2020

The First 16 Million Forest Seedlings have Sprouted in LVM Nurseries

Spring works are in full swing in the tree nurseries of JSC “Latvia's State Forests” (LVM). More than 16 million top quality forest seedlings have already sprouted in greenhouses. Work continues on sowing new forest seedlings, planting them in the open fields, from where they will reach customers in Latvia and abroad after one to two years.

The sown cassettes are transferred from the sowing lines to 25 m x 100 m greenhouses, where the seeds germinate, and the seedlings are then taken to outdoor landfills to continue to grow and get used to the Latvian climate. Meanwhile, the greenhouses are once again being filled with the next portion of sowings.

One greenhouse contains 1 million container seedlings or 2 million small containers, from which bare-root plants with an improved root system are further cultivated.

In the season of 2020, LVM tree nurseries mainly use seeds obtained from forest tree seed plantations, which enables forest owners to increase the value of the future forest by 25 to 30%. The seed category is “improved” and “superior”. However, quality seedlings alone are not enough to grow a high-quality forest of the future – forest owners need to provide appropriate conditions for tree growth and the necessary tending.

This year, “LVM Sēklas un stādi” nurseries plan to sell 53.3 million forest seedlings, of which 29.1 million will be used for the reforestation of the areas managed by LVM and 11.1 million will be directed to private forest owners in Latvia, and 13 million will be exported.

LVM urges all forest owners to think about reforestation well in advance, by choosing and ordering forest seedlings, not only by planning the amount of seedlings, but also the required species and regional origin of the seedlings. Every year, LVM restores thousands of hectares of forest area, planting two new seedlings per each tree that is felled. A healthy and growing forest is able to provide more carbon sequestration and oxygen production. Therefore, active forest management takes place throughout the year.

The Tree Counter available on the website of JSC “Latvia's State Forests” allows tracking the number of trees planted.