WHAT WAS DEMONSTRATED – HOW FAST CAN INDIVIDUAL TREES GROW?
Variation in Annual Crop Tree Growth A set of 10 red oak and 10 yellow-poplar released crop trees were monitored and growth was compared to 10 similar unreleased trees and partially released trees in the control and area-wide treatment areas. Results indicate wide variation in annual growth. The following table and charts show that released red oak and yellow-poplar trees grow almost twice as fast as unreleased trees during the better growing seasons. Presumably this is largely a weather influence. However, the later growing seasons may also be influenced by a reduction of free-to-grow space caused by closing of the crown canopy. Wide growth rate fluctuation of unreleased yellow-poplar (in the control) among seasons suggests that trees affected by crowding from competitors have greatly impaired growth when weather is less favorable.
