Large cuttings: a jump start for tree planting
A description is given of a traditional technique used to establish live fences in Costa Rica, in which 3-yr-old, apicormic (epicormic) shoots or crown suckers (large shoots growing straight up from lateral branches) of about 15 cm diameter are selected in March from well developed trees. The shoots are trimmed to lenght 2.5 m and laid out horizontally under the tree in the shade, for a week. They are than stacked vertically against the base of the tree for 3 wk, lower end downwards. Planting is done in April (4 wk after cutting, and 1 month before crop planting) to a depth of 50 cm. In Chorotega mayor 80 per cent of shoots planted in this way establish and grow into mature trees; the preferred species are both local - Bombacopsis quinata and Bursera simaruba. In the central valley of Costa Rica, a similar technique is used to establish shade trees of Erythrina berteroana for coffee plants, and in other parts of the country Gliricidia sepium, Leucaena leucocephala, Cassia grandis and E. berteroana are established in the same way for fuelwood and fodder production, and Tectona grandis and Eucalyptus spp. for timber. Because the shoots are 2 m tall when planted they do not require much protection from browsing. The technique has also been used to establish G. sepium on eroded slopes and stream banks. A list is given of 48 species which have been observed to grow well from large epicormic shoots (with family and country of observation).
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | biblioteca |
| Published: |
1992
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| Subjects: | CERCAS VIVAS, BOMBACOPSIS QUINATUM, BURSERA SIMARUBA, NICOYA, COSTA RICA, |
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