REFORESTATION
TECHNOLOGIES
INTERNATIONAL
Gilbert Smith-Pak PHP
18-10-10
Superior Growth and Establishment For Brush Prone Sites
Developed initially to help foresters eliminate the cost of brushing on tough, brushy sites in the Upper North Thompson Valley located in the Interior Wet-belt of BC, the Gilbert Smith-Pak PHP is RTI's top-of-the-line formulation that gives the seedling the boost it needs to overcome competing vegetation. Whether it is herbaceous brush that the seedling competes against during the initial years of establishment or woody brush and deciduous competition that invades the site over time, the Gilbert Smith-Pak helps the seedling capture the site before its competition can. It does this by providing a readily available and complete package of controlled-release plant nutrients required for superior root and foliar production.
A Strong Root System and a Large Crown Are Keys To Site Capture
A seedlings crown is the engine that drives growth to create a strong stem resistant to vegetation and snow press. The root system is what helps to fuel the engine. When a seedling is planted it does not yet have access to site resources to develop these critical attributes so without adequate, balanced nutrition, the seedling can struggle. On brushy sites, seedlings don't have time to struggle so during the first critical year of establishment the Gilbert Smith-Pak provides the nutrients required to develop the crown and root system. Therefore, the Gilbert Smith-Pak PHP helps provide the opportunity for the seedling to capture the site rather than the competing vegetation that is already established and tapped into site resources.
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Fertilizing At The Time of Planting With Gilbert Smith-Paks
- 2,000 Paks / Case
The complete presentation is available to download for preferred viewing. For a complete trial report, please contact Integral Forest Management Ltd.
As revealed by flimsy crown of the seedling in the photo below, even on moist sites with decent soil nutrients, nutrient deficiencies can still occur given the seedling has not yet developed its root system to access site resources.
Compare the control photo with the seedling fertilized at the time of planting with the Gilbert Smith-Pak. Note the much larger, more robust stem and crown. Which seedling do you think is in a better position to take on the oncoming brush competition.
Compare the crown of this control tree with the crown of the one fertilized with the Gilbert Smith-Pak. Notice how much thinner it is, resulting in a struggle against the competing vegetation.
Superior growth at the beginning of this Douglas-fir seedlings life, resulting from using RTI’s Gilbert Smith-Pak at the time of planting has lead to a large, robust crown that pushes away competing for deciduous trees and shrubs, saving the silviculture forester of having to do a costly brushing intervention.
If seedlings don't capture these brushy sites right the only option is an expensive intervention to rescue the seedlings. The Gilbert Smith-Pak gives the seedlings the boost that they need to help overcome the brush before it overcomes them!