ROOT PRUNING OF FRUIT TREES

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1372, 24 February 1912, Page 16

ROOT PRUNING OF FRUIT TREES

MR. LOWE'S PLANTING EXPERI- ■ ENCES. The following interesting record of tho experiences of Mr. C. Lowe, orchardist, Kiwaka, were detailed by him at tho New Zealand ITuit-growcrs' Conference, and attracted great interest. . In 1!)05 (said Mr. Lowe), I road Mr. H. M. Slringfellow's book, entitled "New Horticulture." and was so impressed with the sound common-sense reasons given for all liis departures from the usual methods employed in planting fruit frees, that I decided to plant 20 acres orchard, upon the Stringfollow system, as far as the root pruning was concerned. Owing to local conditions being very different from Galveston, U.S.A., it is impossible to dispense with cultivation, so tho land was well worked, and trees set out with the planting board in holes dug in tho usual way. The- roots were pruned off close to the stump of .tree (as shown in the photo, yearling leaning on fruit case). The planting was completed second week in July. No manuro was used. During the first season's growth some of these trees were dug up for examination. Twenty-five were sacrificed, but the loss was well worth while, for the root system exposed surpassed expectations. The first examination was made on October 7, 1905, when tho buds had broken into leaf and mado about one inch growth on top. Five apple trees were lifted, two from damp low-lying land, one- from -rood flat land, and two from dry Iml Vnml The root growth at this stage was the same upon all fivo trees, and appeared is a warty protuberance, very much like n-oollv aphis knots, which almost covered the stock below ground, and protruded most prominently around (he edges of cuts wiiere roots had boon removed. Second examination made a foi night Inter, third week in October, showed that a. simultaneous eruption of roots had taken place, Hie whole surface of stumps below ground being covered with white noodle-like roots pointing in all directions like burr spines, and, when washed, the trees looked like little mops. The average number of mots was 7G per tree. At this stage there was no difference between trees from damp or dry land. Third examination was made five weeks later at the end of November, tho bud growth being three inches long. The roots showed about 15 to 18 inches long, lhn striking feature being that only hall of thorn had made that growth, tho others seemed to have stood still: but tho larger roots were evenly distributed over die whole root: area-one-third of them pointing in n downward direction. It gavc.lhe that there were (on many mots at first, and a selection had been made in favour of the survival nf Hie fittest. fourth esiiniiuation was made in (be wcond wool- of l-'ebruary, and. to my mind, provod tho wUrinm of Mr, String-

fellow's method, by allowing >iiif.liro to uso her intelligence in the supplying <>' her own needs. Of the live trees lilted, the two from the dry hind hud strong, roots going downwards, thoso hnd developed into strong forages gomg down into sub-soil in search of moisture and plant food. And the nearer the. surface ol the land the smaller the roots became. Tho two trees from the damp land showed quite the reverse.. Ihey had strong roots, thick as n slain pencil, striking awav from the tree sideways lit a deptli of about 15 inches below the surface. In this soil tho tree found its supplies and favnurablo conditions in quite ti different strata, nnd the foots pointing in Unit direction look up the running and developed accordingly: but the roots pointing downwards had become useless and dormant, and showed no further development from those that llad been lifted at the third examination. The sub-soil was too cold to yield the necessary food, nnd so they ceased operations. The one tree grown in good average land showed an evenly distributed strong growth of roots heading off in all directions—somo downwards like tap roots to anchor the tree firmly against any wind, some surface roots, and others in between, Here, again the process of elimination had been going on, for only a fourth part of the first crop of roots hail developed into what appeared to bo the permanent set. The others had all dropped behind in tho race, and become insignificant, many appeared to have shrunk up like threads. The fifth examination was in tho winter, to show the system to some friends. These trees were just a repetition of tho fourth; only that tho bark on .the main roots was brown and matured, instead of being whitish-yellow, as formerly. These trees were re-pruned and planted without loss. THE OBJECT-LESSON, The oojoct-lesson to mo i'n all this is that by removing all roots from the treo stump at planting, tho early root growth,

that always commences from tho terminal point,of, a, rocuV.ajidco.ntinues along in fh'o' 'saiue WfectWh; ' K prevented; this roots always becomes so strong (hat. there is no need for any others, and new roots rarely come from the stump of the tree. These roots very often grow'out into seil that is quite unsuitable for thorn, being often five or six inches below tho surface. If theso are cut off; by tho cultivator there is nothing left to hold or feed tho tree. When all roots nro removed at planting, the treo takes longer to break bud, waiting for just the right conditions of heat and moisture. Then it gathers its strength for the supremo effort, and discharges a volley of torpedo-like roots in all directions, these adapt themselves to the conditions obtaining in the immediate neighbourhood of tho tree. Whether tho subsoil bo wet or. dry, the tree is provided with a set of roots pointing out in every direction ready to draw plant food from wherever it is to bo found in the required condition. If, too wet nnd csld, tho lower roots do not penetrate it, but remain stunted, and tho running i.s taken up by those roots that arc headin a more lateral direction where conditions arc more favourable. If the subsoil bo drj and warm tho lower roots become strong, as they go to greater depths in search of moisture. And yet the side growth is not neglected, for roots from the main stump strike, out laterally into tho warmer surface soils. Tho treo that is planted with all its roots carefully ' spread out, almost a.lways makes a growth of roots that continue in the same line of'direction, and rarely make a downward anchor root to •hold'it firm and stiff. They grow out sideways and seldom go deeper than IS to 20 'inches—more often from 10 to 15 inches. This is all right if tho owner is satisfied that this i.s tho correct depth for tho roots to bo imprisoned in, nnd that none of tho surface soil will bo washed away. For myself I prefer to give tho tree a chance to make its own root development and send its feeders to anv depth or ir, any direction where the plant food needed i.s to bo found. Such trees never need stakes to hold them ui>. 1 have planted upon the close pruned root system every year sinco 1005, totalling' 110 acres to date, aud have not had to stako one tree. Tho 40-ncrc linlch on the Flaxmoro Orchard Syndicate instate, Moutere, visited by tho conference delegates, October, 1911, was treated in this wav, and, I think, compared favourably with all other trees seen, of equal age, planted upon Moutere Rill land.