United States

Department of

Agriculture

Education Center, Rt. 7, Box 131, Andalusia, AL 36420.

George A. Hernandez: USDA Forest Service, State

and Private Forestry, 1720 Peachtree Road NW, Atlanta,

GA 30309.

Literature Cited

Barnett, J.P. 1989. Shading reduces growth of longleaf

and loblolly pine seedlings in containers. Tree Planters’

Notes 40(1): 23-26.

Barnett, J.P.; Brissette, J.C. 1986. Producing southern

pine seedlings in containers. Gen. Tech. Rep. SO-59.

New Orleans, LA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest

Service, Southern Forest Experiment Station. 71 p.

Barnett, J.P.; McGilvray, J.M. 1997. Practical guidelines

for producing longleaf pine seedlings in containers.

Gen. Tech. Rep. SRS-14. Asheville, NC: U.S. Department

of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Research

Station. 28 p.

Little, E.L., Jr. 1979. Checklist of United States trees

(native and naturalized). Agric. Handbook 541.

Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture,

Forest Service. 375 p.

Wakeley, P.C. 1954. Planting the southern pines. Agric.

Monograph 18. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of

Agriculture. 233 p.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all

its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex,

religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital

or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons

with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of

program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact

USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD).

To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil

Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW,

Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (202) 720-5964 (voice and TDD).

USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

APrinted on recycled paper

Forest Service

Southern

Research Station

Gemeral

Technical Rep

SRS-60

g

Longleaf

Seedlings in

Containers

container product. The seedling

specifications listed in the

preferred category are attainable

by the grower and will result in

excellent field survival and early

height growth. Seedlings that do

not meet the criteria may perform

well on some sites. Refining and

improving these guidelines

requires evaluating performance

of seedlings with a range of

physiological and morphological

characteristics, planted over a

number of years and on a wide

range of sites. As additional

research data becomes available,

these guidelines should be

revised. Some regional tests that

are evaluating seedlings grown in

a number of container types are

underway. These tests and others

should help improve guidelines

and provide further benefits to

longleaf growers and users. The

following standards are proposed

as interim guidance until research

provides sufficient data to modify

and upgrade.the specifications.
United States

Department of

Agriculture

: Longleaf Alliance, Solon Dixon Forestry Mark J. Hainds

Education Center, Rt. 7, Box 131, Andalusia, AL 36420.

: USDA Forest Service, State George A. Hernandez

and Private Forestry, 1720 Peachtree Road NW, Atlanta,

GA 30309.

Literature Cited

 Shading reduces growth of longleaf Barnett, J.P. 1989.

and loblolly pine seedlings in containers. Tree Planters’

Notes 40(1): 23-26.

 Producing southern Barnett, J.P.; Brissette, J.C. 1986.

pine seedlings in containers. Gen. Tech. Rep. SO-59.

New Orleans, LA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest

Service, Southern Forest Experiment Station. 71 p.

 Practical guidelines Barnett, J.P.; McGilvray, J.M. 1997.

for producing longleaf pine seedlings in containers.

Gen. Tech. Rep. SRS-14. Asheville, NC: U.S. Department

of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Research

Station. 28 p.

 Checklist of United States trees Little, E.L., Jr. 1979.

(native and naturalized). Agric. Handbook 541.

Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture,

Forest Service. 375 p.

 Planting the southern pines. Agric. Wakeley, P.C. 1954.

Monograph 18. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of

Agriculture. 233 p.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all

its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex,

religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital

or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons

with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of

program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact

USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD).

To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil

Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW,

Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (202) 720-5964 (voice and TDD).

USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Printed on recycled paper A

Forest Service

Southern

Research Station

Gemeral

Technical Rep

SRS-60

g

Longleaf

Seedlings in

Containers

container product. The seedling

specifications listed in the

preferred category are attainable

by the grower and will result in

excellent field survival and early

height growth. Seedlings that do

not meet the criteria may perform

well on some sites. Refining and

improving these guidelines

requires evaluating performance

of seedlings with a range of

physiological and morphological

characteristics, planted over a

number of years and on a wide

range of sites. As additional

research data becomes available,

these guidelines should be

revised. Some regional tests that

are evaluating seedlings grown in

a number of container types are

underway. These tests and others

should help improve guidelines

and provide further benefits to

longleaf growers and users. The

following standards are proposed

as interim guidance until research

provides sufficient data to modify

the specifications. and upgrade.
Interim specifications for longleaf pine container seedlings.

Characteristics Preferred Not Acceptable

Needles

Length if not top clipped 8 to 12 inches Less than 4 inches

Length if top clipped 6 to 10 inches Less than 4 inches

Fascicles Many present None present

Color Medium to dark green Yellow or brown

Roots

Root collar diametera 1 inch or more Less than 3/16 inch

Color Light brown with white tips Black (diseased)

Mycorrhizae Present (the more the better)

Evidence of disease None present Any present

Root spiraling None present Any noticeable amount

Buds

Present Present on 90 percent of crop

Color Green to brown Yellow or chlorotic

Container size (per plant)

Diameter 1.5 inches or more Less than 1 inch

Length 4.5 inches or more Less than 3.5 inches

Volume 6 cubic inches or more Less than 5.5 cubic inches

Other important attributes

Firmness: Plug stays intact when extracted and during handling;

no loss of potting medium.

