Un3tsd States 

Department of A Lobiolly Pine 

Agrlcrr!ture Man ent Guide 

Farest Service Preparing Atlantic 

Coastal Plain Sites for 

Southeastern Forest 

Experiment Station 

Loblolly Pine Plantations 

General Technical William H. McKee, Jr. 

Report SE-57 
August 1989 

Southeastern Forest Experiment Station 

PO. Box 2680 

Asheville, North Carolina 28802 
Preparing Atlantic Coastal Plain Sites 

for Loblolly Pine Plantations 

William H. McKee, Jr. 

Research Soil Scientist 

Charleston, South Carolina 

A Loblolly Pine Management Guide 

ABSTRACT 

Site preparation is essential for establishment of loblolly pine plantations 

on the Coastal Plain of the Southeast. Purposes of site preparation 

include control of competing vegetation, improving drainage, and 

increasing soil fertility. The choice of an appropriate treatment depends 

heavily upon the type of soil that is present and on the amount of 

hardwood control that has been exercised in the previous timber 

rotation. 

KEYWORDS: Pinus taeda, drainage, forest fertilization, herbicide use, 

bedding, forest soil. 

Site preparation is absolutely essential for the establishment of 

successful loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L,) plantations on the Atlantic 

Coastal Plain of the Southeastern United States. In the absence 

of major disturbances, loblolly pine is not a climax species there. 

It grows rapidly in full sunlight after it has been established, but 

many of its hardwood associates are far more aggressive in 

establishing 'ihemselves and in competing for light and nutrients. 

The widespread occurrence of loblolly pine in the region is 

attributable to natural and manmade disturbances- primarily fire 

and agriculture. A hot fire in heavy fuels kills hardwood competitors 

and provides an excellent seedbed for loblolly pine. What is more, 

pole-size and larger loblolly pines are highly resistant to fire damage. 

Recently abandoned agricultural fields are also excellent sites for 

loblolly seeding or planting because repeated plowing has 

eliminated hardwood rootstocks, whose fast-growing sprouts are 

devastating competitors. 

Ideal site preparation for loblolly pine planting creates conditions 

similar to those after an intense fire or those in a recently abandoned 

field, but cost is an important consideration. One overall objective, 

therefore, is to kill as many hardwood rootstocks as possible and 

to minimize competition from grasses and annuals at a reasonable 

cost. Definitions of reasonable cost vary widely, so this guide 

describes relatively cheap as well as relatively expensive treatments. 

Site preparation costs can be reduced considerably by tending 

stands carefully before they are harvested, and by clean harvesting. 

As a general rule, the cleaner the harvest and the greater the 

effort put into suppressing hardwood competition prior to harvest, 

the less costly and less intensive the site preparation requirement 
will be at the time of regeneration. A prescribed burn can be 

conducted for $1 to $5 per acre, while intensive mechanical 

treatment costs $1 00 to $400 per acre. 

In addition to control of competing vegetation, a frequent purpose 

of site preparation on the southern Coastal Plain is improvement 

of soil drainage. Loblolly pine growth is severely retarded by flooding 

for more than 15 days during the growing season. Many Coastal 

Plain sites are flooded for extended periods each year, particularly 

when there are no trees present removing water by transpiration. 

Fertilization, drainage, and bedding treatments discussed in this 

guide can make many of these sites highly satisfactory for loblolly 

pine culture. 

Characteristics of the Region 

The most obvious characteristic of Atlantic Coastal Plain topography 

is that it is flat, or nearly so. The region is also well watered. From 

the standpoint of site preparation, flat topography means relatively 

low risk of stream siltation or soil erosion after treatment. Since 

Coastal Plain soils are primarily deep unconsolidated sediments, 

problems with rocks are seldom encountered. 

Flat terrain, however, leads to imperfect surface drainage. Some 

of the Nation's largest swamps are found on the Atlantic Coastal 

Plain, and many areas are flooded for some portion of the year. 

Flooding is especially common on forest land, which often is in 

forest primarily because it cannot be farmed profitably. Artificial 

drainage structures are often needed to make such sites productive 

for loblolly pine. 

