If the best time to plant a tree was 5 years ago, then the best time to breed a tree was 20 years ago.
The Open4st team is looking for research partners in the NorthEast and Midwestern US that will plant aspen materials on a small scale (20 to 200 trees) to help develop improved clones and increase our knowledge of regional aspen plantings. Qualified participants will be provided with labeled aspen materials, documentation and support to grow trees in a research field trial. The results will be entered in a database and made available to the participants and researchers. This should be a rewarding experience for everyone as we share ideas, results and sustainable technologies. These aspen trees could be planted with "purpose grown" objectives for timber, fuelwood, pulp, wildlife.
We will be selecting for higher end products such as highly figured wood with about 20 year rotations and use the thinnings for biomass markets. We hope this research will develop public domain, highly figured aspen clones that could compete with figured soft maple stumpage prices. These figured aspens may provide some interesting market opportunities since a planting of figured clones should have known figure patterns and lumber/veneer qualities. Perhaps these characteristics will provide locally grown options for figured wood thereby reducing global pressure on rare and exotic species.
These are high performance, fast growing trees that spread via sucker shoots from their root systems, there is no need to replant after harvest. They make great forest plantings with potential for timber and wildlife but are not intended for residential areas.
In general, cooperators will purchase small or large trial kits. These different sizes are needed to fit the best strategy to the cooperator and available plant resources. Cooperators will plant cuttings to grow 8' bare rooted stock or stool beds that produce 5-7, 4' to 10' poles that are cut back annually (see: Multi-stage Aspen Planting Strategies).
The supplied cuttings should first be planted in a protected, fertile and irrigated garden then the stools or rooted stock harvested annually to make the field trial planting material as cuttings, poles or rooted stock. While it may take 1-3 years to build up stock for the trial, it is much better to start slow, learn tree culture and quickly recover from mistakes.
To participate please read the details below and Contact Us if your interested so we can discuss your situation and minimal purchase costs.
Cooperator Preferences:
We are looking for research partners (cooperators) with the experience and desire to test aspen materials. Below are some preferred cooperator "best effort" attributes:
Understands the Disclaimer/Copyright regarding this site, related materials and processes.
Is experienced in growing plants or trees and has reviewed the Open4st site.
Can plant the supplied materials as cuttings for stools or rooted stock in an irrigated, deer proof, fertile, well drained garden.
Has open (full sun), relatively fertile and well drained land that should be available for tree measurements and inspection for at least 25 years.
Can transplant the test trees onto a test plot (~1/4 acre) for each field trial.
Can provide each test tree with a weed free environment of at least 4' radius for the first 3 years.
The land should have limited deer/rabbit/vole pressure or the cooperator will protect the trees.
The cooperator will strive to maintain the site per the documentation on this page.
The cooperator will strive to measure tree diameters every 3 years.
The cooperator will have a Gmail account for easier collaboration.
The cooperator has access to agricultural equipment (eg. tractors, tillers, sprayers, glysophate).
Open4st Responsibilities:
Supply cooperators with Public Domain test material and support documentation via email and site links.
Ship test clones to the cooperator. The current test configuration involves 16 clones with 2 to 4 - 10" cuttings per clone.
Create an online database to track progress. Site and Cooperator information will be private to Open4st.
TRIAL Process Plan
Year One - Establish cuttings in cooperators garden:
Open4st will ship the cuttings/trees in March/May to the cooperator.
The cooperator keeps the cuttings in a refrigerator at about 35 degrees until planting (about mid-April to mid-May). Bare root trees can be cut into cuttings upon delivery and refrigerated.
The cooperator pre-soaks the cuttings in water for 24 hours just before planting.
The cooperator plants cuttings for rooted stock or stool beds in an irrigated, deer proof, fertile nursery. Plant cuttings (buds pointing up) 1.5' in the row with rows 4' apart. Leave 1" of cutting above ground. Each clone should be marked with aluminum tags fixed to posts or wire. The stool beds should be weed free and irrigated/fertilized similar to a corn crop.
Each stool should develop to yield about 4-7 4'-10' whips annually after being cut back.
The small trial kits require 6 clones with 4 trees per clone and 24 total test trees on a TBD acre site. The larger kits consist of 16 clones, 17 trees per clone and 272 total test trees for a 1/4 acre planting site. The number of stools or rooted stock needed depends upon the type of planting stock you will be using.
The ideal planting stock is a 1 or 2 year rooted cutting with stems at least 8' tall and over 1/2" in diameter at 4 feet. The first year stools should yield ~40 - 6" cuttings. The excess stock can be used to replant any failed trees or start another trial planting. In year one, plant 6" cuttings in your garden spaced 3" apart in the row with double rows 4" apart and centered on 3' spacings. Then lift these trees the next Spring (early April), cut the lateral roots to 1" and shoot to 2' and replant at 9" apart with rows 3' apart to yield 8' well rooted trees. This material will have improved survival rates and rabbit/deer pressure.
Another stock option is to use 12" cuttings larger than 3/8" at the small end. This material requires more site prep and pest control and is vulnerable to deer/rabbit/vole damage. The first year stool cuttings should yield about 20 - 12" cuttings.
Another stock option is to use pole sized whips (~8' tall) from the good rooting clonal stool beds and plant them 2' deep in the field. See: Multi-Stage Aspen Planting Strategies. This option also allows the use of woven textile fabric.
First Winter: Optional ramp-up may be needed to get 16+ plants/clone for the desired planting stock. Consider rooting with min-cuttings (Winter Active Shoot Propagation, aka WASP) to ramp up to 32 rooted plants to put out in mini stool beds to grow 4' to 6' first year in stool bed.
Years 2-3 Ramp up stock
Continue increasing your stools and planting stock depending upon the type of stock plant (rooted whip, 12" cutting or 8' poles).
Consider using the indoor Winter Active Shoot Propagation (WASP) method to increase planting stock for Spring nursery planting.
Ideally you should prepare the trial planting site by applying glysophate, plowing and a cover crop. Review these online documents for Poplar site preparation:
Year 3+ Plant the field trials
Spring - control weeds with glysophate or tillage.
The trees will be planted on 8'x5' spacing. Mark the rows before planting.
Large Trial Size: Plant the trial using 16 clones in 4-tree plots with 4-blocks on 8'x5' spacing, which is 256 trees on .24 acres. See sample site layout: Poplar Plantation Layout Strategies.
Small Trial Size: Plant these trials using 6 clones in 2-tree plots with 2-blocks on 8'x5' spacing, which is 24 trees on a TBD acre site. See sample site layout: Poplar Plantation Layout Strategies.
Control weeds until the canopy closure suppresses weed growth.
For Rooted Stock: Consider stapling 3' woven textile fabric (silt fabric) the stem for protection from deer rubs, voles and light herbicide (glysophate) spray. Ideally, this stock should be planted 1' to 2' deep via shovel or post hole digger or a custom spade. Shorter rooted stock can be used if deer are not a problem. Be sure to top prune this stock to 6' tall after planting to improve the shoot to root ratio and prevent top heavy plants with small diameters.
Create a Google Spreadsheet that shows the layout of the planting. This may be shared with the Open4st team for research purposes but not made public.
Year Four - Optional
Plant another trial in a different location.
Replace dead trees with surplus trees from the nursery.
Miscellaneous Tasks:
Measure the diameters at 4.5' of test trees every 3 years. Send data and photo results to Open4st.
It may be possible/desirable to harvest every other tree in the 5' row at about age 10 providing a 8'x10' site.