Abstract
A large number of Pinus thunbergii seedlings are required for establishment in coastal areas after the tsunami disaster. Therefore, a reduction in the duration of seedling nursing period and year-round planting to equalise the amount of work are required. We compared the stem growth of current-year containerised seedlings (CCS) and 2-year-old conventional bare-root seedlings (TBS), and planted the containerised seedlings every 2 months except during midwinter (January). There was no significant difference between the stem length of CCS and TBS after one growing season. For CCS planted during March, stem longitudinal growth was smaller than that of TBS; however, for those planted during November, no significant difference was noted. Stem radial growth of CCS was higher than that of TBS. Seedling percentage survival rates of CCS after one growing season was high (>98.4%), regardless of the planted month. In conclusion, usage of current-year seedlings and year-round planting of containerised seedlings could be possible in the regions with environmental conditions similar to the study area.