The deep moist soils of the Coastal Plain support lush hardwood 

vegetation. If that vegetation is not controlled as a pine stand 

matures, it precludes establishment of a new pine stand, and I 

treatments to control it are not cheap. Thus, control of hardwood 

competition is the never-ending job of the loblolly pine manager I 

on the Coastal Plain. 

Discriminating Factors 

In choosing appropriate preparation measures for a specific site 

on the Coastal Plain, four factors must be considered: (1) soil 

texture, (2) soil fertility, (3) drainage, and (4) competing vegetation. 
Soil Texture-The percentage distribution of sand, silt, and clay 

in a soil affects its ability to hold moisture and nutrients and to 

transfer them to plants on demand. As sand content increases, 

moisture and nutrient holding ability and fertility decline. On the 

other hand, soils with a high sand content have rapid internal 

drainage, so they are seldom flooded for extended periods. 

Coastal Plain soils with a high clay content drain very slowly. And 

when they are wet, they are difficult to traverse and easily damaged 

by heavy equipment. These effects are described in a another 

Loblolly Pine Management Guide by McKee and others (1 985). 

Loblolly pine grows best on soils with sufficient sand to promote 

good internal drainage but with sufficient silt, clay, and organic 

matter to retain large amounts of nutrients and moisture. Of course, 

the same is true for most competing tree species and for most 

crop plants. Loblolly pine is a very common tree species, in part 

because of its ability to grow moderately well on soils ranging 

from sandy to pure clay. 

Soil Fertility-A fertile soil is one that is rich in materials necessary 

to sustain plants. Plants vary somewhat in fertility requirements, 

depending on texture and drainage. It is not always easy to tell 

how well a species will do on a site where it is now absent. This 

is particularly true for trees, for which nutrient supplies must be 

estimated for an entire timber rotation. To a limited extent, fertility 

can be judged by analyzing soil samples and samples of currentyear foliage of loblolly pine growing on the site. The phosphorus 

requirement increases as the drainage deteriorates and is of 

particular concern on very poorly drained sites. Phosphorus can 

replace the need for drainage to a limited extent. Nitrogen fertilizer 

is seldom added during site preparation because it stimulates 

growth of competing vegetation (Wells and Allen 1986). 

Drainage-The need to drain a site can be anticipated by referring 

to soil survey maps, which identify soils with poor and very poor 

drainage. Sites should also be inspected to substantiate the 

mapping designations. Thick, dark-colored surface layers, mottling 

near the soil surface, and the presence of organic layers in the 

soil profile are indications of poor drainage. It also must be 

recognized that sites with a mature, well-stocked stand of trees 

often appear to be better drained than they really are. These sites 

may become exceedingly wet after transpiration losses are 

eliminated by harvesting the trees. As the new stand develops, 
moisture loss through transpiration will supplement drainage 

through the soil, drying the site, On poorly drained sites, bedding 

is often required, and, on very poorly drained soils, a system of 

surface drainage is usually needed to grow loblolly pine. The 

design of surface drainage systems is beyond the scope of this 

paper; technical engineering assistance is therefore recommended 

before such an option is installed. Areas that require extensive 

surface drainage usually are classified as Wetlands,' and State 

and Federali regulations may limit treatments that can be applied. 

Where water does not stand above the soil surface, bedding will 

generally furnish sufficient drainage for tree establishment. Beds 

should be 8 to 12 inches above the residual soil surface after 

settling. Some settling is necessary for sufficient compaction around 

the roots of planted seedlings to assure survival. Settling time 

depends on the extent of root mat involved, the soil texture, and 

the soil structure. Sandy soils compact faster than clayey soils, 

and organic matter retards settling of the beds. The amount of 

settling needed for establishment also depends on soil moisture 

conditions and method ~f planting. 

Competing vegetation - Reduction of competition from hardwoods 

and herbaceous vegetation is probably the main reason for 

preparing a site for pine planting. The need for mechanical 

vegetation control can be greatly reduced by discouraging growth 

of competing hardwoods throughout the timber rotation, especially 

in the years just before final harvest (Crutchfield and Martin 1983). 

