Step #6 Releasing Longleaf Pine From Competition (go back)

Because longleaf responds poorly to competition, it is often desirable to "release" it by controlling undesirable vegetation. The longer seedlings stay in the grass stage, the more susceptible they are to brown spot needle blight, an important disease of longleaf seedlings. The most important competitors for longleaf seedlings are typically grasses. Aggressive grass competition can cause high seedling mortality and retard growth of surviving seedlings. Woody competition has limited effect on early survival of longleaf seedlings, but can also retard growth. Woody competition can be controlled by several methods after the longleaf is planted, including fire, herbicides, or both. Grasses and forbs, on the other hand, are generally only top killed by fire and can rebound aggressively. The most important competition takes place underground for growing space, soil moisture, and nutrients. Burning grasses does little to reduce that competition. Treating herbaceous plants with herbicides can give the new seedlings a competition-free immediate environment and allow them to establish healthy and competitive root systems. Selective herbicides can be used to favor some plants while controlling others. Banded applications treat the immediate area around the seedling rows and may preserve desirable native vegetation between bands. Spot treatments, i.e., treating only the area in a 2-4 foot diameter surrounding the seedling, is effective in releasing the seedling, protects most of the area's native groundcover, and reduces chemical costs. It does require labor intensive application, however. The effective period for most of the chemicals used for release is one growing season or less.

There are two main situations when considering herbaceous release;

Situation #1: Herbaceous Release on Agricultural Lands

Situation #2: Herbaceous Release on Cutover Lands