Pseudotsuga (menziesii)
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Kasten Dumroese Research Plant Physiologist USDA Forest Service, Southern Research Station 1221 S. Main St. Moscow, Idaho 83843 (208) 883-2324 kdumroese@fs.fed.us http://plant-materials.nrcs.usda.gov/copmc/ |
| Family Scientific Name: | Pinaceae | ||
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| Family Common Name: | Pine Family | ||
| Scientific Name: | Pseudotsuga menziesii Franco | ||
| Common Name: | Douglas-fir | ||
| Species Code: | PSEMEN | ||
| Ecotype: | Idaho | ||
| General Distribution: | Douglas-fir occurs from southern British Columbia to central Mexico and from the Dakotas to the west coast from sea level to 3,050 m (10,000 ft). Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir (var. glauca) is generally distributed from interior British Columbia and Alberta east to the Dakotas and south to eastern Nevada, western Texas, and Mexico. | ||
| Propagation Goal: | plants | ||
| Propagation Method: | seed | ||
| ProductType: | Container (plug) | ||
| Stock Type: | 66 ml (4 cu. in) Ray Leach "Cone-tainers" | ||
| Time To Grow: | 8 Months | ||
| Target Specifications: | Height = 18 cm Root-collar diameter = 2.5 to 2.8 mm Firm root plug | ||
| Propagule Collection: |
Ovulate cones are pendant, brown, with three-pronged bracts. Each cone contains numerous, light brown to variegated, dark-brown, winged seeds. Minimum seed bearing age for Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir is 20 years. Good seed crops occur every 7 to 10 years. Cones ripen in August at low elevations and as late as October at high elevations. Cones are usually ripe for collection 2 to 3 weeks before they begin to open. In general, seeds are dispersed in early September to October. Cones can be collected using ladders, hydraulic lifts, or by climbing trees, usually just before cones open. |
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| Propagule Processing: |
Cones should be dried quickly after harvest to prevent internal heating, mold development and rapid seed deterioration. After initial drying, cones can be temporarily stored in plastic-mesh bags, as long as adequate air circulation is provided around the sacks. It is important to keep collections in the shade, even during transport. Bags are usually only filled half-full, loosely tied, and placed on racks to facilitate air circulation. Cones can be stored for 2 to 4 months without seed viability loss as long as conditions are dry and there is good air circulation. Douglas-fir cones can be opened by placing them in a kiln at 38 to 43øC (100 to 109øF) for 2 to 10 hours. Seeds/kg = 22,000 to 34,000 (10,000 to 15,000 seeds/lb). Seeds are dried to 7% seed moisture content prior to freezer storage. |
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| Pre-Planting Treatments: |
Seeds are placed into fine mesh bags and soaked in running tap water for 48 hours to ensure imbibition. Mesh bags are placed into plastic bags and seeds are stratified (cold, moist) for 28 days at 1 to 2øC (34 to 36øF). After stratification, seeds are soaked 24 hours in running tap water. Based on cumulative germination in a germination test, the total amount of seeds needed for the crop is determined to ensure 90% to 95% of the cells have at least one seedling. |
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| Growing Area Preparation/ Annual Practices for Perennial Crops: |
Seedlings are grown in 2 fully-controlled greenhouses. Photoperiod is extended by 300 watt incandescent lamps (15 min on/off cycles) at an intensity of 500 lux. Irrigation is applied by an overhead traveling boom system, with nozzles spaced every 40 cm. Fertilizers are injected into irrigation water with a 1:100 injector. Containers are filled with a 1:1 (v:v) Sphagnum peat moss and vermiculite medium having a pH of 4.2. Seeds are sown in late March and are immediately covered with a shallow layer of white grit or Forestry sand (6 mm deep) and immediately irrigated (acidified to a pH around 6.0) until the medium is saturated. Using a medium with low pH, irrigating with acidified water, using grit to allow air circulation around the root collar, keeping relative humidity low, and using underbench air circulation and heating reduces damping-off disease. Day-time greenhouse temperatures are maintained at 24 to 27øC (75 to 80øF), and night-time temperatures are maintained at 18øC (65øF). |
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| Establishment Phase: |
Once seedcoats begin to fall off germinating seedlings (2 weeks after sowing), seedlings are thinned to 1 seedling per container. Photoperiod lights remain activated. Nutrients are supplied about twice a week. During the establishment phase, seedlings are fertilized with Peters Professional Conifer Starter (7N:40P2O5:17K2O; The Scotts Company, Marysville, Ohio) at 42 ppm N, along with micronutrients (Fe, B, MgSO4). Phosphoric acid is used to keep pH of irrigation water around 6.0. Seedlings are irrigated when blocks weigh 80% to 85% of saturated weight. At the end of week 6, medium is leached with irrigation water to remove salt build-up. Day greenhouse temperatures are maintained at 24 to 27øC (75 to 80øF) and night temperatures around 18øC (65øF). |