The most economical method of vegetation control is a combination 

of prescribed burning annually for 3 to 4 years prior to harvest 

plus whatever additional treatment that may be needed after harvest. 

Preharvest burning usually includes a winter burn followed by 

three or four annual summer fires. Fire should also be used at 

periodic intervals throughout the life of the stand. The major 

disadvantages of winter burning are: (1) Scheduling is difficult 

because proper burning conditions are dependent on weather, 

(2) hardwood stems over 1 inch d.b.h. are hard to kill, and (3) 3 

or 4 years may be needed to fully implement the treatment. Summer 

burning can be difficult to manage, and the potential of damage 

to the residual stand is high. Hence, if summer burning is 

contemplated, plans should also be made to harvest the stand on 

short notice. Rewards from summer burning are reduced site 

preparation costs and more complete control of hardwood 

vegetation than from winter burning waldrop and others 1987). 
Herbicides can control competing vegetation in a single treatment, 

but that treasrnent is more expensive than several burns. Herbicides 

are available for specific site conditions, target species, and times 

of application (Nelson and others 1981). Herbicides are applied in 

one of three ways: foiiar sprays, soil treatment, or injection into 

the stems. Foliar contact sprays work on a wide range of species. 

Pines may be affected, but ground spraying can be done on 

almost all sires. Since aircraft are required, aerial spraying often is 

not practical on small tracts. Also, aerial application carries the 

risk of herbicide spray drifting onto nontarget areas. Herbicides 

for soil treatment are not expensive and can be applied from the 

ground, but they can be used only on certain soils and species. 

Injection of individual stems has the advantage of controlling most 

species over a wide range of sites, but injection costs are high, 

especially where large numbers of target trees are present. 

Particularly in plantations managed on short rotations, hardwoods 

are usually controlled through some form of mechanical site 

preparation, often in conjunction with prescribed fire or herbicides. 

Hardwood brush is either crushed by repeated passes with a 

rolling drum chopper or sheared at groundline and raked with a 

root rake ints piles or windrows (Jorgensen and Wells 1986). 

Recent research indicates that brush removal with topsoil displacement lowers site quality over a broad range of conditions and 

such treatment, therefore, is not generally recommended (Neary 

and others 1984). A preferred alternative is roller drum chopping 

or shearing of the brush and allowing it to rot sufficiently for bedding 

or planting. On many lower Coastal Plain sites, chopping does 

not cut hardwood stems sufficiently because the forest floor soil 

suiface is too soft. Raking of brush is difficult to justify because of 

its high cost and the likelihood of significant reduction in site quality. 

Raking debris into windrows also sacrifices about 10 percent of 

the production area. The area loss can be remedied in part by 

burning windrows, but the remaining residue can still cause 

problems for planting. 

Recommendations for Specific Soil Groups 

Since the selection of a site preparation treatment depends heavily 

on soil properties, recommendations are presented here for six 

separate soil drainage and texture groups. A photo of a typical 

soil profile is presented on pages 10-1 1 for each group. The 
recommendations are designed to sustain reasonably rapid growth 

through the first 10 to 20 years after loblolly pines are planted 

(pages 16-1 7, table 1). I 

E 

Site 1. Organic Soils With Very Poor Drainage 

These sites are characterized by very poor drainage and large 

accumulations of organic matter, sometimes in layers several feet 

thick. The pocosins in eastern North Carolina are representative 

of this type of site. Historically, these sites have been vegetated 

with white-cedar, pond pine, waxmyrtle, gallberry, and pine-grass 

savannahs. Surface drainage is often needed to lower the water 

table sufficiently to allow use of equipment for logging, site 

preparation, and planting. 

Drainage- Surface drainage structures should include provisions 

for partial blockage as the new stand develops and the transpiration 

demand increases. The water table should be lowered to 12 to 18 

inches below the surface (24 inches in ditches) until trees have 

grown back to a basal area of about 40 square feet per acre. 

Then, the water table should be raised to within 6 to 12 inches of 

the surface. 

