How are our young trees produced?

Today, most of our seed is collected from seed stands within the British Isles. This section looks at how we produce the young trees required for our replanting operations.

Whilst in the past many of our forests had their own nursery, now the Forest Service procures young trees from private nurseries. The process of growing young trees is similar across all mainstream nurseries

Seedbeds are prepared and sown in the spring. Most of the seed is sown mechanically. The beds are covered with a fine washed grit which not only protects the seed from being eaten by birds and rodents but also prevents it from being blown away by the wind. The young seedling spends a year in the seedbeds before being lifted and lined-out. Lining-out gives the young tree more space to develop its roots and shoots which are inhibited by the dense stocking of the seedbeds.

Young trees require protection from their earliest stages. Tender spring-sown seedlings are covered by nylon netting to protect them from the following winters frost. Weed growth must be curtailed otherwise the young seedlings will be smothered. This operation is carried out by hand. When the seedlings have been lined out mechanical and chemical control of weed species can be employed.

Having spent, depending on species, on average two years in the lining-out beds the transplants are ready for planting the forest. They are lifted mechanically and taken to the nursery sheds where they are culled, graded and bundled. The bundles are then put into labelled bags and crated ready for transportation to the forest planting site.

One kilogram of Sitka spruce seed will produce 150,000 seedlings.