Correcting Loss of the Terminal Bud in Fraser Fir Christmas Trees

Various pruning treatments were evaluated to determine the best procedure to correct terminal bud loss in Fraser fir [Abies fraseri (Pursh) Poir.]. Removing the top node (expanding terminal and subterminal buds) soon after budbreak combined with light pruning of the major branches in the next two lower whorls best restored a normal leader. This procedure allowed one or more shoots just below the cut to become orthotropic leaders in the first growing season. All but one of these shoots were removed, and only a single leader was retained after growth matured in late August or September.

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Effect of Uniconazole on Shoot Growth and Budset of Containerized Fraser Fir

HortScience ◽

10.21273/hortsci.33.1.82 ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 33 (1) ◽

pp. 82-84 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

L. Eric Hinesley ◽

Stuart L. Warren ◽

Layne K. Snelling

Keyword(s):

Shoot Growth ◽

Growing Season ◽

Shoot Elongation ◽

Stem Diameter ◽

Bud Formation ◽

Abies Fraseri ◽

Fraser Fir ◽

Christmas Trees ◽

Lateral Buds ◽

Lateral Bud

In two experiments, uniconazole (0.25 to 16 mg·L-1 a.i.) was applied as a root drench to containerized Fraser fir [Abies fraseri (Pursh) Poir.] at various times of the year. Leader length, stem diameter, length of laterals, and number of subterminal buds were reduced the following growing season. Treatment during the 1994 growing season reduced lateral bud formation on the leader in 1995, whereas treatment with 8 or 16 mg·L-1 in Mar. 1995 (prior to budbreak) increased it. Uniconazole caused needle discoloration and abscission at concentrations ≥4 mg·L-1. Leader growth was reduced more than branch elongation, which tended to make plants more decurrent. The utility of uniconazole in production of tabletop Fraser fir Christmas trees was unclear; reduced shoot elongation was often accompanied by fewer lateral buds and needle discoloration and/or abscission. Chemical name used: E-1-(p-Chlorophenyl)-4,4-dimethyl-2-(1,2,4-triazole-1-penten-3-ol) (uniconazole).

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Fraser Fir Tolerance and Weed Control with Hexazinone + Sulfometuron-methyl

HortTechnology ◽

10.21273/horttech.23.3.294 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 23 (3) ◽

pp. 294-300 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Linglong Wei ◽

Jarrod J. Morrice ◽

Rodney V. Tocco ◽

Bernard H. Zandstra

Keyword(s):

Weed Control ◽

Untreated Control ◽

Tree Height ◽

Growing Season ◽

Stem Diameter ◽

Sulfometuron Methyl ◽

Abies Fraseri ◽

Fraser Fir ◽

Christmas Trees ◽

Second Year

Experiments were conducted to test a new herbicide for posttransplant application in Christmas trees. A premix containing 68.6% hexazinone and 6.5% sulfometuron-methyl was applied at 3.0, 4.5, 6.0, 7.5, and 9.0 oz/acre plus 0.25% v/v nonionic surfactant (NIS) to recently transplanted fraser fir (Abies fraseri) Christmas trees and trees transplanted for 1 year in Spring 2008. The treatments were repeated on the same plots in 2009 and 2010. At Gobles, MI, trees treated with 7.5 oz/acre of hexazinone plus sulfometuron had increased stem diameter, after one growing season, and trees treated with 9.0 oz/acre had reduced leader length the second year. After 3 years, fraser fir trees treated with hexazinone plus sulfometuron at 9.0 oz/acre had reduced tree height. Stem diameter, leader length, and number of leader buds were not statistically different from the untreated control. At Horton, MI, trees treated with 9.0 oz/acre of hexazinone plus sulfometuron had reduced leader length after 1, 2, and 3 years. After 3 years, trees treated with hexazinone plus sulfometuron at 6.0, 7.5, and 9.0 oz/acre were shorter than the untreated controls. There were no differences from the untreated trees in stem diameter of trees treated with hexazinone plus sulfometuron after 3 years.

