Needle-Clipping Longleaf Pine and Top-Pruning Loblolly Pine in Bareroot Nurseries
Abstract Studies have shown that clipping needles of longleaf pine before outplanting can increase average seedling survival by 13 percentage points. Under some situations, the increase in survival might be due to a reduction in transpiration. For loblolly pine, top-pruning in the nursery might increase average survival by 6 percentage points. Benefits of pruning appear greater when seedlings experience stress after planting and when nonpruned seedlings have low root weight ratios (root dry weight/total seedling dry weight). On some droughty sites, a seedling with a 0.3 root weight ratio might have an 80% chance of survival, while a seedling with a 0.2 root weight ratio might only have a 53% chance of survival. In most studies where heights were measured after 3 yr in the field, pruned seedlings were the same height as nonpruned seedlings (± 7 cm). South. J. Appl. For. 22(4):235-240.