleaf seedlings. Burning of unfenced areas will also attract

(By courtesy of U. S. Forest Senice)
Making Opening for Seedling
stock in the spring and the damage from trampling may be considerable. It is advised that burning before planting be avoided.
PLANTING METHOD
The planting of seedlings is simple. One man goes ahead with a shovel, spade, mattock, or a broad chisel-shaped tool, called a planting dibble, and makes a perpendicular slit in the ground. This is accomplished by forcing the tool straight down into the soil and then moving it slightly back and forth a few times until the tool can be easily removed, leaving a narrow slit deep enough and broad enough to hold the roots of the seed-

10

PLANTING PIN ES IN SO UTH GEORGIA

lings without cramping. A second man comes behind with the seedlings in a bucket half full of muddy water, or with 50 or 100 seedlings whose roots are well wrapped in a heavy cloth that is dripping wet. One seedling is taken out at a time and is placed perpendicuiarly in the slit. If the young trees are planted in furrows they should be planted not quite as deep as they were in the nursery or woods for the first rain will wash some soil around them and place them at the proper depth. This is particularly true of longleaf, which, if set too deep, is often smothered by silt. When planted on level ground, the seedlings should be placed at about the same depth they were when taken from the nursery. The seedling is held in the slit at the proper depth

(By courtesy of U. S. Forest Setvice) Placing Seeding in Opening
with the left hand. The right heel can then strike the soil about three inches away from the slit. A good hard drive with the heel will force the soil back in place solidly around the roots and a few more thrusts with the foot will tamp the earth sufficiently. If the earth is not well firmed around the roots, the air will enter and dry out the soil and the tree will die.

GEORGIA FOREST SERVICE

11

On harder soils it may be necessary for the man with the spade or other tool to help get the earth back around the roots. This may be accomplished by forcing the tool into the ground a few inches in front of the first slit, and prizing the earth toward the seedling.
It is easily seen that the above methods can be used only with small seedlings. Trees two or more feet in height will have a root system longer than the face of the spade or other tool and the roots would be cramped in the slits. If larger trees are used, be sure to dig a hole big enough for the roots. Sometime when the roots are rather long it is best to prune them back to about ten inches. This should be done with a sharp knife or other tool to make a clean cut.

( B y courtes y of U. S. Forest Service)
Closing Opening With Thrust. of Heel
PRUNING
Nursery-grown seedlings should have their roots pruned back to a length of about eight or ten inches, using a sharp knife or other instrument to make a clean cut. But two-year-old

12

PLANTING PI NES IN SO UTH G EORGIA

woods-grown seedlings will usually have such long tap roots that such close pruning will remove too much of the root. In such cases, they should receive some pruning and the hole dug large enough to prevent cramping of the roots.
A few planters have pruned off the side branches of the little seedlings at the time they are planted and each year there after. Pruning a side branch or two at the time of planting may do no harm, but it must be remembered that the green pin~ straw is the place where the raw food taken in by the roots and from the air is changed so that the tree can use it. Annual removal of side branches from very young trees is harmful and will slow down their rate of growth.

PROTECTION
After planting, the trees require no watering or other attention except protection from fires and animals. Fire protection can be secured by plowing fire breaks around and through the plantation. Damage from animals can be prevented only by keeping them out of the planted areas for the first few years. Trampling of the young trees is seldom serious after the first two years, but hogs are especially fond of the roots of the longieaf pine and may uproot hundreds of the little trees. Some damage from hogs has also been noticed on slash pine trees as tall as ten feet.

GROWING SEEDLINGS
Most of the preceding information on planting will apply as well to nursery-grown seedlings as it will to woods-grown seedlings, but planting nursery-grown seedlings is recommended in preference to any other method of securing artificial reforestation. Nursery-grown seedlings have well-developed root systems: they are uniform in size; they are easy to secure ; planting them is cheaper; and finally, it is believed that the average planter will get ten to fifty per cent more living trees than if he uses woods-grown seedlings . When the cost of gathering

GEORGIA FOREST SERVICE

13

woods-grown seedlings. the added cost of planting, and thz resultant poorer stands are considered, it will be found that planting nursery-grown seedlings is cheaper.