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Bionomics of the pine needle scale (Hemiptera: Diaspididae), an emerging pest in Christmas tree (Pinaceae) plantations in southern Québec, Canada

The Canadian Entomologist ◽

10.4039/tce.2018.41 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 150 (5) ◽

pp. 632-636 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Jean-Frdéric Guay ◽

Amy Bernier-Desmarais ◽

Jean-François Doherty ◽

Conrad Cloutier

Keyword(s):

Life Cycle ◽

Scale Insects ◽

Tree Plantations ◽

Christmas Tree ◽

Pine Needle ◽

Abies Fraseri ◽

Fraser Fir ◽

Christmas Trees ◽

Significant Damage ◽

The Status

AbstractThe pine needle scale, Chionaspis pinifoliae (Fitch) (Hemiptera: Diaspididae), has the status of an emerging pest in Christmas tree (Pinaceae) plantations in Québec, Canada. The scale is not known to cause any significant damage yet and is not generally monitored by growers. However, it can be an obstacle for exportation to Christmas tree markets where scale insects are strictly regulated. In this study, we describe its life cycle in Christmas tree plantations in southern Québec. We confirm the presence of both parthenogenetic and sexual forms of the scale on Fraser fir Abies fraseri (Pursh) Poiret (Pinaceae) grown as Christmas trees, and of parasitoid and Coccinellidae (Coleoptera) specialists that could contribute to its control.

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Shearing Date Affects Growth and Quality of Fraser Fir Christmas Trees

HortScience ◽

10.21273/hortsci.39.5.1020 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 39 (5) ◽

pp. 1020-1024 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

L. Eric Hinesley ◽

Scott A. Derby

Keyword(s):

Tree Growth ◽

Second Order ◽

Proximal Portion ◽

Abies Fraseri ◽

Fraser Fir ◽

Christmas Trees ◽

Future Leaders ◽

Total Tree

Fraser fir [Abies fraseri (Pursh) Poir.] Christmas trees were sheared once annually over 4 years on dates ranging from July to March. Shearing reduced total tree growth. Trees sheared in July and August had the highest quality and retail value. Early shearing (July and August) yielded fewer leaders, longer leaders, and 35% to 66% more internodal branches on the leader, compared to later shearing (September through March). Early shearing also yielded more second-order laterals, followed by greater elongation of those laterals. Shearing late into the fall yielded progressively fewer branches, with the minimum in October. Shearing in March gave a little better results than October, but neither date was as good as July or August. In one experiment, two types of residual tip buds (bubble and whisker) were compared as future leaders. Differences in length and straightness of leaders derived from whisker and bubble buds were considered negligible in commercial shearing practice. The ratio of adaxial and abaxial buds on the proximal portion of the leader was about 1:1, and showed little change with shearing date. Distance from the base of the leader to the first abaxial branch also showed little variation among shearing dates.

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Naphthaleneacetic Acid Reduces Leader Growth of Fraser Fir Christmas Trees

HortScience ◽

10.21273/hortsci.44.2.345 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 44 (2) ◽

pp. 345-348 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

M. Elizabeth Rutledge ◽

John Frampton ◽

Gary Blank ◽

L. Eric Hinesley

Keyword(s):

Commercial Product ◽

Naphthaleneacetic Acid ◽

Abies Fraseri ◽

Fraser Fir ◽

Christmas Trees ◽

Methods Of Application

Two methods of application, the Danish Easy Roller and the German Sprühsystem, were tested to evaluate the effectiveness of naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) at reducing leader growth (tips of primary axes) of fraser fir [Abies fraseri (Pursh) Poir.] Christmas trees. A commercial product, Sucker-Stopper RTU (1.15% ethyl 1-NAA), was applied to leaders at concentrations of 0 to 500 mL·L−1 when leaders were 8 to 15 cm long. As the concentration increased, leader elongation decreased. The Easy Roller reduced leader growth the most, but leader mortality was unacceptable at concentrations 20 mL·L−1 or greater. Although less effective than the Easy Roller, the Sprühsystem caused negligible mortality of leaders. Applying 40 mL·L−1 with the Easy Roller yielded ≈50% of leaders with target lengths of 20 to 36 cm with little mortality. The Sprühsystem gave similar results at 250 mL·L−1. NAA might be useful for producing dense trees with minimal shearing or for producing more natural, open trees during shorter rotations.

