The effect of container shape on the development of roots and canopy of woody plants

I. Biran*, A. Eliassaf

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

10 Scopus citations

Abstract

The branching and spread of roots in containers was studied in a shallow rooting plant (Erythrina corralodendrum) and in a deep-rooting plant (oak, Quercus ithaburensis). In the Erythrina, the weight of the roots was found to decrease towards the base of the container. Sixty percent of the root system was laterals, which were evenly distributed throughout the container. In the oak, a higher root weight was found in the lowest third of the container than in the 2 upper thirds. Lateral roots comprised 14% of the complete root system, mostly in the base of the container. Severe pruning of oak roots resulted in a ratio of main-root/lateral roots comparable to that found in unpruned Erythrina. The growth and distribution of roots of plants with different growth characteristics in containers of various shapes, e.g. deep and narrow, or shallow and wide as compared to regular shape containers, were studied. Thus, in Ficus retusa, which has a shallow root system, the development of roots was stimulated in a shallow and wide container, but roots and canopy were restricted in a deep and narrow container. In Pistacia lentiscus, which has a deep root system, planting in a shallow and wide container resulted in retarded canopy and roots, while growing the same plant in a narrow and deep container showed a stimulated root growth. In Dodonea viscosa, whose root system is naturally deep and tends to spread laterally, a slight retardation of the root development was found when it was grown in a shallow and wide container. When grown in a deep and narrow container, canopy and root growth were stimulated. The study indicated that growth tends to be stimulated when there is a mutual matching between the natural growth pattern of roots and the shape of their container.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)183-193
Number of pages11
JournalScientia Horticulturae
Volume12
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Mar 1980

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