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Home → Publications → Tree Planters' Notes → Tree Planters' Notes Volume 60, Number 1 (2017) → Effect of Container Size and Design on Morphological Attributes of Cercocarpus ledifolius Nutt. (Curlleaf Mountain Mahogany) Seedlings

Effect of Container Size and Design on Morphological Attributes of Cercocarpus ledifolius Nutt. (Curlleaf Mountain Mahogany) Seedlings

We conducted an experiment to evaluate the effects of four common seedling containers on the morphology and plant biomass production efficiency of Cercocarpus ledifolius Nutt. (curlleaf mountain mahogany) seedlings. All four types produced well-balanced shoot-root ratios. The largest container (Styro-20) produced the largest seedlings and greatest total plant biomass production per unit bedspace area, but also produced the most inconsistently sized seedlings. Among the smaller containers, cell spacing density proved more important than cell volume. The smallest container (Stubby-10) produced seedlings comparable to or greater than the Styro-10 and RL-10, with a high degree of crop consistency and efficient use of growing medium. The RL-10 produced the smallest seedlings by all measures, and plant biomass per unit volume of growing medium was lower than any of the three Copperblock™ containers. Despite its shortcomings, the versatility of the RL system may make it a worthy selection for those nurseries where seedling germination or survival has been problematic.


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Author(s): Christopher R. Keyes, Christine M. Brissette

Publication: Tree Planters' Notes - Volume 60, Number 1 (2017)

Volume: 60

Number: 1