Competition control - If brush and hardwoods are present, they 

must be controlled to obtain a well-stocked pine stand. Unfortunately, there are special problems associated with burning and 

herbicide use on these sites. Peat soils will burn when they are 

sufficiently dry, and peat fires are very difficult to extinguish. Hence, 

soil moisture conditions must be ideal, with the water table near 

the soil surface, if such areas are to be burned. High soil-organicmatter content renders soil-applied herbicides inactive. Herbicide 

treatment on these sites, therefore, is largely restricted to a foliar 

spraying during the growing season or stem injection. 

Brush removal from these sites is usually a problem because of 

the poor drainage. Double or triple chopping with a rolling drum 

chopper usually removes brush sufficiently for bedding if 6 to 9 

months are allowed for the slash and hardwood brush to rot. If 

brush is raked and piled, nutrients removed during treatment 

must be replaced. This treatment therefore represents a last resort 

for control of competition. 
Bedding and cultivation -Although bedding helps to control 

competition on these sites, drainage of the rooting zone is the 

main benefit. Over 90 percent of the time, pines on these sites 

respond to bedding with a onefold to twofold increase in height 

growth through age 10. Beds should be about 12 to 15 inches 

above the original soil surface after settling. Individual soils in this 

group may not support bedding or other heavy equipment, and 

survival may be poor when they are dry. Seedlings can frequently 

be planted 2 to 3 months after bedding. When there are long dry 

periods in summer, more time should be allowed for beds to settle. 

Fertilization -With or without bedding, phosphorus fertilization is 

recommended on these sites. Application of 50 pounds of 

phosphorus per acre as triple super phosphate at planting has 

yielded 50- to 300-percent increases in height by age 10 on more 

than 90 percent of the sites tested. Responses to nitrogen have 

been less consistent, and nitrogen application is recommended 

only if competition is closely controlled. 

Phosphorus application can reduce the need for drainage on 

poorly to very poorly drained peaty and clayey soils. Application 

of 50 pounds of phosphorus (250 pounds of triple superphosphate) 

per acre appears to allow loblolly pine to compete with hardwoods, 

Phosphorus application is an attractive alternative to drainage 

and bedding for long rotations, and increasingly strict regulation 

of wetland drainage is making it desirable for shorter rotations. 

Phosphorus can be applied during bedding and incorporated into 

the bed, or it can be broadcast on the soil surface. 

Site 2. Wet Soils With Sandy 

or Sandy-Loam Subsoil 

These sites are characterized by very poor drainage and a sandy 

texture. Little or no organic matter is present at the soil surface. 

Grass savannahs and pond pine stands often occupy this soil 

group. Most soils in the group are sandy throughout the profile; 

some are groundwater spodosols (Aquods) and have an accumulation of organic matter, forming a pan, 12 to 24 inches below the 

surface. Vegetation on these sites includes waxmyrtle, pitcher 

plants, greenbriar, bitter gallberry, fetterbush, sweetbay, and pond 

pine. Vegetation is normally less dense than on soils with the 

thick organic layers. Response to drainage of these sites is 

uncertain, partly because the water table often drops below the 

normal root depth for 3 to 6 months a year. In general, these sites 
are only moderately productive and show only small responses to 

site preparation treatments. 

Drainage -Drainage may be needed on these sites to facilitate 

mechanical operations, but it can cause excessive drying during 

droughts. 

Competition control - Competition frequently must be controlled 

to establish plantations. When these sites are dry, they can be 

prescribed burned with little damage to the soil, but some of the 

vegetation can burn intensely, destroying established pine stands. 

Mechanical site preparation is also limited by extended periods of 

wetness. Drum chopping followed by fire is effective in removing 

hardwood competition if the soil is firm enough that a good job of 

chopping can be obtained. Because of the wet conditions, soil 

herbicides cannot be used but foliar sprays and injection are 

often practical. 

Root raking and piling reduce growth more on this type of site 

than on mast others because fertility is inherently low and because 

organic matter in the surface layer is scarce. On these sites, 

responses to applied phosphorus have been inconsistent. 

Bedding and cultivation-Loblolly pines do not respond as well 

to bedding on sandy soils as on organic soils, even under very 

poor drainage conditions. If beds are constructed, they should be 

12 to 15 inches high after settling. Bisking on this site group is 

effective in reducing competition. 

