A review of nursery production systems and their influence on urban tree survival

• Published in: Urban forestry & urban greening 2017-01, Vol.21, p.183-191
• Main Authors: Allen, Kelly S., Harper, Richard W., Bayer, Amanda, Brazee, Nicholas J.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Container; containers; environmental factors; Establishment; Field-grown; Girdling roots; nutrient deficiencies; planting; production technology; Root architecture; soil compaction; somatomedins; tree mortality; trees; woody plants
• ISSN: 1618-8667; 1610-8167
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ufug.2016.12.002

•Nursery production systems impact plant development and root architecture.•Production systems influence post-transplant tree survival.•Production systems influence planting practices.•Planting depth impacts stem-girdling root formation.•Production practices may alter drought stress tolerance and pest susceptibility. Urban trees face a myriad of complex challenges growing in the built environment. The most common environmental conditions influencing urban tree mortality are water availability, nutrient deficiency and soil compaction. Long-term survival of recently installed trees has been directly attributed to site conditions, planting technique, and post-transplant maintenance. Tree survival is also dependent on selection of healthy, suitable plant material. Production methods for woody plants include traditional plastic containers (CG), pot-in-pot containers (PIP), and in-ground fabric containers (IGF). Field grown trees may be produced as bare-root (BR) or root ball-excavated and burlap-wrapped (B&B) trees. Each of these methods offers unique advantages in relation to production and installation. Many of the studies reviewed reveal varying post-transplant establishment and survival responses to production methods at a species-specific level.