Container Planting in Ontario

An average of 17 million tubed seedlings were planted annually in the Province of Ontario from 1966 to 1969. Plans call for increasing the programme to an estimated 20 million tubed seedlings in 1971.Tubed seedlings provide a supply of seedling stock, which can be planted during the summer months, making the best use of available labour supply. Other advantages are ease of planting on shallow-soiled sites, ease of handling, low planting costs, and flexibility provided by production of seedlings on short notice to meet immediate needs. The principal species grown are black spruce, white spruce, jack pine, red pine and white pine. The ground is generally site prepared prior to planting by mechanical scarification or prescribed burning. Planting is carried out at average spacing of 1,000 trees per acre. Survival figures of recent planting, after one year, indicate survival comparable to that of standard bare-rooted nursery stock.