Fertilization - Response to applied phosphorus has ranged from 

a 200-percent increase in height at age 10 to none, even when 

levels of phosphorus in the soil and foliage samples are low. Precise 

reasons for this varied response are not known, but deficiencies l 

or imbalances of other nutrients may be involved. As with site 

group 1, young pine plantations on this type site do not respond 

to nitrogen application. 

Site 3. Wet Soils With Loam or Clay Subsoil 

These sites include the flatwoods and areas surrounding pocosins 

with less than 2 percent slope. Water stands at or near the soil 

surface for 2 to 5 months a year and in some cases can be a 

problem in stand establishment, These sites support a dense 
hardwood understory consisting of sweetgum, red maple, several 

oak species, and waxmyrtle which presents a major problem in 

site preparaltion. The absence of presence of a species generally 

depends on fire history. 

Drainage-These soils are normally easier to drain than organic 

soils, and locally poor drainage can impede harvest, site preparation, planting, and early growth of the stand. Care should be 

exercised in assessing drainage because water tables can rise 

several feet after clearcutting, complicating the regeneration 

process. Where drainage ditches are built, the water table should 

be lowered to 12 to 18 inches below the soil surface for maximum 

benefit. Soils in this group are slowly permeable, and water 

movement is primarily lateral. A large number of shallow ditches 

may be needed on a site to remove surface water within 1 or 2 

days after heavy rains. The number of ditches will depend on the 

size of the area and soil permeability. 

Competition control - These sites revert slowly to hardwood if 

competition is controlled throughout a pine rotation with prescribed 

burning. Many of the problems of site preparation on these sites 

can be eliminated by burning prior to harvest. The soils and sites 

in this group offer few restrictions to use of fire. As on the other 

sites, shearing and root raking can degrade these sites. Roller 

drum chopping and burning under dry conditions is a preferable 

site preparation treatment. These sites shouid be prepared when 

dry because they are very susceptible to compaction, and drum 

choppers are ineffective in destroying brush when soils are wet. 

Foliar-applied or stem-injected herbicides work well on these sites. 

Response to soil-applied herbicide is somewhat erratic, and these 

chemicals should be used only if the manager is familiar with the 

particular herbicide on similar soils. 

Bedding and cultivation-The need for bedding will depend, in 

part, on the drainage of the site and the manager's expectations 

about percentage of survival and length of rotation. On wetter 

sites in this group, bedding is essential for short rotations to ensure 

high survival and rapid early growth. On a long saw-log rotation, 

bedding may not be economical. Sites in this group tend to be 

quite responsive to bedding at an early age, but, as the stand 

develops and draws the water table down through transpiration, 

the response will probably diminish. Generally, pine wili respond 

to bedding over 90 percent of the time with a 25- to 100-percent 
Portsmouth Leon 

Group 1 

Very poorly 

drained 

Group 2 

Poorly 

drained 

Typical soil profiles of the six groups of : 

for soils with poor drainage and lack or5 

Group 3 

Poorly 

drained 

sites found in the Atlantic r 

lanic matter and bright sod 
Eulonia Craven Orangeburg 

oup 4 Group 5 

lmewhat Moderately 

lorly drained well drained 

Group 6 

Well 

drained 

Vain. Note the appearance of dark organic horizons and mottling 

without mottling on the better drained soils. 
increase in height at age 10. The relative response is expected to 

diminish after this age. As with site groups 1 and 2, beds should 

be 12 to 15 inches high after settling. 

Fettilization -Soils in this site group are generally low in phosphorus, and pine will respond over 90 percent of the time if the soil 

has less than three to five parts per million of available phosphorus, 

or if pine foliage has less than 0.10 percent total phosphorus. On 

highly fertile soils in this group (Alfisols), pine does not respond 

to fertilizer application. If phosphorus is deficient, the response 

will be a 50- to 300-percent increase in height growth at age 10, 

with or without bedding. For long rotations, the application of 

phosphorus may be more effective than bedding, and its cost is 

only about one-fourth that of bedding. Phosphorus can reduce 

the drainage requirement in the same manner as with group 1 

sites. One application of 50 pounds of phosphorus (200 pounds 

of triple super phosphate) is usually sufficient for a full rotation. 

