Interaction of vegetation control and fertilization on conifer species across the Pacific Northwest

Abstract

An experiment evaluating three levels of vegetation competition control (no control, 1.5 m2of vegetation control, and 3.3 m2of vegetation control), each with two fertilization treatments (fertilization at the time of planting with complete slow-release fertilizer (Woodace®IBDU), or no fertilization), was installed at five sites. Two of these sites were planted with Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco) in the Oregon Coast Range, one with ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Dougl. ex P. Laws. & C. Laws.) in eastern Washington, one with western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla (Raf.) Sarg.) in the coastal hemlock zone in Oregon, and one with coastal redwood (Sequoia sempervirens (D. Don) Endl.) in northern California. At four of the five sites, mean stem volume, basal diameter, and height of seedlings increased significantly with increasing area of weed control, and the magnitude of difference between treatments increased with time. Fertilization significantly increased seedling size only at the two sites with adequate soil moisture; increases were marginally significant at a third. Response to fertilization was less than from weed control and impacted growth for only the first year, whereas the influence of weed control continued to influence growth the entire length of the study (4 years). Area of vegetation control and fertilization did not interact significantly at any site.