In many parts of the northern hemisphere, reforestation is underway for the moment. The most common method is to plant manually. The problem in many countries is to get people to do the job, as we recently wrote about. Could sowing be a solution?
Mechanized sowing of pine – a suitable alternative?
Sowing is definitely an alternative under certain conditions. Scots Pine (Pinus Silvestris) could be successfully sown on soil with not so much competing vegetation. The time to do it is from April to June (in the northern hemisphere), before the conditions turn too dry. The soil temperature must be 8 – 10 degrees centigrade before you start sowing. The scarification should be light so that the seeds land in a mix of humus and loosened soil. This mix gives the right growing conditions and makes sure that most of the seeds are covered. Under good conditions, the seeds start to grow after 3 – 4 weeks.
Simultaneously sowing while performing scarification can be a cost-effective solution when reforestation of pine. Here is a film signed Fredrik Reuter at the Swedish sister-site Skogsforum.se. In this video, you’ll get a hint of the technique and some information why, when and how.
