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From Seeds to Seedlings
Have you ever wondered where all the tree seedlings come from that are planted in Maryland? Every year, about 5 million tree seedlings are grown at the state nursery and planted throughout the state. An impressive effort is needed to produce seedlings that are strong enough to survive and grow. A seedling's life begins in the fall, when seeds are collected from parent trees statewide. Volunteers, students, homeowners, community groups and state personnel collect hundreds of pounds of acorns, walnuts, ash seed, dogwood seed, sycamore seed, and seeds from several other tree species. The seeds are usually collected from parent trees with good growth and form, and then brought to the local Forest Service office in each county where they are sorted, bagged and cleaned of excess debris. The seeds are then hauled to the state's tree nursery for further processing and planting in nursery beds. The John S. Ayton State Forest Tree Nursery is located near Preston in Caroline County. The nursery is named after the former nursery manager of the Buckingham nursery, which was located near BWI Airport. Mr. Ayton oversaw the design of the new nursery near Preston. The present nursery occupies about 300 acres of former farmland , and contains nursery beds and buildings to grow and process over 6 million tree seedlings annually. About 30 different conifer, hardwood, and shrub species, mostly native to Maryland, are grown at the nursery. Once seeds have arrived at the nursery, they are specially treated to encourage germination and then sown in nursery beds. The seeds are sown very close together to force straight growth. Most of the seeds are planted in the fall, although some species are planted in early spring. Irrigation, weeding, herbicide spraying, and other cultural treatments are required for optimum growth. By the end of the summer, most seedlings have grown 6 to 18 inches tall. Some slower initial growers, such as white pine, must grow for an additional summer to achieve a plantable size. During the winter, the seedlings are mechanically lifted from the nursery beds and taken to the processing buildings. Nursery workers grade the seedlings to weed out any inferior or poor quality seedlings. The seedlings are then counted, packed in bundles of several hundred seedlings, and then stored in a large cooler the size of a gymnasium to await shipment. The seedlings are shipped to most landowners by UPS; however, larger orders are picked up by state foresters for delivery to the planting sites. Most of the seedlings are planted by contractors or landowners on private land in March and April. Many of the hardwood seedlings are planted along streams to establish forest buffers that will protect the streams from storm water runoff and pollutants. Some seedlings are planted by volunteer groups on public lands. Seedlings are sold at cost, with orders taken from October through March. Contact the state nursery at 1-800-TREES-MD , or your local forestry office (410-665-5820 in Baltimore Co.) for more information. Catalogs are available by mail or via the internet www.dnr.state.md.us/forests/nursery . If you would like to help with seed collection, or have a tree in your yard loaded with seeds, contact the Maryland DNR - Forest Service office in Baltimore County at 410-665-5820. |
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The Forest Conservancy District Board for Baltimore County 9405 Old Harford Road Baltimore, Maryland 21234 (410) 665-5820 Email Robert Prenger ....... rprenger@dnr.state.md.us Melvin Noland ....... mlnoland@bcpl.net
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