ABSTRACT
This chapter describes whether pure soil mounds or mixed soil mounds should be preferred with respect to the survival and growth of Norway spruce seedlings. Seedlings planted in mounds can also benefit from improved drainage conditions, less competition from other plants, and less surface frost. The mortality of seedlings grown in pure peat mounds was significantly higher than for seedlings grown in pure mineral soil. The number of seedling roots in mounds of mixed soil was higher than in mounds of pure peat and of pure mineral soil respectively. The survival of seedlings was highest in mounds of pure mineral soil and lowest in pure peat mounds. The amount of water held in the mounds studied was satisfactory for seedlings, even during the driest period of the growing season. Increased soil water contents also protect the seedlings from temperature damage. Seedlings grew as well on ditch spoils that contained mineral subsoil as on fertilized plots.