Site 4. Moderately Wet Soils With Sand 

or Sandy-Loam Subsoils 

These soils have sand profiles and a depth to mottling of 18 inches 

to 30 inches. They are found on low ridges in the lower Coastal 

Plain and on flat areas of the upper Coastal Plain. Soils frequently 

have slopes of 5 to 10 percent, but erosion is seldom serious. 

Competing vegetation consists of oaks, sweetgum, and dogwood. 

As with group 3 sites, hardwood species present will depend on 

the fire history. 

Drainage - Drainage is not needed on these sites. The soils normally 

have sufficient internal drainage to allow mechancial equipment to 

operate most of the year. Compaction is generally not a problem. 

Competition control- Hardwoods are a problem on these sites, 

and an effort is needed throughout the life of the stand to control 

them. Prescribed burning during the rotation can eliminate much 

of the competition problem at regeneration time. The sites create 

few inherent limitations on herbicide use, if any. Mechanical 

equipment can normally be used on this site group much of the 

year. Since the soils are sandy they resist compaction, but they 

do not hold large quantities of nutrients. As a a result, shearing 

and windrowing can reduce stand growth 30 to 40 percent through 

age 10, These treatments are recommended only if other methods 
of control are not possible. Topsoil and slash residue should be 

moved as little as possible. 

Bedding and cultivation - Bedding for drainage wiii have little 

positive effect on tree growth. Although bedding of these sites 

may provide short-term benefits through competition control and 

concentration of nutrients in the planting row, this treatment is not 

needed for drainage and is not recommended. The possible benefits 

can be gained in a more cost-effective manner through control of 

hardwoods and fertilization. In the long run, bedding may increase 

moisture stresses, reducing growth. 

Fertilization -Trees growing on these soils are not especially 

responsive to phosphorus, and soil or foliage should be analyzed 

before fertilizer is applied. 

There is a 50- to 60-percent chance of a 15- to 30-percent increase 

in height at age 10 through application of 50 pounds of phosphorus 

per acre. However, if competition is closely controlled, a 50- to 

75-percent increase in height can be obtained at about age 5 

from a combination of nitrogen and phosphorus on most sites. 

The amount of nitrogen needed will depend on methods of 

application. 

Site 5. Moderately Wet Soils With Loam 

to Clay Subsoil 

This site type is found on rolling topography and short slopes of 

as much as 5 percent. Such sites are representative of the middle 

Coastal Plain. These soils frequently have sandy surfaces, but the 

B horizon contains 18 percent or more clay at a depth of 30 inches. 

This site type supports dense stands of brush. The density and 

size of the competition depend largely on burning history. 

Drainage- Artificial drainage is not needed on these sites. Soils 

normally have sufficient internal drainage to allow mechanical 

equipment to operate a large portion of the year. Compaction on 

some sites can be a problem if equipment is operated under wet 

conditions. 

Competition control - Hardwoods are aggressive on these sites, 

and periodic prescribed fires are required to suppress them. The 
sites themselves offer few restrictions to burning. Annual burning 

prior to harvest will reduce the need for site preparation. 

Except where high clay content restricts use of soil herbicide, all 

techniques for application of herbicides work on these sites, Roller 

drum chopping followed by burning is effective, as is shearing. 

Mechanical treatments are generally more expensive than fire or 

herbicides for competition control. Root raking and piling should 

be avoided. 

Bedding and cultivation- Bedding is not needed for drainage of 

these sites. Cultivation in the form of disking or bedding may 

improve survival and early growth on heavy soils that have been 

highly compacted. Disking is also effective for initial control of 

hardwood sprouts, but it is a relatively expensive way to achieve 

this goal. 

Fertilization-On these sites, loblolly pine does not respond 

strongly to phosphorus applied alone. If extractable levels of 

phosphorus are below three parts pea million, a O- to 20-percent 

increase in height growth may be expected at age 10 on 50 percent 

of the sites from an application of 50 pounds of phosphorus per 

acre at planting. The growth is much larger if 100 to 200 pounds 

of nitrogen plus 50 pourds of phosphorus fertilizer are applied 

after planting, but herbicide application is required to control 

competition. This type of treatment may triple aboveground biomass 

of seedlings at age 3. Responses are erratic, however, with a 

marked growth response expected about 50 percent of the time. 

