ABSTRACT
Drainage of virgin, tree-covered peatlands has usually resulted in satisfactory wood production, but poor results have also been experienced in large areas, estimated to be about 10 to 17 percent of the drained area. The drainage of open mires in Finland has been discontinued because of nutritional problems. Boron is the most problematic micronutrient in Finnish peatland forests. Some of the programs were focused on improving forest growth on peatlands, mainly by drainage and fertilization. Forest improvement measures on peatlands increased rapidly and reached their peak in the late 1960s and early 1970s. A sufficient knowledge of nitrogen status is also important because most peatland forests benefit from phosphorus and potassium application if nitrogen mineralization is sufficient. However, chemical weed control is not as effective on peatlands as on mineral soils because of the high organic matter content of the substratum.
