At 02:47 AM 5/2/03 -0700, sam crowell wrote:
BIG SNIP

For a number of years, I was real big on cell flats, but more and more I am
going back to my old method of using flats. I haven't done any actual
quantitative studies, but it seems like more seedlings survive in the
flats, and the quality of the trees is better. I still use cells for
special cases like acorns where I prune off the seedling radicle to remove
the tap root and improve the root system. This results in a lot of seeds
dying, but the survivors are much higher quality. After a couple months, I
take the survivors out of the cells, examine the roots, prune again if
necessary and repot into 2 3/4 inch pots. They take off really fast with
this process.

Brent, this sounds REALLY interesting to me. Could you detail this out? I
have a few acorns that I would be willing to practice on, but I need to have
more detail as to what to do. I was going to just ask this in a private
note, but decided to follow the maxim that if one is willing ask the
question, there are problem more who would also be interested.

Sam

The problem with container oaks is that they want to grow that five foot
tap root in the container. This very often results in a very long spiral or
congested mass right under the root crown. Smaller roots usually do not
grow out of this mess. Sometimes it is interesting, but most of the time it
is unsightly and very difficult to remove or correct. There are other
species that do this. I have the same problem with cedars, Cedrus sp.

Tap roots are a juvenile structure. If you remove them or if it is damaged,
it doesn't reform (after the plant is over about a year old). This got me
to thinking I could interrupt this growth right at the seedling stage. The
tap root begins with a very elongated radicle (the white rootlike structure
that first emerges from the acorn and other seeds). This was always a
problem anyhow because it made the acorns difficult to plant, requiring a
deep dibble hole in coarse soil mix (try it sometime).

So, I began removing most the radicle after it was an inch or two long,
planted them, and then inspected them over a series of weeks and months. I
just did most of them for this year about three weeks ago. Things are slow
this year because of the incessant spring rain and cloudy, cool weather, so
changes are just becoming evident. I leave about 1/2 inch of radicle. I
try to make a clean cut with sharp shears. The end of the radicle calluses
a bit and then two or more roots form at the cut. Sometimes I get a nice
little radial pattern of roots, but more often I get two or three large
roots that look just like the original radicle.

I plant them in cells to make transplanting easy. The new roots and
radicles can become terribly tangled in a flat, and even winter
transplanting is difficult and recovery slow. It also give me a second
opportunity to inspect the roots and give them another cut to make them
ramify before going into their 2 3/4 inch pots. This also gives you an
opportunity to arrange the roots in the pot. Oaks seedlings tend to form
just a few leaves and spend all their money growing roots, so initial root
pruning like this, even in summer, is practical with a bit of protective
aftercare.

This process completely cures that woody mass directly under the trunk and
gives you an excellent start on a good nebari.

This process is not recommended for Reiner, who doesn't believe you can
grow bonsai from seedlings.

Brent in Northern California
Evergreen Gardenworks USDA Zone 8 Sunset Zone 14

http://www.EvergreenGardenworks.com

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