BUYING SEEDLINGS
Some planters will wish to grow their own seedlings, but if there are less than 50 acres to plant, it will be cheaper to buy the seedlings than to grow them. They may be secured from the Forest School at the State College of Agriculture, Athens, Georgia, at the price of about $3.00 per thousand, or from Commercial Nurseries. The seedlings secured from the College are grown with the aid of Federal Funds allotted to the Georgia Forest Service, the Forest School being employed to grow seediings and sell them at cost. It is probable that if the seedlings are grown tn increased quantities, the price per thousand will be lowered.
The reason that buying small quant1t1es of seedlings is preferable to growing them is that there are some little details to growing and caring for seedlings that in most instances will make it cost more to grow say 20,000 seedlings than it will te> buy them. However, if one has time, or if a considerable area is to be planted, it will be desirable to start one's own seed b2ds. In such cases. the land owner will learn how trees grow, why they cannot be expected to live through fires, and the large planter will have available a supply of seedlings to use when he wishes.

COLLECTING SEED
To establish a forest nursery, the first thing necessary is good seed. These may be secured from several reliable seed houses whose names may be secured from the State Forester at Atlanta. or from the Forest School. State College of Agriculture, Athens, Ga. Seed should be planted within six months after they are gathered. To secure fresh seed, gathering them from the forest may be necessary. This is easily done. Follow J

14

P LANTING PIN ES IN SOUTH G EORGIA

logging operation in late September or early October when th cones or burs begin to turn brown and before they begin to open. Gather the cones from the cut tops of the trees. Under each scale on a cone are two seeds, which will fall out when the cone dries and opens up. When gathered, the cones are somewhat moist and apt to mould, so they should be stored loosely in sacks or scattered on a tight floor in a dry place where there is plenty of air. Within a week or so they will have dried out and opened up so that when one shakes the sack or the cones on the floor are raked about, most of the seeds will fall out and go to the bottom where they may be easily gathered when thz empty cones have been picked up. A bushel of cones will release about one pound of seed, which means about 15,000 slash pine seeds, or 6,000 longleaf seeds. The wings on the slash pine seeds will come off easily when rubbed in a bag. This should be done and the wings separated by blowing them out or dropping them from a short height onto a paper so that the wind can blow out the wings. The seeds thus cleaned will be found easy to handle and plant. The wings will not come off of the longleaf seed, but they should be handled as above so that they will be as clean as possible.
If there is no logging operation near, cones may be picked from the tree. One man can gather as many as ten bushels of cones in a day if he is equipped with tree climbers. He should pick or cut the cones from the tree, letting them drop to th~ ground where they can be quickly picked up.

TIME TO PLANT
Seed beds may be planted any time during the winter months, but November will probably be better for the longleaf pine and February or March for the slash pine. No treatment is necessary for the longleaf pine seeds, but the slash seeds may sprout quicker and more evenly if they are soaked in cold water for about three days before planting. A method which promises to give even better results with the slash pine is as follows:*
Clean slash pine seed may be mixed with moist peat and

GEORGIA FOREST SERVICE

15

placed in trays of cheesecloth bags and kept in cold storage or in an ice box for two months. The peat is kept moist and the bags or trays are taken out about once a week and stirred to aerate them. Seeds treated this way may sprout quicker and mor<: evenly than untreated seeds. Quick and even germination of the seeds will give an even stand and much more successful seed beds.

SEED BED PREPARATION
Seed beds may be located in the open or m a place where there is some shade during part of the day. A supply of water should be near at hand. Any sandy loam is suitable and fertilizer is not necessary unless the beds are to be kept more than one year in a place. The soil should be well worked up to the depth of about a foot, and all grass, weeds, sticks and other undesirable matter removed. The beds should not be more than four feet wide because weeding will be necessary and a bed wider than this cannot be weeded easily from the side. The length of the bed does not matter, but since a screen will have to be used to keep birds and rodents from getting the seed and the young sprouts, a bed 12 to 25 feet is recommended as a desirable length.
The soil in the bed should be slightly higher than the surrounding surface to insure good drainage. The bed should be surrounded by a frame of 1x4 inches or 1x6 inches of wood to hold the screen. The dimensions of this frame and material may be altered to suit the individual needs and the materials at hand. If there is reasonable assurance that birds will not damage the beds, then no frame is necessary.
Let the bed settle for a week or so before the seeds are planted.

