More and Better Pines on the Eastern Shore, Part III

How Pines Reseed Themselves

All native trees reproduce themselves by seeds. These may be distributed by wind, by animals, or by floating on the water. Some, including most of our hardwoods, are also able to reproduce themselves by sprouts, and a few by taking root from cuttings or where a branch is bent down to the ground.

Pines, and when I say pines I refer particularly the Loblolly pine which is the common and most valuable pine found on the Shore -- reproduce themselves by numerous wind disseminated seeds. The seeds develop in the cones or burs, and are usually scattered during November and December. The seed proper is about one quarter of inch long and light brown, mottled with black spots. Attached to each seed is a thin membranous wing one inch or more in length, which acts as a sail. I have seen pine seeds half a mile from the nearest tree, but under normal conditions they do not travel more than twice the height of the parent tree.

The seeds develop in pairs, with one pair at the base of each of the full size scales making up the cone. A count will show that there are usually 75 to 100 of these productive scales, so the average cone will scatter from 150 to 200 seeds. It is suggested that those who have never seen a pine seed, pull a green cone and lay it up in the house to ripen. When it is dry, the scales will loosen and permit the seeds to be shaken out. It is not certain that these seeds will be fertile, since they may not be entirely ripe, but they will show how they operate.

The next point is the type of a tree which produces the most cones, and so the most seeds. Other things being equal, an old tree will produce more cones than a young one. Also a tree which stands in the open will produce more than one which is crowded in the forest.

Another fact which has bearing is that, although a few cones are produced almost every year, heavy crops occur at intervals of four to five years. It just about takes the usual seed crop to fed the birds, field mice and other rodents which are part of field and forest life. When that occasional heavy crop comes there are plenty of seeds to feed the wild life, and enough left over to start a new forest. It is these occasional good crops which start our pine thickets.

Other facts which must be remembered are, that the seed must come in contact with mineral soil, or its equivalent, in order to germinate, and that after germination the little seedling must have a certain amount of sunlight. Most hardwoods, on the other hand, are able to live for many years in the shade. This is the reason we find hardwoods coming in under thick pines, and is one of the reasons why hardwoods are so apt to follow when pine timber is cut. Another reason for this is that when a pine is cut it dies, whereas a hardwood will put up vigorous sprouts, especially on moist soils.

Now let us see how we can apply these facts to getting pines reestablished on cut-over areas. If the logging be done during the winter and early spring following a good, or even a fair seed crop, the chances are very good that plenty of pine young growth will follow. All that is then necessary is to protect it from fire and excessive grazing and, in a few instances, to cut back such hardwood sprouts as threaten to smother desirable pines. The same result may frequently be achieved if desirable type seed trees were left standing to the windward, and not too far away from the cut-over land.

If, however, something is wrong, instead of pines the entire area is apt to be occupied by useless hardwood sprouts. It is impossible to give instructions which will be generally applicable. In some cases, there may be more pine than appears at first glance. In others, all that may be necessary is to get rid of the hardwoods, either by cutting or by the use of goats, and let neighboring seed trees do the rest. In still others, it may be necessary to purchase seedlings from the State Forestry Department and plant them by hand. The Extension Service employs a forester to help farmers work out just such problems. His services are available to you through the county agent.

The next article in this series will deal with handling existing forests.