Abstract

Deciduous trees in Ohio were surveyed before harvest (seven nurseries) and after harvest (eight brokerage facilities) to determine the depth of their main lateral roots. Main lateral roots originate at the root-shoot junction in trees and are also referred to as the root flare or buttress roots. In the nursery survey, differences in the depth of main lateral roots were found among nurseries and production year with main lateral roots an average of 6.1 cm (2.4 in) deep in the soil profile. From the broker survey, both brokers and propagation methods showed differences in depth with an average of 8.6 cm (3.4 in) of excess soil over the main lateral roots. The main lateral roots for most trees were greater than 2.5 cm (1 in) in depth which was deeper than industry standards allow.