Field Performance of Container-grown and Bareroot Trees in Coastal British Columbia

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Abstract
A series of Douglas-fir (Pseudotsugamenziesii (Mirb.) Franco) and western hemlock (Tsugaheterophylla (Raf.) Sarg.) experimental plantations was established over three planting seasons at two representative areas on southern Vancouver Island to assess and compare the field performance of a) 6-cm and b) 11-cm Walters' bullets, c) 11-cm bullet-plugs, d) tubelings, and e) 2-0 bareroot stock.Five years after planting, the average survival rate of Douglas-fir seedlings was a) 67, b) 65, c) 81, d) 70, and e) 79%. For western hemlock, these respective figures were a) 50, b) 53, c) 65, d) 45, and e) 29%. Removing the container before planting greatly increased survival rate of the bullet-plug seedling (c). There was relatively little significant variation in survival of container-grown seedlings among the three planting seasons selected. The most important single cause of mortality among all planting categories was drought. Smothering by competing vegetation and soil erosion on steep slopes was also a significant factor contributing to seedling failure.

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