As I enter my second year growing trees from seed, I’m conducting an experiment.

I’m (mostly) an advocate of using some type of root pruning for taprooted plants when growing in containers. While the “best” way to establish oaks, hickories, buckeyes, etc. is probably direct seeding, I have a few reasons for planting at least some in containers (and some in-ground, too).

I’m trying something new this year to start my seeds in. I got something called Pioneer Pots from Steuwe and Sons. The ones I got are large – 8” deep, 4” wide, and have a netted exterior more like NetPots, rather than the smaller number of holes that Rootmaker cells have, which to me suggests a more well-distributed root system.

Last year, I found that if I pruned the taproot manually as the nut grew at 2”, that I got a forked taproot but an overall more fibrous root system vs just letting them airprune at the bottom.

This year, since I have the deeper pots, I’ll try a few ideas with my oaks, as well as possibly some hickories and buckeyes:

I’ll presprout in flats, then transplant before top growth emerges to the 8” Pioneer Pots and try the following methods:

1-prune at 2” before putting in the Pioneer Pot

2-prune at 4”

3-prune at 6”

4-let it airprune only at the bottom

The idea being that, except for the ones I let just taproot all the way to the bottom, I’ll get “double pruning” of both the initial taproot, plus the forked taproot when those hit the bottom (or sides) of the Pioneer Pots. Then see if it affects growth rate, overall health, and the structure of the root system at transplanting.

Is this interesting to anyone, or am I just rambling?