Tree settlement during the first two growing seasons (March 2006 through October 2007) and trunk cracking after planting into field soil from four nursery container volumes.
| Container volume at planting (L) | Tree settlementz (mm) | Number of vertical cracks per trunk |
|---|---|---|
| 11 | +3 (0 to +16) ay | 0.1 b |
| 103 | −1 (−5 to 0) a | 0 b |
| 230 | −6 (−16 to 0) b | 0.1 b |
| 983 | −26 (−32 to −2) c | 5.3 a |
↵zSettlement: negative number indicates that tree trunk sank into soil in the first 17 months after planting; positive number indicates trees lifted up out of the soil.
Number in parenthesis indicates range.
↵yMeans in a column with a different letter are statistically different at P < 0.05 and were compared with Duncan’s MRT (n = 16, averaged across irrigation and mulch treatments).