Forest regeneration is always a topic of discussion among forest landowners. Many have recently had a timber sale, or want to increase the diversity of the trees they have, while others would like to convert some of their pasture land to forest. But, how do you know whether natural regeneration is the right path for your forest? Natural regeneration - new seedling growth - comes from the seed bank in the soil as well as seeds from surrounding trees. Some seeds can travel quite a distance, so if you have mature trees of your desired species in the area, odds are there should be some of their seeds around. If you don't have good natural regeneration, or you don't like the species that are regenerating, another option is planting seedlings. Seedlings of almost every species can be purchased for planting.

So, how do you know if you have good natural regeneration? If you can go into your woods and see seedlings and saplings of all sizes and many different species, your forest has good natural regeneration and you don't really need to plant.

If you don't see any smaller trees, those less than one half inch in diameter, you have poor natural regeneration and could consider planting. Some of the reasons for poor natural regeneration are: wildlife pressure (deer browsing), closed canopy (no light reaching the forest floor), or a large fern or other “weed” population in the understory. You will have to take steps to correct any of these problems you may have before planting, and often by doing so, natural regeneration will come on its own.

Another reason for planting forest trees is to increase the number of species growing in your forest to increase diversity. Some forests may only have a few species growing in them, especially if they were planted. Forests with low diversity are more susceptible to problems from insect or disease outbreaks. You can also convert your forest from one type to another or improve wildlife habitat by planting trees.

Some landowners have fields they would like to convert to forestland. One way to do this is to let the field grow, and usually within several years, depending on deer impact, woody plants will start to establish. However, this natural reforestation can take many years before large trees are visible, and they may not be the desired species. To jump-start the process, plant desirable trees. Planting in fields is generally pretty easy, as the ground is flat and mechanical tree planters can be used.

So, why wouldn't you plant trees? This question will be answered in next week's column.

J. Rebecca Hargrave, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chenango County, Norwich