Influence of Planting Depth on Growth of Young Apple Trees

Abstract

Shallow planted trees of ‘Delicious’ apple (Malus domestica Borkh.) on Malling 7A (M 7A) and Malling-Merton 111 (MM 111) rootstock were smaller in the 5th year following planting and had higher bloom densities than deep-planted trees. Trees on MM 111 also had more fruit per cross sectional area when shallow planted. Deep planted trees of MM 111 had greater depth to the first root. No differences were observed in degree of lean of either rootstock.

Container and Landscape Planting Depth and Root Ball Shaving Affects Magnolia grandiflora Root Architecture and Landscape Performance

“…from a container (Bryan et al 2010) and Corylus colurna L. from a field nursery (Day and Harris 2008), landscape planting depth had a negligible effect on magnolia trunk growth and height growth in the 68 months after planting (Table 4). In contrast, other researchers (Lyons et al 1987;Arnold et al 2007) found reduced trunk diameter growth with increasing landscape planting depth when installing containergrown trees. However, landscape planting depth affected root system radius and root to shoot spread ratio (Table 4).…”

“…In apparent contrast, certain species capable of generating adventitious roots along the buried stem when planted into field soil from propagation containers (Schwan 1994) perform best when planted a few cm deep. Young seedling-sized trees of those taxa can continue forming adventitious roots after planting-a capacity often lost among older trees planted from shade tree nurseries (Lyons et al 1987).…”

“…This strongly suggests that magnolia did not have the capacity to generate roots from the root collar after landscape planting under conditions of this study. Others showed that roots ceased growing from the collar as trees became 24 to 60 months old (Coutts et al 1983;Lyons et al 1987;Gilman and Harchick 2008).…”

“…Gilman and Harchick (2008) and Harris and Day (2010) showed that certain taxa generate adventitious roots from the buried stem in the nursery container or in the early years after landscape planting from small containers. They agreed that adventitious roots may function to aid in establishment of certain deeply planted young trees, although some taxa do not appear to have the capacity to grow new roots from the buried stem (Lyons et al 1987). Trees can lose capacity to generate adventitious roots as they grow.…”

“…However, Day and Harris (2008) found that despite lack of a growth effect from deep plant-ing, flooding of trees planted deeply seven years earlier subjected them to increased physiological stress compared to shallowly planted trees. Lyons et al (1983) found that after two years, Malus pumila (Mill. ) was less likely to be shaken loose by wind when installed in field soil at nursery depth than when planted up to 20 cm below nursery depth.…”