SOWING
About 75 slash or 40 longleaf pine seedlings per square foot of seed bed are desired. Only about half of the seed can be counted on to grow, so a pound of longleaf seed should be sown on about 80 square feet of seed bed and a pound of slash

16

P LANTING PI NES IN SOUTH G EORGIA

seed o n abou t 120 square feet . In planting, the seed should b~ distributed evenly over the bed and then pressed into the soil with a board. After this, clean sand may be sprinkled over the seed until they are barely covered. If covered too deep, the results will be poor. Excellent results have been secured without putting any sand at all over the planted seeds and some large nurseries follow this practice.

COVERING
The next thing to do is to cover the bed with a burlap cloth laid directly on top of the soil or seed and held down with spikes or stones to prevent it from blowing away. Another good mulch to use in place of the burlap is about two inches of clean pine straw. Care should be taken to water thoroughly and evenly and not to put water on in such quantities that the seed will be washed out. A sprinkling pot or fine spray nozzle will do the work best. Watering should continue at one or two-day intervals for about two weeks. At the end of ten days the bed should be examined and the burlap or pine straw cover should be removed if there are about 30 longleaf or 50 slash seedlings showing to the square foot. At the end of fiftee:t days if there are still not that many seedlings showing, it is probable that the seed were faulty, or that something was wrong with the planting method. The burlap or pine straw should then be removed anyway. Sometimes if planting has been done during a period of cold weather, the seeds may need a longer time to germinate. After the covering has been removed, watering should still be continued for a week or more, for many other seeds will probably sprout.

PROTECTING
The greatest damage to seed beds in South Georgia has come from birds, which eat the seed or bite off the tops of the very young seedlings in order to get the seed coats which have not yet been discarded. Losses as high as 50 per cent may result from

GEORGIA FOREST SERVICE

17

this one source. Some seed beds located near homes are not subject to this trouble, but in general it is best to cover the beds with screen wire having about two meshes to the inch. This wire may be tacked lightly to the seed bed frame or it may be mounted in a separate frame that will fit tightly on the seed bed frame. The bed should be screened immediately after the covering is placed over the seed.

WEEDING
Weeding the beds should begin as soon as the covermg 1s removed and should continue once a week as long as necessary. If the weeds are allowed to get to any size they will choke out the seedlings and when the weeds are then pulled they will loosen or even bring up the seedlings with them. It is very important that the beds be kept free from weeds. Many good beds have been entirely lost by the neglect of this one operation.
When most of the seed have sprouted, watering may be partly discontinued, but it should be remembered that a great many seedlings are growing on a square foot of ground and that they are using a lot of water. Therefore, if a week goes by without a good rain, the beds should be thoroughly watered.
During the first six weeks of their life, seedlings are very tender. If the weather is hot, they may suffer sun scald. This can be avoided by partly shading the beds. In most instances shading will not be necessary. Another trouble may result from J disease called "damping off," which attacks seedlings up to about eight weeks of age. This disease causes seedlings to wilt near the ground level and they soon die. The disease is not apt to be present unless the seed beds are maintained at the same plac~ for several years. If the disease appears, change the site of the seed bed each year. When it appears in a bed , stop watering for a few days and sprinkle the bed light! y with dry sand.
During the summer, regular weeding and occasional watering is all that will be necessary, and during the next winter the young plants will be ready for the field. A spade or shovel. or

18

PLANTING PINES IN SOUTH GEORGIA

spading fork makes a good tool for lifting the plants from the bed. Care should be taken that the seedlings are lifted and not pulled. When lifted, the earth should be gently shaken away from the roots and the roots should be immediately wrapped in a wet cloth or packed in shagnum moss or "shingle toe" to prevent drying out. Lift only as many seedlings as you expect to plant that day.

*Lela V. Barton, Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research. HASTEXIXG THE GERMII\ATIOI\ OF SOUTHER!\ PINE SEEDS, Journal of Forestry, October, 1928.