Container Tree Nursery Manuals

Volume 4: Seedling Nutrition and Irrigation

USDA Forest Service, Agricultural Handbook 674. 1994

Thomas Landis, Richard Tinus, Stephen McDonald and James Barnett

[Volume 1] [Volume 2] [Volume 3] [Volume 4] [Volume 5] [Volume 6]

The importance of mineral nutrition and water on both the quality and quantity of growth of container tree seedlings cannot be overemphasized. Probably more than any other cultural practice, fertilization and irrigation control both the rate and type of growth in container seedlings.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1-Mineral Nutrients and Fertilization Pages 1-70

• Essential Mineral Nutrients
• Mineral Nutrients and Seedling Growth
• Physical and Chemical Factors Affecting Nutrient Availability
• Characteristics of Fertilizers Used in Container Tree Seedling Nurseries
• Determining Fertilizer Needs
• Methods of Fertilizing Container Seedlings
• Formulation of Liquid Fertilizer Solutions
• Applying and Scheduling Liquid Fertilizer Solutions
• Monitoring Container Seedling Nutrition
• Effects of Heavy Fertilizer Use in Container Tree Seedling Nurseries
• Conclusions and Recommendations
• References

Chapter 2-Irrigation and Water Management Pages 71-118

• The Importance of Water in Seedling Culture
• The Water Status of Container Tree Seedlings
• Factors Affecting Water Availability in Containers
• Quantity and Quality of Irrigation Water
• Types of Irrigation Systems
• Monitoring Water in Containers-Determining When to Irrigate
• Irrigation as a Cultural Treatment-Determining How Much to Irrigate
• The Problems of Irrigation Wastewater Disposal
• Conclusions and Recommendations
• References

Index of Common and Scientific Names, Page 119

The manual is based on the best current knowledge on container tree nursery management and should be used as a general reference. Recommendations were made using the best information available at the time and are, therefore, subject to revision as more information becomes available. Much of the information in this manual was developed for western and southern conifer seedlings. Although the authors attempted to include information for species from other geographic areas, because of the wide variation in individual species responses, contain nursery managers will need to adapt these principles and procedures to their own nursery situation.