TRANSPLANTING SUGAR MAPLE AND NORTHERN RED OAK IN EARLY FALL VS. LATE FALL OR SPRING RESULTS IN EARLIER FIRST-SEASON ROOT GROWTH

Description of early post-transplant root growth will help formulate best transplanting strategies for landscape trees.
Early root system regeneration of sugar maple (Acer saccharum ‘Green Mountain’) and northern red oak (Quercus rubra) were therefore determined.
Field-grown 4-year-old trees were transplanted bare-root into outdoor root observation containers (rhizotrons) in Oct.1997, Nov.1997, or March 1998. October-transplanted trees of both species began root regeneration earlier and regenerated more roots, as judged by accumulated root length on rhizotron windows, than Nov.- or March-transplanted trees.
Median date for beginning root extension for sugar maples was 48, 22, and 0 d before budbreak for Oct.-, Nov.- and March-transplanted trees, respectively.
Median date for beginning root extension for northern red oak was 4, 21 and 14 d after budbreak for Oct.-, Nov.- and March-transplanted trees, respectively.
October transplanting will result in earlier first season post-transplant root growth for sugar maple and northern red oak than trees transplanted in November or March.
Earlier post-transplant root growth will likely increase resistance to stress imposed by harsh landscape environments.

XXVI International Horticultural Congress: Environmental Stress and Horticulture Crops

J.R. Harris, J. Fanelli

rhizotron, seasonal, temperature, budbreak, bare-root, transplant establishment

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2003.618.13