Nutrient management of your pine plantation may increase volume and value dramatically!
Fertilizer increases needle effectiveness in the use of sunlight and available water. Fertilizer also increases the number of needles on the tree. Needles are to a pine tree what an engine is to a car. More needles provide the increased horsepower needed to allow trees to grow larger, faster.
Size matters. Pines that grow to a greater diameter provide more valuable timber at harvest. Harvest of softwood timber is expected to increase in the next few years, but the land base producing that timber may continue to shrink due to population pressures and lack of timberland management by private landowners.
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| Fertilizing Your Pine Plantation | |
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It’s pretty simple, you wouldn’t grow any other crop without giving it what it needs. Fertilizing your pine plantation makes for more rapid growth, which means more timber and more valuable timber at harvest. Shorter rotation is also an option. These days, it’s all about minimum cost/ton, not minimum cost/acre. Many landowners minimize forestry cost per acre. Smart landowners minimize forestry cost per ton. Fertilizer reduces risks by producing fast growing trees that reduce pine beetle attacks. Bigger trees also have more fire resistance. |
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85% of pines respond to fertilizer based on soil and foliar tests, averaging 30% growth over a 6 year period. Fertilization and cultural practices may increase southern pine plantation production 3X over unmanaged stands. |
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Myths and Reality of Pine Juvenile Growth Let's dispel one popular myth that is currently circulating. "Does fertilization result in an increase in the percent of juvenile wood or a decrease in the density of mature wood?" No, on both counts, according to research at NC State University. This is addressed directly in the following thesis: "Effects of Early Intensive Silviculture on Wood Properties of Loblolly Pine" C.R. Mora, July, 2003. Link to the summary and full body of this thesis at NCSU ETD.
Forestry Terms and Meanings (an NC State Forestry Publication) as a PDF (Acrobat Reader) file. Handy to download and print out for a list of common industry terms. www.ces.ncsu.edu/nreos/forest/pdf/won/won26.pdf
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On A Personal Note One further note on issues regarding juvenile growth, as a landowner myself, I have been fertilizing my pines for over five years, and timber companies have been doing so for over 20 years. States southern to NC have a longer established pattern of fertilization of pines, a concept that is rapidly becoming more and more accepted and practiced in North Carolina. I would encourage you to get the facts for yourself, and refer you for more information to the web site of Dr. H. Lee Allen at NCSU, at his website www.ncsu.edu/ncsfnc/synthesis.htm |
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GPS Application Maps |
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As shown below, we provide detailed computerized GPS application maps for your records. These maps work in conjunction with our onboard GPS navigation system and electronic scale system on our loader body to ensure accuracy and solid records of all work performed. |
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