Benefits of container-grown trees: Many transplant problems can be prevented and early growth of roots and tops can be markedly improved, when container-grown or potted trees are used instead of bare-rooted dormant trees.
(cont from last month)
Peach trees
Planting container-grown fruit trees is common in Israel. In one instance, peach trees were planted two months before the onset of winter. Cost of trees is about the same as bare-rooted dormant trees.
Grape, citrus, stone fruit, almond
In California several nurseries have produced container-grown grape, citrus, stone fruit and almond trees. The trees are initiated in a tissue culture laboratory and budded in a greenhouse.
Pears
Some Hood River, Oregon, USA, growers are using container-grown nursery stock to establish new pear blocks with dramatic improvements of consistency and quantity of first-year growth.
Apple
More recent experiments with container-grown trees in several commercial orchards are taking place in the states of Washington and Michigan, USA, and compared with liner-grown bare-rooted apple trees of different varieties.
Preliminary results show that the container-grown trees had between 40 and 100 per cent more fine roots than the bare-rooted trees. Shoot growth of container-grown trees was also superior.
It makes sense that intact root systems of container-grown trees would undergo less transplant shock, which must lead to more initial growth than bare-rooted trees.
Economics
The economics of the two systems will also be assessed, such as the potential added expense of container-grown trees and early returns.
The increase in initial growth should translate into earlier canopy development. Earlier canopy development should then lead to higher early yields and greater profitability than bare-rooted dormant trees.
High-density planting a necessity
High-density planting is no longer an option, but a necessity to stay in the game of producing fruit.
Trees represent at least 50 per cent of establishing a high density trellised planting. When it is decided to also net the block, the cost per hectare becomes quite frightening.
Consider container-grown fruit trees for Aus
Deciduous fruit tree nurseries should consider alternative ways of producing trees to give Australian orchardists the flexibility to plant any time of the year with the benefits of higher early yields and greater profitability.
This should be backed up with research to see if the overseas results with container-grown fruit trees can be replicated under Australian conditions.
See this article in Tree Fruit February 2021
