Comp. = complete, or NPK applied at a composite treatment of the indivi- 

 dual rates for N, P and K stated above. The low level application 

 was 0.10, 0.11, and 0.12 lbs. of elemental N, P and K, respectively. 

 The high level was 0.23, 0.26 and 0.22 lbs. of elemental N, P and 

 K, respectively. 



In the complete (NPK) treatment the low or high level was applied by sep- 

 arately measuring out the appropriate weights of ammonium nitrate, super- 

 phosphate and muriate of potash for N, P and K. Since elemental N, P and K 

 ratio in the Comp. are roughly equivalent to a 10-10-10 complete commercial 

 mix, a 10-10-10 with these ingredients would yield an approximate low level 

 by application of 1.1 lbs. per tree, and a high level with 2.5 lbs. per tree. If 

 mixed from individual NPK fertilizers as utilized here, an approximate 10-10-10 

 ratio is achieved by a respective 3-6-2 individual fertilizer weight distribution. 



A given treatment, such as N low, was applied to two randomly selected trees 

 on each of the ten plots. Thus each of seven fertilizers accounted for four trees 

 (two at the low, and two at the high level). With two control trees per plot, the 

 total was 300 trees on the ten locations or plots. 



The levels as given can be translated to pounds per acre depending on the 

 number of trees to the acre. An acre (about 208.7 feet on a side) covers 

 43,560 square feet. An 8 x 8 spacing, for example, demands 64 square feet a 

 tree or allows 680 trees per acre. The low level N application in the experiment 

 under these circumstances amounts to 204 lbs. of ammonium nitrate per acre 

 for trees of this size class. For Comp. low application rate averages almost 1.1 lb. 

 per tree and for Comp. high 2.52 lbs. per tree, or 745 and 1,714 lbs. per acre, 

 respectively, on this tree size and spacing basis. 



Trees four to five feet in height have a foliage or green tissue mass that differs 

 from those of other size classes, and rates of fertilizer application should 

 consider such variation. Commercially, over acreages of managed stands, the 

 fertilizer would perhaps be applied between the rows, and more "loss" might 

 result than in the experiment. In the experiment the fertilizer was measured 

 and applied under the tree by hand, moving all around the tree with the 

 bulk deposited under the tree's "drip line" where the feeder roots are concen- 

 trated. Cooperating growers tried to keep the fertilizer at least eight inches 

 away from the stem or trunk of the tree itself. 



The tree characteristics measured and analysed included: 



a. leader growth change 



b. internodal bud and internodal branch development 



c. foliage color characteristics 



These measurements were made both in 1966, and for most characteristics 

 in 1967 to judge the effect of an initial fertilizer treatment over a two year time 

 span. 



Rapid leader growth would be of great benefit in the economics of Christmas 

 tree production provided there were no sacrifice in full tree form. Increased 

 leader growth results in a taller tree in fewer years, in effect shortening the 

 Christmas tree rotation. Unfortunately, if there is no filling in of the long spaces 

 between annual whorls through internodal budding and subsequent internodal 



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