Pinaceae (Pinus)
Pinus (strobus)
Pinaceae
Pine Family
Pinus
strobus
L.
Eastern white pine
PINSTR
Eastern white pine occurs from Newfoundland west to extreme southeastern Manitoba and south to the Great Lake States, along the Atlantic coastal states to New Jersey, and in the Appalachian Mountains to northern Georgia. It also occurs in Iowa, western Kentucky, western Tennessee, and Delaware. Disjunct populations occur in southern Mexico and Guatemala. It inhabits a variety of sites along the full moisture gradient from wet bogs and moist stream bottoms to xeric sand plains and rocky ridges; from sea level to 1,500 m (4,921 ft). In Missouri, we use this species for shelterbelt plantings.
plants
seed
Bareroot (field grown)
3+0
3 Years
Height: 9 to 12 in
Caliper:0.11 to 0.25 in
Root System: Root system must balance top growth.
We purchase our seeds commercially or we purchase them from local people who collected from established stands near the nursery.Ovulate cones mature in two years, and are yellowish-green to light brown, pendant, elliptical-cylindric, 8 to 20 cm (3.1 to 7.8 in) long and are borne in groups. Each cone contains several, red-brown mottled with black, winged seeds.
Seeds are soaked in water for 24 hours and then placed into a cold, moist stratification for 98 days at 36 to 38 F.
Before planting seeds are dried and treated with Thiram fungicide.We plant seeds in late April using a Love seeder set at 3rd gear at 7 setting into prepared field beds.
Soils: Our field soils are silty clay loams.
The spring before planting, we amend the soils with 700 lbs/acre of 1N:3 P205:5K20, grow a soybean cover crop, and fumigate in the fall. We use Roundup Ready soybeans so we can control weeds by using glycosate herbicide without harming the cover crop. During early August, we disk under the cover crop and disk the soils several times during the next 6 weeks to obtain a smooth soil surface. Soils are fumigated in late September. Field Bed Preparation: We mark out and form beds as needed. Beds are prepared with a rototiller/seedbed former and are typically 4 to 6 inches high and 4 ft wide. Fields are cultivated for weeds as needed throughout the growing season.
Irrigation: We use overhead irrigation with two inch pvc pipe that can be moved from field to field each year. Our principle water source is from 3 on-site wells and is very good quality water.
Wesow seeds at least .25 inches deep to protect them from deer, rodents and birds. Seeds are covered and irrigated when soils appear to be drying out on warm days. We apply old sawdust and hydromulch after sowing.
1 month after emergence in the spring
Year 1: Fertilization: We apply ammonium sulfate 21-0-0-24 with a mechanical spreader. We put on the first application the last week of May and to only those 1+0 seedlings that have been germinated for at least 5 or 6 weeks. We put down our last application during the last week of July. We apply fertilizer at the rate of 125 lbs/acre. Frequency of application depends on the species and how they look that season. We irrigate for at least 45 minutes following all fertilizer applications. This insures that foliage will not burn and incorporates fertilizer into the root zone.
Year 2 and 3: 3+0 nursery stock is fertilized the second and third year as described above and only as needed. It is applied about every 8 to 10 days, and not on all species. All depends on the species and how they look during the second growing season.
ROOT PRUNING PROCEDURES: Seedlings are root pruned during June. Pruning depth is at least 10 inches for 2+ 0 stock. Irrigate heavily for 2 to 3 days prior to pruning to saturate the root zone. Set pruning blade to slightly wrench seedlings as they are pruned. Check pruning depth frequently and adjust as needed. Irrigate for a minimum of 2 hours following root pruning to settle soil back around roots. This step is critical to eliminate post root pruning mortality. Irrigate field heavily for 2 to 3 days to further settle the soil.
Year 2 and 3: All the same cultural practices are applied as in year 2; including root pruning during the month of June.
4-5 months year 1, 2, 3
Hardening begins during August. No fertilizer is applied after August. Irrigation frequency and duration is shortened and applied only when needed.
3 months
Lifting window is from late November to April, depending on species. We try to obtain a large a root mass as possible. Seedlings are hand lifted after the seedling beds have been undercut at an average depth of 10 or 12 inches using a lifter. Lifted nursery stock is immediately stored in cooler until graded and bundled. The majority of species are graded, bundled and shipped during February.
3 months
Krugman SL, Jenkinson JL. 2004. The genus Pinus. In: Woody Plant Seed Manual (on-line version) URL: http://wpsm.net/Pinus.pdf
Hoss, Gregory. 2005. Propagation protocol for production of Bareroot (field grown) Pinus strobus L. plants 3+0; George O. White State Forest Nursery Licking, Missouri. In: Native Plant Network. URL: https://NativePlantNetwork.org (accessed 2024/05/02). US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, National Center for Reforestation, Nurseries, and Genetic Resources.
