%0 Research Notes %T The effect nurse crop density and fertilization on the height growth of Norway spruce seedlings on drained peatland %A Hilli, Anu %A Päätalo, Marja-Leena %A Moilanen, Mikko %A Piiroinen, Marja-Leena %D 2003 %J Suo - Mires and peat %V 54 %N 2 %U http://suo.fi/article/9827 %X A natural understorey of Norway spruce often develops under birch on oligo-mesotrophic peatlands, but spruce can also be planted on these sites. The effects of fertilization and the density of the pubescent birch nurse crop on the height growth and needle nutrient status of a planted spruce understorey on an old drained herb-rich sedge pine fen was investigated in this study. The spruce transplants were planted early in the 1960’s. The nurse crop was removed, thinned to 200 stems ha-1 or left unmanaged in 1988. A number of plots were also fertilized. The height growth of the spruce transplants was measured during two periods after management, and the needle nutrient concentrations were determined before fertilization and again 10 years later. The height growth of the spruce was 40 - 60% greater after removal of the nurse crop than that under the unthinned nurse crop. Even the thinned nurse crop slowed down the growth of the understorey. However, height growth was the best on the plots on which the nurse crop was removed and the plots fertilized.