Moisture: Root plug is always moist, never dry.

Pests: No competing weeds or insects are present.

Sonderegger: Buyer specifies whether to cull Sonderegger seedlings.

a

 At base of needles

p y 

related to the criteria listed in

the standards.

Needles

Size and condition of the needles

are important to future survival and

growth. Most seedlings are grown

under nutrient regimes that limit

excess growth, eliminating the need

for clipping needles. To maximize rootcollar development, some growers may

use heavier fertilizer regimes. Such

regimes may result in excessive needle

growth and require needle clipping,

especially if needles reach 12 to 16

inches. At this length, they tend to fall

over and lodge, causing problems in

uniformity of irrigation and increasing

the likelihood of disease development.

If clipping is required, needles should

not be cut shorter than 5 or 6 inches

to maintain seedling growth and rootcollar development (Barnett and

McGilvray 1997).

The presence of needle fascicles

indicates a well-developed seedling.

If needles do not develop in clusters

of two or three, the seedlings will

perform well when planted. Generally,

needles should be pale to dark green

in color. Seedlings grown in northern

nurseries may have variations in color

that result from exposure to cold

temperatures. Yellowish needles

indicate poor seedling vigor.

Seedling of

acceptable size with

mycorrhizae and

with a firm plug.

Visible buds at the base of the needle cluster.

 Vigorous seedlings with good needle color and length and in an appropriate size container.

Roots

Root-collar diameter (RCD) is one of

the best indicators of seedling quality.

Seedlings with RCDs of 1/4 inch or

larger should survive well and reach

the 1-inch diameter needed for height

growth earlier than smaller seedlings.

Observation of roots requires more

attention than observation of tops.

Roots with light brown color and

numerous white tips indicate vigorous

seedlings. Black roots require close

scrutiny because they are likely to be

diseased, particularly if a large portion

of the root system is black. If the

cambium is brown when the root is

scraped with a fingernail, the root is

dead. Waterlogging in the bottom of a

container—caused by roots plugging

the drainage hole late in the cultural

period—often results in root mortality.

The presence of mycorrhizae indicates

a healthy root system. Inoculation of

seedlings with mycorrhizal spores is

containers have ribs within the cavit

to restrict root spiraling. Longleaf

seedlings rapidly develop extensive

root systems, so spiraling is a potent

problem if the ribs are not effective.

Buds

The presence and color of buds depe

on the developmental stage of the

seedlings. If seedlings are outplanted

in late October or early November,

their buds will be more likely to be

green than brown, compared to

seedlings planted in late December

or January. Although planting should

not be delayed to obtain better bud

development, it is desirable to have

buds that have developed to the poin

that they become brown. Green

budded seedlings may still perform

well, but they lack the maturity that

provides hardiness and capability

to begin early growth in the field.

Container size

With appropriate cultural techniques

longleaf pine seedlings can be grown

in almost any type of container. How

ever, seedlings develop best when

density in containers is no more than

50 plants per square foot and contain

volume is about 6 cubic inches per

cavity (Barnett and Brissette 1986).

Because longleaf pine seedlings are

shade intolerant, close spacings may

result in poorly developed plants

(Barnett 1989). Seedlings grown

in smaller containers may perform

well under many conditions, but

performance is enhanced by growin

plants in larger containers. Containe

volume is an important consideration

because very small containers may

result in root systems that are

excessively distorted, requiring

considerable time to recover after

outplanting. A variety of stock types

may be suitable for specific sites.

But, if stock is contract grown, choic

of container type should be agreed

upon by the grower and the buyer.

Other important attributes

A number of other attributes should 

standard for any container productio

First, the seedling plug should stay

intact when extracted and handled,

with no significant loss of potting

medium. Second, the root plug shou

Successfully established

longleaf pine seedling.

 Sonderegger

seedlings showing

different amounts

of stem elongation.

always be moist. Third, no competin

weed or insect problems should be

evident. Seedlings with any such

problems should be culled during

extracting and packing.

Seedlings that begin height growth

during the cultural period are usually

Sonderegger pines (Pinus Xsonderegg

H.H. Chapm.). Sonderegger pine is a

naturally occurring hybrid of longlea

and loblolly (P. taeda L.) pines (Little

1979) that have some stem elongatio

in the nursery. These seedlings

produce poorly formed trees that are

frequently culled because they are le

desirable than longleaf pine. Whethe

Sonderegger seedlings are to be cul

or planted should be agreed upon by

the grower and buyer of the stock.

Normally a very low percentage of

nursery seedlings are Sonderegger pi