Copper Safely Controls Roots of Tubed Seedlings

Sheets of metallic copper, copper-armored fiber, or copper paint, when used on the inside of the holding trays, will apparently restrict the elongation of seedling roots without detrimental effects on the seedlings. This experiment demonstrated that root growth can be controlled, permitting seedlings to be held in tubes for prolonged periods. Although copper paint is the cheapest and most convenient form of treatment, further experimentation is required to determine if it is as efficient as the metal or copper-armored fiber. In 1965, the Ontario Department of Lands and Forests initiated a reforestation program in which coniferous seedlings were reared and then planted in plastic tubes. The preliminary research for this method was described by McLean (1) and Williamson (2), and provisional instructions were issued to field staff by Timber and Research Branches of the Department (3). In this method, seeds are sown individually on suitable soil in plastic tubes, with 200 tubes in a tray 12 in. x 6 in. x 2 in. deep. Following a period of greenhouse culture, seedlings are planted in the field together with the tube and the enclosed soil.

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Author(s): G. H. Saul

Publication: Tree Planters' Notes - Volume 19, Number 1 (1968)

Volume: 19

Number: 1