Container Wall Porosity and Root Pruning Influence on Swietenia mahogani Root Ball Architecture and Anchorage After Planting

↵^z Trees seeded into either Ellepot (EP) or smooth-sided (SM) container before shifting to 3.8 L nursery container.

↵^y Trees grown in either porous- (PC) or solid-walled (SC) 3.8 L then 9.5 L nursery containers prior to shifting into 57 L solid-walled containers.

↵^x Percentage of root ball circumference, looking down on the root ball, lacking roots >3 mm diameter.

↵^w Percent of roots that grew from trunk to 5 cm inside 57 L container wall position at <45 degree angle to substrate surface without making a turn of >60 degrees relative to parent root azimuth at trunk; root diameter measured at trunk.

↵^v Means in a column with a different letter are statistically different at P < 0.04 and 0.0001, left to right; n = 8.

↵^z Trees seeded into either Ellepot (EP) or smooth-sided container (SM) then into either porous- (PC) or solid-walled (SC) 3.8 L then 9.5 L nursery containers prior to shifting into 57 L solid-walled containers, then planted into landscape soil.

↵^y Number of roots >3 mm diameter measured 5 cm inside the position of the 57 L container wall that grew from trunk at <45 degree angle to substrate surface without making a turn of >60 degrees relative to parent root azimuth at trunk.

↵^x Number of roots >3 mm diameter measured 5 cm beyond the position of the 57 L container wall that grew from trunk at <45 degree angle to substrate surface without making a turn of >60 degrees relative to parent root azimuth at trunk.

↵^w Percent of the five largest diameter roots (diameter measured just beyond root collar) that grew beyond the periphery of the 57 L container position following the largest root at forks.

↵^v Percent trunk circumference circled with roots >5 mm diameter from either propagation container, 3.8, and/or 9.5 L container position.

↵^u Means in a column with a different letter are statistically different at P < 0.04; n = 10, averaged across root pruning at landscape planting due to insignificant interactions.

↵^z Trees grown in either porous- (PC) or solid-walled (SC) 3.8 L then 9.5 L nursery containers prior to shifting into 57 L solid-walled containers.

↵^y Visual rating of root deflection severity at indicated container position with 1 = little imprint or retained “cage” formed by deflected roots, and 5 = strong imprint formed by deflected roots retaining the shape of the container.

↵^x Percent trunk circumference circled with roots >5 mm diameter from either propagation container, 3.8, and/or 9.5 L container position.

↵^w Percent trunk circled with roots >5 mm diameter at the position of the periphery of the 57 L root ball.

↵^v Number of roots >3 mm diameter measured 5 cm inside the position of the 57 L container wall that grew from trunk at <45 degree angle to substrate surface without making a turn of >60 degrees relative to parent root azimuth at trunk.

↵^u Percent of the five largest diameter roots (diameter measured just beyond root collar) that grew beyond the periphery of the 57 L container position following the largest root at forks.

↵^t All roots within a 60 cm diameter cone-shaped root ball 60 cm deep.

^s Means in a column with a different letter are statistically different at P < 0.01; n = 20, averaged across propagation container type and root pruning due to insignificant interactions.

↵^z Root characteristics measured within a hand dug, shoved-excavated, cone-shaped soil volume 60 cm in diameter and 60 cm deep centered on the trunk.

↵^y Trees were root pruned by shaving away the outer 3 to 4 cm periphery of the 57 L root ball when planted into the landscape.

↵^x Visual rating of root deflection severity at 57 L container position with 1 = little imprint or retained “cage” formed by deflected roots, and 5 = strong imprint formed by deflected roots retaining the shape of the container).

↵^w Percent trunk circled with roots >5 mm diameter at the position of the periphery of the 57 L root ball.

↵^v Visual rating with 1 = radially asymmetrical distribution of roots with most on one side of root ball, and 5 = radially symmetrical distribution of mother roots (roots growing directly from stem).

↵^u Number of roots >3 mm diameter measured 5 cm beyond the position of the 57 L container wall that grew from trunk at <45 degree angle to substrate surface without making a turn of >60 degrees relative to parent root azimuth at trunk.

↵^t Percent of the five largest diameter roots (diameter measured just beyond root collar) that grew beyond the periphery of the 57 L container position following the largest root at forks.

↵^s Roots >3 mm diameter measured 5 cm beyond 57 L periphery.

↵^r Root cross-sectional area (CSA) measured 5 cm outside 57 L root ball position for roots >3 mm diameter growing from entire root ball periphery.

↵^q Means in a column with a different letter are statistically different at P < 0.0002; n = 20, averaged across propagation and nursery container types due to insignificant interactions.

↵^z Trees grown in either porous- (PC) or solid-walled (SC) 3.8 L then 9.5 L nursery containers prior to shifting into 57 L solid-walled containers, then planted into landscape soil.

↵^y Trees were root pruned by shaving away the outer 3 to 4 cm periphery of the 57 L root ball when planted into the landscape.

↵^x Percent trunk circumference circled with roots >5 mm diameter from either propagation container, 3.8, and/or 9.5 L container position.

↵^w Percent of the five largest diameter roots (diameter measured just beyond root collar) that grew beyond the periphery of the 57 L container position following the largest root at forks.

↵^v Means in a column with a different letter are statistically different at P < 0.0001; n = 10, averaged across propagation container type due to insignificant interactions.