Effect of nursery location and outplanting date on field performance of Pinus halepensis and Quercus ilex seedlings

One-year-old seedlings of Aleppo pine (Pinus halepensis Mill.) and holm oak (Quercus ilex L.) were over-wintered in the nursery under two contrasting conditions (greenhouse vs outdoors), which were chosen to simulate coastal vs inland thermal regimes. Seedling morphology, root growth potential (RGP) and shoot cold hardiness were assessed at lifting (at monthly intervals from November to March), and related to survival and field performance during two growing seasons. At lifting, behaviour outdoors was similar in both species. Conversely, the milder conditions in the greenhouse affected nursery performance in Aleppo pine seedlings (shoot growth during winter, low cold hardiness, low RGP), and influenced field performance negatively. Thus, nursery thermal regime had a significant effect on survival of outplanted Aleppo pine seedlings, and autumn outplanting appears to be the preferred option for this species. This issue does not seem as relevant in holm oak, a species less sensitive to frost. Minimum field temperatures in the 3 weeks around outplanting date were a critical acclimation period for Aleppo pine seedlings. Higher RGP at lifting was related to higher survival in Aleppo pine and taller holm oak seedlings. There was also a significant correlation between mortality after outplanting and foliar electrolyte leakage in Aleppo pine. Thus, cold hardiness is a good physiological indicator for determining the best lifting and planting dates in Aleppo pine, and RGP shows more promise for assessing holm oak vitality.