Site preparation can be the most expensive portion of any regeneration system. Without proper planning, the site preparation cost may determine whether or not you can afford to continue practicing forestry. With proper planning and a good management program, you can prepare for regeneration by using timber stand improvement practices now. For example, prescribed burning and cull tree removal prior to the harvest of a pine stand would almost eliminate the need for site preparation after the final harvest. The site would be ready to receive natural seeding or planted seedlings with only a prescribed fire to clear away the logging debris. In hardwood stands, use cull tree removal to prepare for natural regeneration after the final harvest. Do not use fire in hardwood stands as the fire can damage many hardwoods due to their thin bark. Listed below are some common site preparation techniques.
| Site Preparation Practice | Description-Application | Relative Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Prescribed fire | 3- to 5-year intervals in pine stands to reduce wild fire hazard and kill small undesirable hardwoods; for site cleanup following logging and mechanical site preparation. Usually applied in winter. | very low |
| Tree injection | Herbicides injected into undesirable trees through a cut surface on trunk; applied during all seasons in pine and hardwood stands. | low |
| Herbicide pellets and granules | Used in pine stands to kill undesirable hardwoods and on pine sites for site preparation prior to planting or seeding. | medium |
| Herbicide sprays | Applied from the air and/or ground for site preparation of pine sites. Basal sprays used on individual hardwood stems for pine release. Non-selective herbicides present a drift hazard. | medium |
| Bedding | Used to improve soil aeration and drainage. Bedding raises seedling root systems above any high water table. Beds are established by special disk harrows which throw tilled soil to the center. | medium |
| Mechanical chopping | A large, rolling drum pulled by a dozer. The heavy drum has sharp blades for uprooting, cutting, and compacting woody vegetation. Can be used on relatively steep slopes with minimum soil disturbance. | medium |
| Disking | Use on pine sites where woody vegetation is small and soil is not subject to erosion. Hardwood plantations are disked for several years after planting. | medium |
| Shearing and KG Blading | Used to remove a large number of undesirable trees too large for drum chopping. Shearing blades are angled or V-shaped with serrated or toothed edges and may have a "stinger" for splitting large trees. | very high |
| Root raking and piling | Usually follows shearing to remove large roots and debris. Considerable topsoil ends up in windrows and soil between the windrows is compacted from repeated trips by the heavy dozer. Should not be used on steep slopes or erosion prone soils. | medium |
Your site preparation choice(s) should accomplish two things in preparation for future regeneration:
- Remove all vegetation that will compete with what you plan to grow. Every undesirable tree or plant that will be competing for sunlight, water or minerals should be eliminated. Any thin layer of compost on the forest floor should be left intact to provide nutrients and protection for seeds or seedlings.
- If seeding, the seed must be exposed to the mineral soil. This can be accomplished by burning or disking the area. Sow pine seed directly on the soil surface. Most oaks, however, will establish best if the acorn is planted 2 inches deep. For either choice, the mineral soil must be exposed to the seed.
Fire is used as a site preparation technique both by itself and in conjunction with other techniques. Fire will kill most competing vegetation and small hardwoods. On some areas where growth is dense, fire alone may provide a sufficient degree of site preparation. In conjunction with other site preparation techniques, controlled burning serves to reduce the mass of material on the ground and improve planting conditions. It usually reduces sprouting of hardwood stumps and roots. Occasionally, fire cannot be used because of the absence of sufficient fuel to carry the fire. This may be particularly true if the site has been logged by harvesting complete trees, and tops are not left in place. Fire should never be used except under safe weather and fuel moisture conditions and then only by those trained in its use. Burn only under the supervision of a forester trained and experienced in prescribed burning. A prescribed burn should be made during the summer months. Fire is an essential tool in site preparation and should not be overlooked as a viable site preparation method.
