Species Selection

Species selection is the critical first step in tree planting. Maximum growth and yield are possible only if you select the right species for the particular planting site and geographic location. Planting the wrong species on a site results in poor survival, poor growth, and low product yield. Geographic location limits species choice. For example, slash pines planted in northern areas of the South suffer from branch and stem breakage when ice forms on needles. Species selection also influences products produced. Longleaf pine may be preferred if high quality sawlogs and poles are the product objective. If maximum fiber yield is required, loblolly or slash pine could be favored.

Loblolly Pine (Pinus taeda L.)

This pine is the most important and widely planted pine in the South. Loblolly pine produces more than half the total pine volume in the region. Since it is found in a variety of areas and sites, there has been a great deal of research into development of breeding and seed stock. Pine tip moth can be a problem in young stands, damaging terminal shoot growth. However, control is practical only in unusual cases. Older trees are not seriously damaged by this pest. Pine bark beetles cause excessive damage to weak, overcrowded, slow-growing stands of loblolly pine. Good management practices that promote vigorous stand growth greatly reduce pine bark beetle hazards. Ice glaze damage may be a problem in loblolly pine stands in the northern limits of the Southern states, particularly in heavily thinned, open stands. Light, frequent thinnings minimize ice glaze damage.

Slash Pine (Pinus elliottii Englem.)

Originally restricted to a limited natural range of only 7 million acres, planting has greatly extended the present range of slash pine to more than 12 million acres at present. However, many of these plantings were off-site and beyond the northern limits of their natural range. These off-site plantings suffered from ice damage and severe fusiform rust infections. Slash pine is sometimes planted in the Lower Coastal Plain for pulp, sawlog, and pole productions. Stands tend to stagnate if not thinned early to maintain adequate crown development. If thinnings are delayed until trees are 25 to 30 years old, little response will be gained from the thinning. Bark beetles attack slash pine, particularly during extended dry spells, after stem damage from lightning strikes or after logging operations. Other insect pests, such as pine tip moth, cause only minor damage in most cases. Slash pine is very susceptible to fusiform rust. Trees that develop galls in the main stem are prone to breakage and early mortality. The fungus Fomes annosus can invade recently thinned slash pine and loblolly pine stands. The fungus attacks the tree's root system, ultimately killing the tree. Thinnings made during the summer lessen the chance of disease. Use chemical controls during thinning operations in high-risk areas.

Longleaf Pine (Pinus palustris Mill.)

Periodic fires once kept competing vegetation to a point where the more fire-resistant longleaf was easily established and flourished. The often prolonged grass stage in which long-leaf seedlings may remain for 3 to 8 years is a period in which no height growth occurs. The delay in onset of height growth allows competing vegetation to occupy the site at the expense of the longleaf seedlings. Once out of the grass stage, longleaf grows rapidly, producing trees with straight, clear trunks that are highly valued for lumber, poles, and piling. Research shows that the grass stage is shortened and successful regeneration is possible by using high quality seedlings developed in breeding programs, proper planting techniques, and adequate site preparation with herbaceous weed control during the first growing season. Longleaf is a good choice for dry and intermediate sites where fusiform rust is a hazard to successful establishment and growth of loblolly and slash pine. Longleaf pine is less susceptible than other southern pines to bark beetles and other insect pests. Fusiform rust is not a serious problem in longleaf stands. However, in some areas, seedlings are susceptible to brown spot needle blight fungus. When brown spot infestations are severe and prolonged, seedling death occurs. Use chemical treatments and prescribed burning to control brown spot.

Shortleaf Pine (Pinus echinata Mill.)

Few landowners plant shortleaf pine; most prefer loblolly pine because of its superior growth. However, on well-drained and drought-prone sites in the northern range of loblolly pine and where damage from glaze is severe, shortleaf pine is an alternative if drought- and cold-resistant sources of loblolly pine are unavailable. Shortleaf pine resists fusiform rust, but seedlings are damaged by pine tip moth. Southern pine beetle and other bark beetles cause great damage to shortleaf pine. Slow-growing stands are most readily attacked. Maintain adequate stocking and growth rate by timely thinning to reduce serious damage from pine bark beetles. Littleleaf disease is the most serious problem with shortleaf pine management. Trees in stands established on fine-textured soils that periodically are excessively wet and then dry begin showing stunted, yellowing needles when their age exceeds 30 years. Damage is caused by a fungus pathogen that feeds on tree roots, reducing water and nutrient uptake. Diameter growth is greatly reduced, and mortality is very high. Control is impractical. The recommended treatment is to salvage the trees before they die or before they are attacked by bark beetle, and then to replant loblolly pine.