Comparative Performance of Containerised and Bare-root Sitka Spruce and Lodgepole Pine Seedlings in Upland Britain

Seedlings of Sitka spruce and Lodgepole pine were grown in fivedifferent container types; Ontario tubes, Kopparfors multipots,Finn peat pots, Japanese paperpots and Spencer-Lemaire root-trainers.They were planted in forest experiments in 1972/3 when 8-14weeks old and their subsequent performance compared with 2 years-oldbare-rooted transplants. After 2–3 years' growth, tubed seedlings proved consistentlypoorer than all other treatments for both height and survival.Finn peat pots were marginally the best of the other containerstested. Containerised plants generally showed poorer survivaland substantially less height growth than transplants, withdifferences being greater for Sitka spruce than for Lodgepolepine. For both species well-handled transplants appear the mostappropriate plant type for use in upland Britain. Implications for the future role of containerised seedlingsin upland forestry in Britain are considered. The benefits ofcontainer systems may be greatest in the production of seedlingsof ‘sensitive’ species or of high genetic quality.