Objectives:

• To explore the effect of planting through the summer on survival and growth of 2+0 plug seedlings .
• To compare these results with those obtained with conventional cold-stored 1+0 plugs planted in spring and fresh-lifted 1+0 plug seedlings planted in the fall.

Experimental Design:

Treatments

Four seedlots (1534, 5461, 10177, 5207) were selected with stock available in spring, summer and fall. The summer stock was lifted at two-week intervals starting on June 15th, and continuing to October 1st. Half the lifted stock was held in simulated field storage until the next lifting date. It was then planted with the freshly lifted stock from that date. On the first three dates, cold-stored spring stock was planted, and on the last three dates, fresh lifted fall stock was planted. One seedlot was planted at each of the four locations.

Layout:

• Traverse Creek, Akan Creek, Glenogle Creek, Albert Canyon
• At each location, there are four plots. Each plot contains 25 lines, with one treatment randomly assigned to each line. There are 10 trees per line.

History:

• 1988 Establishment and first assessments
• 1989 - 1992 Annual assessments

Status: Dormant

Reports and Publications:

Thompson, C.F., 1990. A study of lifting date and storage time on the early growth performance of interior spruce seedlings planted in the summer on a range of sites in the Nelson Forest Region, Progress Rep. B.C. Min. of For., Unpubl. Rep, Nelson, B.C.

Thompson, C. F. and A. Vyse 1992. Do lifting date and storage time affect the early performance of Interior Spruce seedlings planted through the summer in the Southern Interior? Poster presented at the SISCO summer High Elevation Silviculture workshop, Kamloops. B.C.

Comments:

This project was established by Chris Thompson. Since his retirement, it has been overseen by Deb Delong.