VARDAMAN VIRTUAL FORESTRY COMPANY

The Most Direct Link to Knowledge Workers in the Southeast Forest Economy

REGENERATION GUARANTEE: A NEW SERVICE FROM VARDAMAN

As we have pointed out in our videotape and often in this newsletter, the key to big profits from pine timberlands is to control the stand all the way. The first step in the process is to plant extra-vigorous seedlings in competition-free spots at controlled spacings. Great vigor and competition-free spots are essential to enable the seedlings to seize control of the site quickly. Once they have captured the site, perhaps by age four or five, controlled spacing is essential to eliminate or reduce competition between the seedlings themselves so that they can reach merchantable size before they start killing off each other. Most observers recognize that competition between pine trees is far worse than competition between pines and either herbaceous or other woody vegetation. Some who realize that such competition can usually be relieved only through pre-commercial thinning at great cost have asked, "Why do you plant so many seedlings per acre if you must cut most them down in a few years?" On the other hand, everyone knows that seedlings will die soon after planting, especially if there is a spring drought, so they try to play it safe by planting an extra number to make up for anticipated mortality. This scheme not only raises costs and reduces profits, but also creates far worse problems. If some seedlings do not die, pine-tree competition will soon begin to kill off the extra trees; if some die, certain patches will be totally bare, while others will still suffer fierce pine-tree competition.

To solve these problems on tracts that we regenerate, JMV&CO WILL GUARANTEE THAT, ON MAY 31 AFTER THE SEEDLINGS ARE PLANTED, THERE WILL BE A LIVING PINE SUPER SEEDLING IN 95% OF THE EVENLY-SPACED, COMPETITION-FREE SPOTS PRESCRIBED BY THE LANDOWNER. We have explained below the details of our guarantee.

Definition of Competition-free Spots

Each tract contains a unique combination of competing vegetation and soils, and no single herbicide will control all competition in a suitable manner that also allows pine trees to grow. Consequently, by "competition-free spots," we mean spots in which we have reduced competition to levels that will have a negligible impact on development of pine seedlings. As the first step in each project, our herbicide expert, whose credentials are available for review, studies both the soils and the ground vegetation and prescribes the type and amount of herbicide to apply.

Controlled Spacing of Treated Spots

We apply herbicides with our VST, which is featured in our videotape and was described in our newsletter of October 1989. This machine allows us to control precisely the distance between spots in each row and to control with considerable accuracy the distance between rows.

The VST also applies a streak of white paint through the middle of each spot, and this enables us to plant each seedling where it will get maximum benefit of herbicides. The streak and dead vegetation in the treated area make it easy to check survival and re-plant failures after growth starts in the spring.

Genetic Pedigree and Size of Seedlings

We always plant genetically-improved seedlings and, so far as possible, select the family that is best suited to each site. Most of our seedlings are custom-grown us, and because we usually specify that nursery-bed density must be 15 per square foot, they are much larger than those commonly used. All have the proper balance between root and top and will qualify as Grade 1.

Characteristics of seedlings used on your land will depend upon when you sign your regeneration contract with us. We can guarantee the correct family and size if you sign up in January, but only the size after March.

Planting Techniques

We have inspected on the ground all nurseries growing seedlings for us, and we maintain constant close contact with their managers. We pick up seedlings almost immediately after they are lifted and keep them in cold storage until they are planted on the tract. In most parts of the south, we plant only in January and February, and our tree planters are usually hourly employees of JMV&CO so that we can assure that the seedlings are correctly planted. We normally plant them with a shovel instead of with the usual planting tools because the shovel is better for opening a hole large enough for the big root systems.

Survival and Early Performance of Seedlings

The combined practices described above usually produce survival rates higher than 85%. We will check survival in early spring, and if mortality has been unusual, we will promptly plant bare-root (in some cases) or containerized (in others) seedlings in enough spots to bring the average up to 95%.

Under normal conditions on tracts with SI-50 of 80, we expect that the seedlings will reach heights of two feet the first season, six feet the second, and ten feet the third. At initial stocking of 300 per acre, branches of adjacent trees will begin touching at age five, and some lower limbs will die in the sixth year. The canopy will close completely by age ten.

Costs

Our primary purpose in making this guarantee is to enable landowners to reduce the number of seedlings originally planted to somewhere around 300 and thereby to avoid the deadly competition between pine trees. On typical cutovers in both Georgia and Louisiana (the one in Georgia appears on our videotape) that were regenerated at 300 per acre, the cost under our program was $150 per acre. Nevertheless, each tract is a unique problem, and we cannot quote a firm price until we have inspected it. Costs are equal to or less than those of typical site-prep and planting methods; benefits include our guarantee, minimal disturbance of soil and ground cover, and the accurate spacing that is essential to rapid future growth.

Caveats

We can guarantee survival for a cost that still permits profitable investment only when we can reduce initial mortality to a small percentage, and this depends upon applying all practices described above. Type and amount of herbicide must be correct to kill the competition without harming the pines; seedlings must be genetically fitted to the site, large enough to grow vigorously, and have the proper balance between root and top; planting techniques must approximate tender, loving care. Consequently, we will guarantee survival only when our contract includes the entire program.

Our guarantee covers losses from Pales weevils.. This means that we will not attempt to regenerate tracts unless logging on them or immediately adjacent to them is completed prior to June 30.

Our guarantee does not cover losses from fire.

We cannot regenerate tracts on which the terrain is so steep or the ground cover is so heavy that a skidder cannot be operated safely.

Eventual Yield of Plantations

This program is the only one we have examined since 1951 that will dramatically increase profits from timberlands. In many instances they will double. Stands will look like the Leland Speed Plantation, and yields will be comparable. If you participate in the Vardaman revolution in forest management, you will discover that timberland can be a relatively-short-term investment with returns equal to or better than those from other media.