So I found a chestnut seedling in the edge of the woods where I toss my duds and it looks great!
So got me thinking is there a reason everyone grows in containers?
Is it a space issue or is it easier to transplant container trees?
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There are lots of ways to get quality trees and direct seeding is one way. All methods have positives and negatives. With direct seeding, some seeds/nuts are very attractive to rodents. So, the nuts need protection until they germinate. Then, young seedlings are also attractive to rodents, so they need protection and depending on deer densities and the specific tree, the seedlings need protected from deer. In nature, only a small percentage of nuts/seeds will make it to maturity. If you plant a nut in the field, there is a lot of expense in time and treasure for nuts that will never germinate or will germinate but grow poorly.
Trees grown this way expend a lot of energy developing a deep tap root. It takes a long time for the root system to develop and become efficient. There is a balance between root system and top growth. These trees have the assurance of a deep tap root to give them access to enough water to survive during a drought at the expense of potential early growth. Direct seeding is largely trying to take natures shotgun approach where only a few winners survive and stack the odds a bit in favor of the nuts you plant.
The problem with many container grown trees is that tap root. In normal containers it hits the bottom of the container and j-hooks or circles following the contour of the container. While these trees may look great for the first few years in the field, the roots eventually constrict themselves and limit the tree. This was addressed by root pruning containers that many of us are using.
When I start trees from nuts indoors, it provides great cabin fever relief. Root pruning containers are really a system of containers that prune roots in stages. Since the small containers (Rootmaker Express Tray 18s for most of us), prune the tap root quickly, it forces upstream root branching. Since a root system efficiency is a function of the number of tiny root tips, much of the energy goes to producing a very efficient root system. This also allows for faster top growth. Furthermore. there is very little cost associated with germination. Nuts that don't germinate are just discarded with no real investment. Nuts that germinate, but produce trees that are deformed or don't grow well can also be culled early with little investment. Once seedlings get beyond this point your investment increases. Larger containers are more expensive and it takes more time and effort to water them.
Nothing is free. We are trading that natural assurance against drought for maximizing growth. When root pruned trees are planted in the field, they need to have sufficient water until they are well established. After that, because the root systems are so efficient, they can handle some drought pretty well, but this is not an approach I'll choose for arid regions. So, either you need to live in an area like I do where you get ample spring and fall rain or you may need to provide supplemental water for the first year after planting
An advantage of using root pruning containers is that the root system does not get disrupted during shipping and planting like bare root trees. They begin to grow immediately when planted rather than having a year of sleep, and a year of creep before they leap.
So, when I plant a rootmaker tree after one growing season in a container, I can invest in protection and not have to worry about that tree dying.
This thread shows a chestnut started from a nut over the winter and planted the following fall:
http://www.habitat-talk.com/index.p...h-rootmakers-transfered-from-qdma-forum.5556/
You can see in that thread a tree that is over 6' tall after one growing season. I don't think you'll every find a direct seeded tree that large that quickly.
Each method has advantages and disadvantages. Like most things with management , you need to match the characteristics of the method with your situation and goals.
Thanks,
Jack