Airspading a planting pit - The Dogs danglies?

[Bundle 2]

Tony - either you fundamentally misunderstand science and its associated academia or you deliberatley misrepresent it to lower your cognitive dissonance. In any case, its extremely frustrating!

You definitely do Tony.....it says here! (wikipedia)"Smoking is often postulated as an example of cognitive dissonance because it is widely accepted that cigarettes can cause lung cancer, yet virtually everyone wants to live a long and healthy life. In terms of the theory, the desire to live a long life is dissonant with the activity of doing something that will most likely shorten one's life. The tension produced by these contradictory ideas can be reduced by quitting smoking, denying the evidence of lung cancer, or justifying one's smoking.[5] For example, smokers could rationalize their behavior by concluding that only a few smokers become ill, that it only happens to very heavy smokers, or that if smoking does not kill them, something else will.[6] While chemical addiction may operate in addition to cognitive dissonance for existing smokers, new smokers may exhibit a simpler case of the latter....." unquote.

 

Root growth is achieved at the root tip only. I guess you should draw your own conclusions....!

Interesting perhaps to think wood that is laid down in the roots as incremental `'thickening" (poor terminology I know cos I dont mean secondary but there..) is the same cell division. Apparently enough energy here though to lift a tree, progressively, out of the ground.

Were it only about taking a line of least resistance, you'd expect the roots to girdle and the tree to put new growth thickening somewhere less "opposed"?

Im sure there is a simple explanation relating to the actual chemistry and anatomical differences at the areas of production....?

[Paul Barton]

Problems of roots whirling around and never leaving the pit will surely depend alot on the existing soil type. Glazed pit sides occur more in a clay soil - a pit within a well drained loose structure soil shouldn't present a problem.

 

Proper analysis of the soil conditions and reducing the difference between the pit/soil interface is key.

 

Nice work by the way David :-)

[ACUF]

Root prune, Root Prune And Root Prune before planting. I could see using the airspade to create an area that would project the growth of the specimen up to 5-7 years, if space allows. Girdling roots can be corrected for the most part, before the specimen in planted out in the landscape. It takes a bit longer, but will make all the difference. Shape of site notwithstanding.

 

ACUF

[Bundle 2]

Perhaps there is a fundamental issue with the planting out of nursery stock...and of course, the soil type. If plants are more used, in their short lives at the nursery, to nice easy going; it may be the sudden introduction to more impenetrable mediums that provokes this phenomenom? As Hama points out, we do not see this ( although of course we do sometimes....sigh) in natural succession woodland root architecture.

Of course..this does nothing to detract from an obvious truth contained in your post Paul.

 

edit...Not sure that girdlers can be sorted at the planting pit...Its often too late but this does depend on the exact nature of the root system's development.

I would recommend any buyer to seriously scrutinise the roots of trees from nurseries prior to purchasing them

Edited November 11, 2010 by Bundle 2
Another post appeared like magic....I

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

You definitely do Tony.....it says here! (wikipedia)"Smoking is often postulated as an example of cognitive dissonance because it is widely accepted that cigarettes can cause lung cancer, yet virtually everyone wants to live a long and healthy life. In terms of the theory, the desire to live a long life is dissonant with the activity of doing something that will most likely shorten one's life. The tension produced by these contradictory ideas can be reduced by quitting smoking, denying the evidence of lung cancer, or justifying one's smoking.[5] For example, smokers could rationalize their behavior by concluding that only a few smokers become ill, that it only happens to very heavy smokers, or that if smoking does not kill them, something else will.[6] While chemical addiction may operate in addition to cognitive dissonance for existing smokers, new smokers may exhibit a simpler case of the latter....." unquote.

 

im under no illusion about the fact smoking is killing me slowly, I have given up far worse in my lifetime, I smoke cos I like it!

 

I promised my doctor that i would stop at fourty, and with my recent turns of luck and good fortune, maybe sooner, uptill now ive been under a lot of stress and pressure and quiet frankly giving up during the last 10 years of my life would have tipped the phsyco in me over the edge!

[Amelanchier]

As with most aco's you speak in tounges:001_tt2:

 

Neat label. Ironically presented in a self-referential sentence. Oops

 

So enlighten me, of the science behind the notion, where was the paper that made it common knowledge that trees need square holes in order to root without girdling?

 

You've turned over two pages at once there Tony. Flick back and let me know how you got to here from where we were!

[Stephen Blair]

Mr D, is an air spade a blaster and did you just blast a big hole rather than dig one, if so, any pics of that bit??

[carlos]

intresting thread.

i think if i was to buy a toy to help plant root balled trees it would have to be a mini digger very fast and effective and carefull too ( with the right driver!!)

also just curious there people are talking of spiraled roots etc, i guess from pot grown stock, how does one know the state of roots in a wire wrapped root ball??? i guess just trust your supplier!??

carl.

[David Humphries]

Mr D, is an air spade a blaster and did you just blast a big hole rather than dig one, if so, any pics of that bit??

 

It is as you quite rightly refer to Stephen, a blasting of a big hole with air rather than the more traditional neanderthal technique

 

For my shame, & quite unbelievably for me, no shots of the action, I'm afraid to say

 

 

Bit like these, but not

 

.

[Bundle 2]

intresting thread.

i think if i was to buy a toy to help plant root balled trees it would have to be a mini digger very fast and effective and carefull too ( with the right driver!!)

also just curious there people are talking of spiraled roots etc, i guess from pot grown stock, how does one know the state of roots in a wire wrapped root ball??? i guess just trust your supplier!??

carl.

 

Carlos....Im not sure whether you can. Perhaps the simplest way to ascertain condition is to ask about the method of production. I mean, of the nurseryman concerned. A visit to the nursery is highly recommended.

Only by tracking the production process can you make an educated guess as to the root morphology.

It is possible to reduce the plant to bare root but this is only perhaps ever going to tell you whats with the one plant...( ie-anecdotal)

A plant that has been set, even at its most early stage of production, in a way that leads to poor root structure ( lets say no more than 2'' across and left to rootbound status) will be covered by subsequent "potting -on"! As a full grown tree in an amenity situation, you could justifiably harbour concerns as to the effective reliability of the rooting mass from a stability point of view.

" Only by tracking the production process can you make an educated guess as to the root morphology."

Actually, by ensuring that a standard of production is adhered to, the rest takes care of itself. Educated guessing is no longer needed. You do though have to trust your supplier to some degree!

HTH