11 - Pine Tree Test - Click on image to enlarge

Central B.C., Bednesti research site. 3 Lodgepole pine seedlings planted at the same time on 3 different locations on the same small VH Mulcher mound. (One seedling was planted lower in the excavation area, one half way up and one on top of the mound). For this site the growth response (after 4 yrs.) is obvious. Being a cold site, with poor soils, the warmer location on top of the mound produced the most rapid growth. What you can't see in this photo is that most of the organic material was mixed and made "immediately available" to the tree on the top of the mound.