Short and Long-Term Effects of Treeshelters on the Root and Stem Growth of Ornamental Trees    (View PDF)

D.W. Burger, G.W. Forister, and R. Gross

Abstract: Short-term (aerated solution culture and container nursery) and long-term (landscape) experiments were conducted to study the effect of treeshelters on the root and shoot growth of several ornamental trees {Sequoia sempervirens (D. Don) Endl., Quercus lobata Nee, Quercus agrifolia Nee, Lagerstroemia indica L. 'Watermelon Red', Ginkgo biloba L, Platanus racemosa Nutt., Fraxinus latifolia Benth. and Populus euamericana cv. Giacometti). In general, plants grown in treeshelters were taller and some had reduced caliper growth. Treeshelters reduced top dry mass of F. latifolia, P. racemosa, Q. agrifolia, Q. lobata and P. euamericana and also reduced root dry mass, root:shoot ratio, total root length and total root area for all species/cultivars except Q. agrifolia. The results are explained on the basis of the microenvironment in/ around treeshelters, photosynthetic partitioning and immobilization of plants growing in shelters. Management challenges and potential usefulness of treeshelters in landscape transplanting are also discussed.

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https://doi.org/10.48044/jauf.1997.006