Fall versus spring transplanting of container seedlings: A comparison of seedling morphology

Containerized seedlings of Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannii), sugar pine (Pinus lambertiana), Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), western redcedar (Thuja plicata), and western hemlock (Tsuga heterphylla) transplanted in the early fall and later in the early spring were compared for differences in stem diameter, height, root area, and shoot area. Fall-transplanted P. mensizesii and the Thuja plicata showed an increase in stem diamter of 13% (2.0 mm) and 4% (0.4 mm) respectively. Fall-transplanted seedlings developed larger root systems - Picea engelmannii by 18%, Pinus lambertiana by 48%, Pseudotsuga menziesii by 58%, and Tsuga heteroplylla by 47%.