Effects of the physical properties of Sphagnum peat on the nursery growth of containerized Picea mariana and Picea glauca seedlings
1995
Bernier, P.Y. | Gonzalez, A. (Natural Resources Canada, Sainte-Foy (Canada). Canadian Forest Service)
Containerized black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) B.S.P.) and white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss) seedlings were grown from seed in Sphagnum media at two different degrees of humification (light and moderate) and at two artificially created textural grades (with or without particles less than 1.3 mm). During the 26-week growing period, the water content in the media was maintained at 60% of container capacity. At the end of the growing period, white spruce seedlings grown in the peat media enriched in fine particles (less than 1.3 mm) had a greater height, diameter, and root and shoot dry mass than those grown in peats deprived of fine particles. The degree of humification per se had little influence on growth. Black spruce seedlings, on the other hand, showed only a small increase in height with the addition of fine particles. Significant (p less than 0.05) linear relationsships were found between physical properties of the media and final morphological measurements of white spruce: between easily available water and both height (R=0.97), and shoot dry weight (R=0.98), and between air volume and stem diameter (R=-0.95). Water relations parameters of black spruce and white spruce were largely unaffected by differences in the physical properties of peat media.
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