%0 Research Notes
%T Soil and needle analyses as indicators of tree growth
%A Sippola, Jouko
%A Erviö, Raimo
%A Tares, Tauno
%D 1985
%J Suo - Mires and peat
%V 36
%N 3
%U http://suo.fi/article/9605
%X A comparison of soil and needle chemical analysis in describing tree growth was made using correlation analysis. Nutrient contents in the soil were poorly correlated with tree growth on mineral soils, while needle analysis was found to be more useful in tracing nutrient deficiences. Plant nutrient contents in the poor types of peat studied correlated rather closely with pine growth but the nutrient contents of needles did not explain the variation in growth to the same degree. This indicates that soil testing may be useful when tracing nutrient deficiences on poor peat soils. On mineral soils, instead, needle analysis may be preferable.