Tree planting is part of our heritage. K.C. Irving and J.K. Irving were early pioneers, planting their first trees in 1957 and launching the company into a long-standing commitment of renewing the forest through high quality seedlings. For over 65 years, J.D. Irving, Limited has continued to be an industry leader in growing trees. To date, we have planted over one billion trees – a national record in Canada.

Planting trees is one of the many ways our forestry professionals regenerate the forest for the future. We use modern mapping tools along with visits to each site to evaluate the soil characteristics as well as the quality and abundance of the natural regeneration to determine whether tree planting is the most appropriate choice for the site. Every summer, between 120 and 150 tree planters join our workforce to plant 20 to 25 million trees throughout our operations in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Maine.

Trees are planted on only about 25% of the sites J.D. Irving, Limited harvests every year. Hardwoods in our region regenerate naturally and today there is the same amount of hardwood as there was 50 years ago. This means that about 75% of the harvested sites regenerate naturally to Acadian and Boreal Forest conditions.

Where tree planting was determined to be the most appropriate regeneration method for a particular site, it is important to ensure that the planted trees have sufficient resources (sunlight, water, nutrients and space) in order to survive and grow. Many pioneer plant species (grasses, raspberries, pin cherry, poplar) will quickly out-compete the planted trees and significantly limit the space, sunlight and nutrients these trees need to grow.  Our forestry professionals use several methods to lessen the impact of competition from pioneer plant species including:

• Site preparation before tree planting
• Planting high quality seedlings
• Herbicide treatments.

Each planted site is monitored to ensure the planted trees have sufficient resources such as sunlight, water, nutrients and space.  On sites where vegetation is out-competing the planted trees, a herbicide treatment will be used. Herbicide treatments allow new seedlings a brief head start against fast growing pioneer species that overcome the planted seedlings. Herbicides are highly selective, which means they only work on certain plants, and provide an effective and efficient way to control competition early on in the life of a planted tree.  A planted site will typically receive 1-2 herbicide treatments in its 40-80 year lifetime.  The most common herbicide used in forestry applications is glyphosate, a product approved in more than 160 countries - primarily for many food crops including wheat, corn and soybeans.  

The use of herbicides in Canada and the US are heavily regulated and controlled in an effort to ensure environmental and human safety.  

For more information on herbicides and vegetation management, visit

www.forestinfo.ca.

Monitoring of planted trees continues well past the first years of their lives.  As a planted site ages, it is often necessary to give the trees more growing space to prevent overcrowding. This will ensure they remain vibrant and healthy.  If a site is determined to be overcrowded, a crew of manual thinners using brush saws will thin the site to ensure the healthiest trees remain.

Manual thinning is also an effective method to improve the strength and health of areas where natural regeneration was the best approach for renewal of a harvested site.  By providing more space and resources to the trees that remain, thinners are giving them a much better chance of remaining healthy.  

Each year, more than 100 manual thinners work to keep our planted and naturally regenerating sites healthy and fast growing throughout our operations in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Maine.  Manual thinning is hard work and we are proud of the commitment and expertise shown by our thinning crews each year.

Our Heritage & History:

K.C. Irving and J.K. Irving were early pioneers, planting their first trees in 1957 and launching the company into a long-standing commitment of renewing the forest through high quality seedlings. Now for over 65 years, J. D. Irving, Limited has continued to be industry leaders in growing and planting trees. Our decades of research and field trials have allowed us to grow a strong and competitive advantage into our seedlings. Today, growing world class seedlings is an important part of who we are.

Our Products, Services and Facilities:
J.D. Irving, Limited’s nursery facilities are capable of growing several conifer species. They are grown as single species or mixed varieties, which gives the forest manager the flexibility needed to plant the right species on the right site. We grow several conifer species, including white spruce, red spruce, black spruce, Norway spruce, white pine and jack pine. Our expert staff has extensive experience in growing superior seedlings. They work with forest managers to make the right long-term decisions for the land.

Juniper Tree Nursery:  
J.D. Irving, Limited’s Juniper Tree Nursery is one of the most modern tree nurseries in North America. Since we began operation in 1958, we have produced over 865 million seedlings. The Juniper Tree Nursery has the capacity to produce over 25 million high quality seedlings every year. From germination to the time of shipment, seedlings are closely monitored through computer-based systems that control conditions in the greenhouses. Seedling crops are routinely monitored to track growth performance and nutrient levels to ensure our seedlings meet our high standards before shipment.

Our Superior Seedlings:
All of the seedlings produced at our nursery facilities are grown from superior, field-tested seeds. These seeds come from strong and healthy “parent” trees in the forests where we work.  The seeds from these trees are grown and reproduced at our seed orchard in Parkindale, New Brunswick. Over the last 25 years, our tree improvement program has demonstrated significant improvement in growth rates, timber quality and pest resistance.  

Protecting From Pest Damage:
Spruce Budworm is the most significant risk to the spruce-fir forests of Eastern Canada and Northeastern United States. Landowners can protect their investment and manage risk from spruce budworm by taking advantage of J.D. Irving, Limited’s patented and award-winning Endophyte Enhancement Treatment. This discovery was the result of years of partnership with Dr. David Miller of Carleton University. Endophytes are naturally occurring fungi that live inside the needles of trees across our region. Our seedlings are inoculated with these fungi to protect them from insect attack. 

J.D. Irving, Limited’s tree improvement programs started in 1980 with the goal of improving the value of the trees we plant and maintaining broad genetic diversity through extensive breeding. The focus of our tree improvement program is on softwood species, such as spruce and pines. Hardwoods are also important, and are managed through natural regeneration and specifically designed harvest treatments that promote regeneration and quality. 

As a result of almost 45 years of tree improvement efforts, seedlings that we plant today are growing 15-25% faster and have better traits such as pest resistance and straightness. Because these trees grow so much faster, J.D. Irving, Limited reduces its operating footprint and impact on the environment.

Another important advantage of tree improvement is that we can adapt to a changing climate. By having an extensive network of field trials, we will be able to closely monitor the impacts of climate change on the various species and genetic diversity represented in the field trials and adapt as necessary.