Fill Planting
Source: PEI Ecosystem-Based Forest Management Standards Manual (October 2025), p. 10
What it is
Fill planting adds site-appropriate seedlings to an area that was planted before but is now only partly stocked.
Eligibility
- An appropriate pre-harvest covertype (see Planting Standards).
- The area must have been planted before.
- The site can support suitable seedlings, and it is not currently adequately stocked with vigorous planted trees.
| Test | Standard |
|---|---|
| Stocking trigger | Surviving planted seedlings plus adequate natural regeneration are below 70% of the original prescribed planting density |
| Growing space | New seedlings need enough room to survive and a reasonable chance of maturing with the original crop |
| Height gap | The original crop can be no more than 1 m taller than the fill seedlings (1.5 m when white pine is the fill species) |
Standards and assessment
- A post-planting assessment confirms the seedlings were planted correctly, in the prescribed site, to the planting specifications.
- Target density: normally whatever brings the plantation back to its original density. It can be adjusted when a large share of the original seedlings have poor vigour.
When a fill becomes a new plantation
Per the manual, once the newly planted seedlings and natural regeneration together exceed 70% of the original prescribed density, the Department treats the original plantation as failed and assigns it a new plantation number.
Read next to the under-70% trigger above, this wording is ambiguous. Confirm how it will be applied with your local PEI Forests, Fish and Wildlife office before you plant.
Based on the PEI Ecosystem-Based Forest Management Standards Manual (October 2025), p. 10. Where this guide and the manual differ, the manual governs.