Pine Management
There Could Be a "Pot of Gold" on Your Land
Thinning Young Pine Plantations
Thinning of young pine plantations is the single most important management activity a forest landowner can do to his plantation. The goal of thinning is not to maximize current income from low value pulpwood, but rather to prepare it for producing higher value sawlogs in the future. Thinning must be done at the proper time and in the proper way in order to maximize both future value and health of the plantation. Below are some links from Mississippi State University and N.C. State University concerning pine thinning. If you have more questions, feel free to contact Dr. Andy Londo, Extension Silviculture Specialist.
Are My Pine Trees Ready to Thin?
Prescribed Burning
When Will a Prescribed Burn Help My Pine Stand?
Fertilization
Forest fertilization is a relatively easy way for landowners to boost productivity of their forestland. However, not all land needs to be fertilized. Determining if you need to fertilize, when and how much to use are important questions which need to be answered before fertilizing your forestland.
Growth and Yield
Publications
News
RAYMOND, Miss. -- The hard freeze that swept Mississippi on March 19 and 20 dampened some of spring’s early displays and left many landscape plants with unsightly cold damage. Now, homeowners are wondering what to do about their landscape plants that lost their leaves or have brown-tipped or brown, shriveled leaves.
STARKVILLE, Miss. -- When planting loblolly pine trees on well-drained soils, landowners should heed two basic rules: Don’t do it during a freeze, and make sure to plant roots and seedlings deep.
To increase the chance of survival on well-drained soils, some Southern regeneration foresters suggest planting loblolly pine in a deep hole with the root collar several inches below the soil surface.
A variety of pests threaten Mississippi forests, presenting a challenge to landowners who lack experience in managing land or even knowing what problems to look for. Brady Self, a forestry specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said that good first step is to simply do a walkthrough and look for things out of place.
RAYMOND, Miss. -- Larry Haley is expecting a busy year at his Christmas tree farm in Saucier. Haley said he sells about 500 trees per year. That may sound like a lot, but they go fast. Families who want to be sure to get the perfect tree should visit their local tree farm as early as possible.
Fall is the perfect time to enjoy fire pits and camping trips! Firewood is a necessity for both activities, so it’s important to know how to properly collect and manage it. Be sure to get your firewood within 50 miles of where you will burn it whether that’s in your backyard or at a campground several miles from home.
Success Stories
In an industry where every piece of equipment can seriously hurt the operators and crew, one Mississippi logging company has not recorded an accident during more than 40 years of operation, from Brandon to Gulfport.
Drew Sullivan admits his first timber tract would not have fetched an appraiser’s attention, but he usually drove back home from a lumber yard in Kemper County each week with around $150 in his pocket— not bad for a 15-year-old Mississippi boy growing up in the mid-90s.
During his tenure as an engineer at Boeing, Ottis Bullock helped build machines that went into the air and to the moon, but he always had an interest in the trees that grew from the ground where he came of age.