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Nitrogen Increases Fresh Weight and Retail Value of Fraser Fir Christmas Trees

HortTechnology ◽

10.21273/horttech.11.1.151b ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

pp. 151b

Author(s):

L. Eric Hinesley ◽

Layne K. Snelling ◽

C. Ray Campbell ◽

D.K. Roten ◽

Jeff Hartzog

Keyword(s):

Surface Area ◽

Distal Portion ◽

Fresh Weight ◽

Abies Fraseri ◽

Fraser Fir ◽

Foliar N ◽

Christmas Trees ◽

Apical Buds ◽

Lateral Buds ◽

Four Levels

Abstract. Abies fraseri (Pursh) Poir. Christmas trees were fertilized for 5 years with four levels of N (0, 56, 113, or 170 kg·ha-1 per year) in spring, fall, or equally split between spring and fall. Nitrogen did not affect leader length, number of leaders, or bud frequency on the upper (distal) portion of the leader. Nitrogen increased bud frequency on the lower (proximal) 20 cm of the leader in only 1 of 3 years of measurement. All application schedules increased the number of apical buds on branches, whereas the number of lateral buds was increased only by spring applications. Nitrogen increased tree fresh weight and retail value as well as weight, length, and surface area of needles. Foliar N concentrations in the fall varied with fertilization schedule, and were higher in November than in October.

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Ethylene Adversely affects Fraser Fir Planting Stock in Cold Storage

Southern Journal of Applied Forestry ◽

10.1093/sjaf/4.4.188 ◽

1980 ◽

Vol 4 (4) ◽

pp. 188-189 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

L. Eric Hinesley ◽

Mikal E. Saltviet

Keyword(s):

Cold Storage ◽

Growing Season ◽

Planting Stock ◽

Abies Fraseri ◽

Fraser Fir ◽

Nursery Stock ◽

Terminal Buds

Abstract Fall lifting of nursery stock may entail cold storage in facilities which contain high levels of ethylene due to the presence of apples. Three-year-old (3-0) Fraser fir (Abies fraseri (Pursh) Poir.) seedlings continuously exposed to 17.5 ppm ethylene in air during 8 weeks of cold storage at 38°F produced 22 percent less terminal growth than untreated seedlings during the first growing season after transplanting. There was no effect on the number of terminal buds which aborted or which grew abnormally following transplanting in a line-out bed.

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Phytophthora abietivora, A New Species Isolated from Diseased Christmas Trees in Connecticut, U.S.A.

Plant Disease ◽

10.1094/pdis-03-19-0583-re ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 103 (12) ◽

pp. 3057-3064 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

De-Wei Li ◽

Neil P. Schultes ◽

James A. LaMondia ◽

Richard S. Cowles

Keyword(s):

Dna Sequences ◽

Root Rot ◽

Christmas Tree ◽

High Quality ◽

Abies Fraseri ◽

Fraser Fir ◽

Christmas Trees ◽

The World ◽

Molecular Phylogenetic ◽

A New Species

A number of fir species (Abies) are produced as Christmas trees around the world. In particular, Fraser fir (Abies fraseri (Pursh) Poir.) is popular as it yields high-quality Christmas trees in temperate North America and Europe. A Phytophthora sp. causing root rot on Fraser fir was isolated from a Christmas tree farm in Connecticut, U.S.A., and found to be new to science according to morphological and molecular phylogenetic analysis using multilocus DNA sequences from ITS, Cox1, β-Tub, Nadh1, and Hsp90 loci. Thus, it was described and illustrated as Phytophthora abietivora. An informative Koch’s postulates test revealed that P. abietivora was the pathogen causing root rot of Fraser fir.

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