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| Length of Establishment Phase: | 6 weeks | ||
| Active Growth Phase: |
During the active growth phase, photoperiod control is continued. Nutrients are supplied about twice a week using Peters Professional Conifer Grower (20N:7P2O5:19K2O; The Scotts Company, Marysville, Ohio) to supply 120 ppm N, along with micros (Fe, B, MgSO4). Containers are irrigated when blocks weigh 80% to 85% of saturated weight, but this is slowly decreased so that by the time growers wish to initiate buds, containers are irrigated at about 70% saturated weight. When seedlings reach desired heights, medium is leached with copious amounts of irrigation water. Medium is then allowed to dry down until it is just barely moist. |
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| Length of Active Growth Phase: | 5 weeks | ||
| Hardening Phase: | When irrigation is necessary, micronutrients (Fe, B, MgSO4) are supplied every other irrigation. Nitrogen is only supplied every other irrigation using calcium ammonium nitrate at a rate of 81 ppm. Photoperiod lighting is discontinued. Once buds are present (3 to 4 weeks after initiation), Peters Conifer Finisher (4N:25P2O5:35K2O; The Scotts Company, Marysville, Ohio) is supplied at the rate of 24 ppm N, and is alternated with CAN-17 at 161 ppm N. Micronutrients are supplied only with Conifer Finisher applications. Phosphoric acid is used to keep irrigation water pH around 6.0. Also, after terminal budset, Peters Foliar Fertilizer (27N:15P2O5:12K2O; The Scotts Company, Marysville, Ohio) is applied at 648 ppm N (3 passes with a traveling boom irrigation system; just enough application to wet entire crown). Foliar fertilizer is applied every 2 weeks during hardening. Temperatures are allowed to go to ambient, but preferably under 27øC (80øF) during the day. However, minimum greenhouse temperature allowed is -2øC (28øF). Seedlings are ready to be packed in January. From mid-September until pack-out, day temperatures are kept cool as possible and we prevent night temperatures from dropping below -2øC (28øF). Seedlings are hardened for 18 to 22 weeks. | ||
| Length of Hardening Phase: | 18 weeks | ||
| Harvesting, Storage and Shipping: |
Seedlings are extracted for storage in late October through December. Seedlings are well-watered before removal but foliage should be dry before packing. Seedlings are placed within plastic bags inside waxed boxes or plastic tubs and stored at 0.5øC (33 to 34øF). Seedlings are monitored for storage mold problems. Storage molds can be reduced by packing disease-free stock, storing them for theshortest possible duration, inspecting the crop for on-set of mold, shipping seedlings with minor mold occurrence first, and keeping temperatures below freezing. |
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| Length of Storage: | 4 to 5 months | ||
| Other Comments: |
Between crops, containers should be sterilized. We submerge Ray Leach "Cone-tainers" in hot water (75 to 85øC [167 to 185øF]) for 15 to 30 seconds to remove pathogens. This protocol was originally developed in the mid-1980s when David L. Wenny was Director of the nursery and published as Idaho Forest, Wildlife and Range Experiment Station Bulletin 49. |
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| References: |
Dumroese RK, James RL, Wenny DL. 2002. Hot water and copper coatings in reused containers decrease inoculum of Fusarium and Cylindrocarpon and increase Douglas-fir seedling growth. Dumroese RK, Wenny DL. 1997. Fertilizer regimes for container-grown conifers of the Intermountain West. In: Haase DL, Rose R, coordinators and editors. Symposium proceedings, forest seedling nutrition from the nursery to the field; 1997 Oct 28-29; Corvallis, OR. Corvallis (OR): Oregon State University, Nursery Technology Cooperative. p 17-26. Wenny DL, Dumroese RK. 1992. A growing regime for containerized Douglas-fir seedlings. Moscow (ID): University of Idaho, Idaho Forest, Wildlife and Range Experiment Station. Bulletin 49. 8 p. |
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Citation:
Wenny, David L; Dumroese, Kasten. 2009. Propagation protocol for production of Container (plug) Pseudotsuga menziesii Franco plants 66 ml (4 cu. in) Ray Leach "Cone-tainers"; USDA Forest Service, Southern Research Station Moscow, Idaho. In: Native Plant Network. URL: https://NativePlantNetwork.org (accessed 2024/07/01). US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, National Center for Reforestation, Nurseries, and Genetic Resources.