Site 6. Dry Soils 

Dry sites are found on the middle to upper Coastal Plain on rolling 

topography. Slopes may be as steep as 20 percent and sufficiently 

long for erosion problems if the soil is unprotected. Drought is 

especially important on the sandy soils, where special measures 

may be needed to conserve moisture. Hardwood understory species 

consist of turkey oak, dogwood, black cherry, persimmon, and 

hickories. 

On deep sandy soils in this group, sand pine or longleaf pine 

should be favored over loblolly pine, which often performs poorly 

on deep sands such as Lakeland. 
Drainage- Drainage is not needed on these sites. 

Competition control - Hardwood competition is a problem. 

Hardwoods are not as aggressive as on moister sites, but they 

compete for a smaller supply of available moisture and nutrients. 

A primary limitation on burning is that fuel may be too sparse to 

carry fires as frequently as desired. Maintaining a well-stocked 

stand permits an increase in the frequency of burning because of 

heavier litterfall. Herbicides can be used on these sites with few 

limitations other than that the herbicide should be selected to be 

effective against the target species and that rates should reflect 

the low clay and organic content of the soil. 

A preemergence herbicide that will not injure pine seedlings on 

deep sandy soils should be selected. Mechanical chopping is 

effective, but care should be exercised to work across slopes to 

prevent erosion. Root raking and piling are especially destructive 

because the exposed soil may be subject to erosion and loss of 

nutrients when the forest floor and slash are moved into piles. 

Surface soils are thin, and the organic matter content is usually 

low. 

Bedding and cultivation-Bedding is not needed on this site 

group to improve drainage. Trees often respond slightly to 

bedding - probably through concentration of nutrients in beds 

and from the additional weed control - but this response probably 

is short lived. These benefits can be obtained cheaper through 

fertilizer or herbicide application. Disking may be effective as a 

cultivation treatment, but care should be taken to prevent erosion. 

Disking strips for planting rows may be an attractive alternative. 

Fertilization -These sites are not responsive to phosphorus alone. 

Frequently, they will respond to small applications of a mixed 

fertilizer such as diammonium phosphate (18-46-0) at 100 to 200 

pounds per acre, but only if moisture supply is adequate. In general, 

a small increase in height can be expected about 40 to 60 percent 

of the time. 
Table 1 - Key to management of site preparation 

for Atlantic Coastal Plain sites 

Representative Typical Drainage 

Site group soil classes series class 

D 

I 1. Organic Humaquepts Portsmouth Very poorly 

soils Umbraquults Pantego to poorly 

(pocosins) Bayboro drained 

Pamlico 

2. Wet soils Aquults 

with sand Aquods 

or sandy 

lpam subsoil 

(pond pine 

f I ats) 

1 Lynn Haven Very poorly , Rutlege to poorly 

Leon drained 

3. Wet soils Albaquults 

with loam Paleaquults 

to clay Al baqualfs 

subsoil 

(wet flats) 

Bladen Poorly 

Bethera drained 

Coxville 

Meggett 

Yonges 

4. Moderately 

wet soil with 

sand or sandy 

loam subsoil 

(sand ridges) 

Paleaquults Lynchburg 

Paleudults Seewee 

Psamments Chipley 

Goldsboro 

Eulonia 

Somewhat 

poorly to 

moderately 

well drained 

5. Moderately 

wet soils 

with loam to 

clay subsoils 

(middle 

Coastal Plain) 

Ochraquults Okeetee 

Ochraquafs Wahee 

Hapludults Nemours 

Duplin 

Dunbar 

Craven 

Somewhat 

poorly to 

moderately 

well drained 

6. Dry soils Paleudults Orangeburg Well to 

(upper Psamments LUCY excessively 

Coastal Plain) Entisols Eustis drained 

Norfolk 

Lakeland 

Caroline 
Limitations on 

Response to chemical use to 

drainage control hardwoods 

Positive. Severe because 

Excess water of high organic 

severe problem and clay content 

of soil. Weed 

species are 

difficult to control 

Response to 

Response to fertilizer 

bedding at planting 

50 to 100% P: 200 to 300% 

increase in increase in growth. 

growth to N: small response 

age 10 

Erratic. Sites Seasqnal limita- 30 to 50% P or N+P: 

respond to tions because of increase in erratic 

drainage wetness growth to response. 

