Starting Point Diagnosis = The Site is Cutover, Previously Forested Land

Cutover woodland sites have no longleaf seed source present, so must be regenerated by planting like the previous sites if longleaf is to be re-established. Depending on the length of time since longleaf occupied the site, site preparation for planting can take various forms. If the site has been cutover and abandoned for several years, it is very likely to be occupied by woody brush, hardwood seedlings and saplings, grapevine and other vines, and even loblolly pine, an aggressive pioneer species. There is typically little herbaceous understory if the site has been cutover for very long. In this case, site preparation is usually most successful if it is done with herbicides. The prescription would depend on the species mix and the mode of application on the density and height of the vegetation. Appendix II contains a summary of some common herbicides, how they work, what species they control, what species are tolerant or resistant, and preferred methods of application. If herbicides are chosen for site preparation, they should be followed in a timely fashion by fire to augment their effectiveness and to make access for planting easier. Fire alone is seldom effective in these situations due to a lack of fine fuels and the lack of total kill on hardwood rootstocks. If the cutover is recent, then fire might be effective assuming there is sufficient fine fuel, usually grasses and forbs, to carry the fire across the site. It is usually desirable to follow up the fire with directed herbicide treatments either before or after planting.

In either case, a wise first step is a thorough inventory of the existing vegetation. If the understory contains significant populations of desirable species, care should be taken to protect them in the site preparation process. If the populations are concentrated in specific areas, care should be taken to protect them from destructive disturbance. If the desirable native plants are scattered in small patches across the entire tract, it is more difficult to effectively and economically preserve them, but careful selection of herbicides can lessen the impact. Of course, if the competition can be controlled with fire alone, the understory species are typically enhanced.
When the site is prepared for planting, containerized or bareroot longleaf seedlings should be planted as early in the fall as feasible. The limiting factor is soil moisture. Do not plant into dry soil conditions. A spring release with selective herbicides carefully applied will enhance survival and growth of the newly planted seedlings. Fire may be introduced as early as the first year post-planting and a mixture of dormant and growing season fires should encourage existing native vegetation. Caution is advised when the young seedlings are in the candling stage and before they are 4 or 5 feet tall.

If the desired native plant community does not appear within the first two or three years of burning, it may be necessary to re-introduce it or supplement remnant populations with seed or seedlings.

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