A review of nursery production systems and their influence on urban tree survival

Abstract

Urban trees face a myriad of complex challenges growing in the built environment. The most common environmental conditions influencing urban tree mortality are water availability, nutrient deficiency and soil compaction. Long-term survival of recently installed trees has been directly attributed to site conditions, planting technique, and posttransplant maintenance. Tree survival is also dependent on selection of healthy, suitable plant material. Production methods for woody plants include traditional plastic containers (CG), pot-in-pot containers (PIP), and in-ground fabric containers (IGF). Alternatively, field grown trees may be produced as bare-root (BR) or root ball-excavated and burlapwrapped (B&B) trees. Each of these methods offers unique advantages in relation to production and installation. Many of the studies reviewed reveal varying post-transplant establishment and survival responses to production methods at a species-specific level.

Look to seedling heights, rather than functional traits, to explain survival during extreme heat stress in the early stages of subtropical rainforest restoration

“…Kabrick, Knapp, Dey, & Larsen, ), we found strong support for an overall hump‐shaped relationship (Figures a and ), strongly suggesting intermediate ‘optimal’ seedling heights for surviving extreme planting temperatures. The reduced survival and growth of larger seedlings may, in part, be due to stock being pot‐bound, as ‘root circling’ in pots reduces anchorage as well as nutrient and water uptake (Allen, Harper, Bayer, & Brazee, ; South, Harrisa, Barnett, Hainds, & Gjerstad, ). Given that all plants were supplied in 50 mm planting tubes, larger seedlings probably also had lower root:shoot ratios, and thus a reduced capacity to supply water to transpiring foliage under stressful, open pasture situations (Close, Beadle, & Brown, ; Grossnickle, ).…”

From Propagation to Field: Influence of Tray Design on Tree Seedling Quality and Performance1

“…This approach has contributed to an understanding of the types of root defects different propagation trays tend to produce, in addition to the influence of different planting methods. More recently, ornamental horticulture research has assessed root system quality coming out of different container designs and its influence on nursery stock quality (Allen et al 2017, Amoroso et al 2010, Appleton 1989, Gilman et al 2010, Gilman et al 2016. Research has focused on concerns around post-production longevity of container-grown trees with deformed root systems resultant from coarse roots being deflected by container walls (Gilman et al 2003, Gilman andPaz 2014).…”

Towards sustainable performance of urban horticulture: ten challenging fields of action for modern integrated pest management in cities

“…Such analyses have to consider already the nursery production systems. They have a significant influence to the survival of trees in the urban environment (Allen et al 2017 ).…”