PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Edward F. Gilman AU - Maria Paz AU - Chris Harchick TI - Container Wall Porosity and Root Pruning Influence on <em>Swietenia mahogani</em> Root Ball Architecture and Anchorage After Planting AID - 10.48044/jauf.2015.016 DP - 2015 May 01 TA - Arboriculture &amp; Urban Forestry (AUF) PG - 155--167 VI - 41 IP - 3 4099 - http://auf.isa-arbor.com/content/41/3/155.short 4100 - http://auf.isa-arbor.com/content/41/3/155.full AB - Swietenia mahogani L. ability to anchor after planting in 9.5 L nursery containers has been attributed to root architecture within the original planted root ball. Objectives of this study were to evaluate root architecture, growth, and anchorage on trees planted from 57 L containers. Trunk diameter and tree height in nursery and after landscape planting were unaffected by propagation or nursery container type or root pruning at planting. Trees grown in solid-walled containers at every stage in the nursery had the greatest root defects. Unlike propagation containers, the wall porosity of the larger nursery container impacted root architecture eight months after planting to the landscape. A nursery container with porous walls produced a root system with fewer circling roots, more horizontal (straight) lateral roots, and greater root cross-sectional area bridging the container substrate/landscape soil interface than one with a solid wall. Root pruning (shaving or boxing) increased root system symmetry while reducing the 57 L visual rating of root deflection by the container. Despite improved root architecture, there was no impact of any treatment on anchorage (trunk tilt during winching or rest angle following winching) eight months after planting perhaps due to the short duration of the study.