Staking and Pruning Influence Trunk Development of Young Trees1

Abstract

Trunk development of young container-grown trees was influenced by pruning and staking practices. The conventional nursery practice of staking and severely pruning laterals of container-grown trees produces plants which usually cannot stand without support when planted in the landscape. However trees were produced that were able to stand erect without staking by eliminating stakes during production, leaving lateral branches on the trunk, and spacing plants so their tops were free to move. Even though rigidly staked trees with lower limbs removed grew taller, they developed less caliper at the trunk base, much less taper to the trunk, and a smaller root system. Most of the trees staked during production, regardless of whether they were lightly or severely pruned, were not able to stand upright when planted out, while the unstaked trees needed no support.

Analysis of Stress Distribution in the Sapling Tree Trunk1

“…Nursery cultural practices can be selected which will produce young trees with a taper parameter of about -0 .6 . These practices; proper spacing, elimination of staking, pruning for appropriate branch distribution but leaving most lateral branches were described by Leiser, Harris et al (8).…”

“…7, for PL2/EI0 = 1.8 and 2.7, and for kL -0, -0.30, -0.60, and -0.90. The maximum bending stress at any point in the trunk can be calculated from the formula M stress = j - (8) where c = radius of trunk at point where stress is being calculated, and M and / are defined by Equations ( 2) and (3).…”

“…one with larger caliper at 4 or 5 ft than at the ground). The cultural practices causing this alteration have been identified and partially defined (7,8).…”