Effect of Lifting Date and Time of Storage on Survival and Die-Back in Four Deciduous Species

Abstract

Abstract Woody landscape plants transplanted in urban areas frequently show poor establishment and high mortality rates. The importance of lifting date in combination with cold storage was tested in a trial with four species, European white birch (Betula pendula Roth.), redosier dogwood (Cornus sericea L. ‘Flaviramea’), singleseed hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna Jacq.) and English oak (Quercus robur L.). Plants were lifted at 14-day intervals during the fall and divided for different purposes including assessment of root growth potential (RGP) before and after four months of cold storage; evaluation of survival and damages after four months of cold storage; and for evaluation of survival, damage and shoot growth in a field trial. Early lifting in combination with cold storage was negative for the survival and damage to the four species. A longer period of cold storage had a further negative effect on plants lifted early. RGP assessed in the fall could indirectly be used to predict lifting date of European white birch, English oak and red-osier dogwood. RGP after storage could be used to predict field performance in European white birch and English oak. Singleseed hawthorn did not show any differences in RGP.