Theses and Dissertations Collection

Native plant and forest nurseries must produce high-quality seedlings while facing changing environmental regulations and climatic conditions. Nursery growers continually test and adapt methods of seedling production to ensure consistent, sustainable outcomes. In Chapter 1, we tested the germination and growth of redosier dogwood in a subirrigation system. During germination, we compared treatments with and without overhead misting and germination cloth. We also tested two fertilizers applied in two ways— incorporated or top dressed. In Chapter 2, we modified environmental conditions of direct-seeded western redcedar: we altered (1) light with wire hardware cloth and (2) soil moisture with two types of mulch or no mulch. These experiment show that nursery cultural practices can be manipulated to improve germination rates, to reduce overall water and fertilizer use, and to adjust growth rates in the nursery and the field. Additional environmental factors and establishment strategies need to be considered for successful establishment.