Improving the Establishment

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Improving the Establishment Care of Woody
Plants in the Landscape
Nathan Milburn

• Rick Bates
• Penn State University
• Department of Horticulture

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What are the factors that determine the success
or failure of a newly planted tree or shrub?
(Question Why did this tree die?)
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Nathan Milburn
(Answer J-Rooting)
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What are the factors that determine the success
or failure of a newly planted tree?

Site Selection Soil, Topography, Climate, Pest
Pressure, Exposure
Species Selection Winter Hardiness, Pest
Resistance, Heat Tolerance, Urban Tolerance
Post-transplant Care Adequate Water, Balanced
Nutrition, CHO Reserves, Mechanical Damage, Pest
Control, Construction Protection
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Out of sight, out of mind.
What are the 5 primary functions of trees root
system?
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Importance of the trees root system

• Tree roots provide stability, energy storage,
  water mineral uptake, hormone production
• Over 80 of all landscape tree problems start
  below ground. - G. Watson, The Morton Arboretum

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Exercise sketch the root system of this tree.
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Does your sketch resemble this root
systemroughly a mirror image of the trees
crown?
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(No Transcript)
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X
No Taproot
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• Horizontal root spread is 2-3 times greater than
  crown spread.
• Over 60 of the root system is outside the
  dripline.

X
No Taproot
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• Horizontal root spread is 2-3 times greater than
  crown spread.
• Over 60 of the root system is outside the
  dripline.

X
No Taproot

• Over 95 of the roots are in the top 3 ft. of
  soil.
• Most of the fine roots are in the top 6.

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This
Not This
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Nursery production systems place a trees roots
at risk. Properly managing that risk results in
better tree survival.
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Understanding the advantages disadvantages of
each production system will allow us to make
better decisions (ie. minimizing risk) regarding
the plant establishment process.
Bare-root
Balled Burlapped
Container
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Container production

• Plants grown above ground in plastic containers
• Lightweight bark/peat media
• Grower supplies large quantities of water
  nutrition

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Container-grown trees

• Advantages
• Less restricted by season
• Relatively light weight
• All roots are planted/reduced transplant shock

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Container-grown trees

• Disadvantages
• Deformed/girdling roots may be present
• Potting mix/soil interface problems
• May require more frequent irrigation
• Larger sized stock may be unavailable
• May be more expensive

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Problems with container-grown treesGirdling
Roots
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Problems with container-grown treesSoil
Interface
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Problems with container-grown treesIrrigation
Management
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B B production

• Plants grown in native soil
• Harvested by hand or tree spade
• Spring fall harvest window

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B B trees

• Advantages
• Traditional method
• Larger sized stock available
• Can match soil types/reduced interface problems

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B B trees

• Disadvantages
• Up to 90 of roots removed when transplanted
• Expensive to ship and handle
• Specialized equipment often needed for digging

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Problems with B B treesRoot Loss
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Problems with B B treesRoot Loss Transplant
Shock
Every tree attempts to maintain a balance between
root mass and top growth. Proper rootshoot
ratio must be re-establish after transplanting.
This re-establishment is commonly referred to as
transplant shock.
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Bare-root production

• Trees planted in native soil
• Harvested spring/fall
• Soil removed from roots
• Trees often placed in refrigerated storage over
  winter

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Bare-root trees

• Advantages
• Less expensive
• Easier to ship and handle
• Possible to inspect root system before planting
• No soil interface problems

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Bare-root trees

• Disadvantages
• Limited planting window/trees must be dormant
• Root desiccation can be a problem
• Restricted to smaller sized stock
• Some species do not respond well
• Trees may require staking

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Problems with bare-root trees
Root pruning to fit conventional containers (vs.
low-profile containers).
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Problems with bare-root trees
Loss of dormancy increased risk of desiccation
during planting
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Management Strategies to Minimize Problems Caused
by Production Systems
GOALS

• Maintain a vigorous root system with a high
  number of root tips
• Minimize desiccation during the transplant
  process

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Management Strategies Container

• Pot-in-Pot
• Modifying root systems with copper

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No Spin Out
Spin Out Treated
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Management Strategies B B

• Late Spring/early fall digging
• Root pruning

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Management Strategies Bare-root

• Gravel beds to extend planting season

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Planting Scenario

• High of plants needed for windbreak/shelterbelt
• Spring planting project
• Limited budget
• Well-drained clay loam
• Desired species Thuja, Lilac, Spruce, Ash,
  Willow or Caragana

Production Type? _________
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Planting Scenario

• Challenging soil conditions/construction
• Fall planting project
• Large plants needed
• Desired species Oak, Spruce, or Maple
• Post-plant irrigation practices watered once
  after planting

Production Type? __________
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Planting Scenario
Production Type? ________

• Commercial site
• Trickle irrigation available
• Soil average fertility, well-drained
• Installation in late June

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Factors to consider

• Time of year
• Budget
• Species
• Soil type
• Availability of water

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Ease of Transplanting Establishment
Himelick 1991 Transplanting Manual for Trees
Shrubs, ISA
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Time of Transplanting

• Late summer and fall planting takes advantage of
  warm soils, shorter and cooler days, reduced
  transpiration
• Spring planting, prior to bud break, takes
  advantage of reduced stress, avoids cold damaging
  period, adequate soil moisture

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Does Size Matter?
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Yes!