40 to 50% of age 10 Other 

the time nutrients may 

be deficient 

Small response Some wet soil 30 to 50% P: 100 to 2000\0 

in localized species are increase in increase where 

conditions difficult to growth through deficient. 

control age 10 N+P: small response, 

even with competition 

control 

None No limitations 0 to 30% P: 10 to 15%. 

increase in N +P: modest 

growth. response 

Generally not 

- 

recommended -- 

None No limitations 0 to 30% 

increase in 

growth. Only 

recommended 

to btock 

compaction 

P: 0 to 10%. 

N+P: 10 to 30% 

response with 

competition control 

None On sandy soil No response 

with low organic 

matter, pine may be 

more susceptible to 

herbicide damage 

P: 0%. 

N+P: small 

response with 

competition control 
References 

Selected literature and further reading on site preparation 

alternatives. 

Cantrell, Rick L. 1985. A guide to silvicultural herbicide use in the Southern United 

States. Auburn, AL: Auburn Agricultural Experiment Station, Auburn University, 

School of Forestry. In cooperation with: Alabama Forestry Association. 482 pp. 

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1987. Long-term studies of prescribed burning in loblolly pine forests of the 

southeastern Coastal Plain. Gen. Tech. Rep. SE-45. Asheville, NC: U.S. 

Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southeastern Forest Experiment 

Station. 23 pp. 

Wells, Carol; Allen, Lee. 1986. When and where to apply fertilizer. A loblolly pine 

management guide, Gen. Tech. Rep. 8E-36. Asheville, NC: U.S. Department 

of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southeastern Forest Experiment Station. 23 pp. 

Wilhite, L.P.; McKee, W.H., Jr. 1985. Site preparation and phosphorus application 

alter early growth of loblolly pine. Southern Journal of Applied Forestry 

9:103-109. 

McKee, William H., Jr. I 

I 

I 

Preparing Atlantic Coastal Plain sites for loblolly pine planta- 1 

tions. A loblolly pine management guide, Gen. Tech. Rep. I 

SE-57. Asheville, NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest I 

Service, Southeastern Forest Experiment Station; 1989. 19 pp. I 

1 

The choice of an appropriate site preparation treatment depends I 

heavily on the type of soil, its drainage, and the amount of hardwood I 

control that has been exercised in the previous timber rotation. D 

I 

I 

KEYWORDS: Pinus taeda, site preparation, site classification, I 

fertilizer, soil drainage. I 

I 

McKee, William H., Jr. 

Preparing Atlantic Coastal Plain sites for loblolly pine plantations. A loblolly pine management guide, Gen. Tech. Rep. 

SE-57. Asheville, NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest 

Service, Southeastern Forest Experiment Station; 1989. 19 pp. 

The choice of an appropriate site preparation treatment depends 

heavily on the type of soil, its drainage, and the amount of hardwood 

control that has been exercised in the previous timber rotation. 

KEYWORDS: Pinus taeda, site preparation, site classification, 

I 

I 

fertilizer, soil drainage, 
NOTES 

The Forest Service, U.S. Department of 

Agriculture, is dedicated to the principle of 

multiple use management of the Nation's forest resources 

for sustained yields of wood, water, forage, wildlife, and 

recreation. Through forestry research, cooperation with the 

States and private forest owners, and management of the 

National Forests and National Grasslands, it strives-as 

directed by Congress- to provide increasingly greater 

service to a growing Nation. 

USDA policy prohibits discrimination because of race, 

color, national origin, sex, age, religion, or handicapping 

condition. Any person who believes he or she has been 

discriminated against in any USDA-related activity should 

immediately contact the Secretary of Agriculture, 

Washington, DC 20250.