THE ART OF THE SECOND GROWTH 



Paragraph XXV. Season for planting seedlings. 



Factors influencing the season are: 

 Local climate. 

 Labor available. 

 Time available. 

 Species planted. 



Theoretically, seedlings should be planted during the period of 

 inactivity of roots and buds, or in mid-winter. This theoretical 

 demand, however, in a Northern climate, cannot be carried out, the 

 ground being frozen at that time. Hence the choice remains 

 between planting in late fall and planting in early spring. After 

 Engler, roots show two periods of active growth, viz.: a spring-and- 

 summer period influenced by soil moisture, and a fall period in- 

 fluenced by soil heat. The growth of the roots during August and 

 September, between the two periods mentioned, is very weak. 



In spring, the growth of the roots starts in March and April 

 and shows the highest activity in May, June and July. 



A. Spring Planting. 



The seedlings are planted before the opening of the buds. The 

 moisture left in the soil by the melting snow is very favorable to 

 their growth. Objections to spring planting are: 



L Scarcity of labor, unless forest planting begins at a time at 

 which fields are too wet to be worked. 



II. Larch, Maple, Cherry, Tulip tree and Birch sprout so early in 

 spring that it is impossible to adopt spring planting in their case. 



in. Moist ground, hummocks and swamps are not accessible in* 

 spring. 



rv^. The soil is not packed as tightly around the roots on the 

 arrival of spring as is the case in fall planting. 



B. Fall Planting. 



Fall planting is preferred on wet areas and in the case of early 

 sprouting species. The disadvantages of fall planting otherwise 

 outweigh the benefits combined therewith. 



I. Seedlings planted in fall are apt to be heaved up by the 

 winter's freeze. 



II. The severe winds of the winter loosen the foothold of coni- 

 fers planted in fall. 



III. Fall-planted seedlings are more subject to late frost, open- 

 ing their buds some ten days earlier than spring-planted seedlings. 



IV. On weedy soil, fall-planting is handicapped by the presence 

 of a rank growth of weeds which has rotted down at the arrival of 

 spring. 81 