• Anything is do-able if you have the money, time,
  and will
• General rule, small plants transplant more
  successfully than do large ones of the same
  species
• A 4 caliper tree regains its original root
  volume within 5 years of transplanting. 1985
  Watson Tree size affects root regeneration and
  top growth after transplanting. JOA 1137-40
• A 10 caliper tree can take 13 years.
• 3 caliper red oaks re-establish as rapidly as
  1.5 caliper red oaks. The difference 42
  survival vs 100 survival. 2000 Struve et al.
  Survival and growth of transplanted small and
  large caliper red oaks. JOA 26(3) 162-204.
• Finally, the bigger the tree the more planning
  and the greater energy and focus necessary on
  post planting care

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Common situations which impact tree health

• Urban stress

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Common situations which impact tree health

• Tree pits

What is the average lifespan of an urban street
tree?
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Common situations which impact tree health

• Construction sites

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Common situations which impact tree health

• Heavy compacted soil

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Common situations which impact tree health

• Heavy compacted soil

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Common situations which impact tree health

• Deep planting

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(No Transcript)
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(No Transcript)
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Shallow is better than deep

• Dig the planting hole as wide as possible
• The depth of the hole should be less than the
  height of the root ball

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Digging holes
For BB material dig the hole absolutely no
deeper than the balls height but 3-5 times the
balls diameter.
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Common situations which impact tree health

• Synthetic burlap/twine/wire baskets

10 years after planting

• These roots grew through this artificial burlap
  with little difficulty but, as the roots
  attempted to expand in diameter, they became
  girdled or strangled

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How can you tell synthetic from natural?
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Twine
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Wire baskets, what should you do?

• Take them off?
• Leave them alone?
• Cut them back?
• What is best?
• Compromise I cut them back removing the first
  rung or two

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Common situations which impact tree health

• Improper mulching

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Mulching

• Apply a 3 thick layer of mulch to at least an
  eight-foot diameter circle
• Apply a thinner layer of mulch over the root
  ball, but keep it away from the trunk

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Common situations which impact tree health

• Improper mulching

• Fiberous roots from the trunk
• Desiccation
• Reduced effectiveness of the original root system
• Moisture against trunk
• Rot and disease problems
• Insect pests
• Poor water infiltration to the root system

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Common situations which impact tree health

• Staking

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Staking is only necessary when

• Planting in sandy or shaley ground,
• Root ball is small, broken, or bare root
• Planting on a very windy site or a high traffic
  area.

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Thigmomorphogenesis

• change in form as a result of tactile
  stimulation

Time movement
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Not good

• Improper staking (too high and/or tight) causes
  trees to grow tall and spindly. When stakes are
  removed trees are unable to support their tops.

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Proper Staking

• Proper staking (when necessary) allows trees to
  sway in the breeze which increases trunk girth
  (diameter). Attach arbor tie to tree only up to
  1/3 the tree height

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Alternative staking methods
Figure 4
Figure 5

• These inexpensive alternative staking systems do
  not need to be removed because they simply decay
  in a few years

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Common situations which impact tree health

• Improper pruning

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Prune to finish the job

• Remove broken branches
• Perform structural pruning if needed
• Do not prune to compensate for root loss

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Common situations which impact tree health

• Planting hole additives/amendments

• Mycorrihizae
• Biostimulants/root stimulants
• Bioplex
• Organic Material

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Recent research

• Professor Dan Struve and co-author Jonathan D.
  Sammons at Ohio State have published two articles
  on the effect of BioPlex on transplant and
  recovery of trees.
• Journal of Environmental Horticulture
• Effect of Bioplex on Transplant Success and
  Recovery of Summer-dug Goldenraintree 23(2)
  59-62 June 2005
• Effect of Bioplex on Transplant Success and
  Recovery of Non-Dormant Red Oak (Quercus rubra
  L.) 22(4)197-201 December 2004.

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Bioplex Research Conclusions

• Root pruning significantly reduced transpiration
  on root pruned trees compared to non- root pruned
  trees and had a greater effect on transpiration
  than any Bioplex treatment
• Bioplex had no beneficial effect on seedling dry
  weight or growth the following spring
• There does not seem to be any long-term
  beneficial effect when used to mediate summer
  digging transplant stress.
• Bioplex had no beneficial effect on recovery of
  summer dug goldenraintree
• Nursery stock handling at the nursery, during
  transportation, and on the job site may affect
  transplant survival and regrowth more than the
  root regeneration characteristics of the species.

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Questions