| After several years of field and laboratory study, the author
has made the following conclusions about wire baskets and their effects
on root growth: 1) Roots grow around basket wire, forming a complete union
of bark and wood tissue; roots are not permanently girdled. 2) Root tissue
formed after growing over wire permits translocation. 3) There appears to
be no injury to or break in, the root periderm that would allow pathogens
to enter a tree. 4) Basket wire remains intact in soil for many years and
wire strength diminishes slowly. 5) Removing wire baskets at planting time
is not necessary to assure growth and survival of large tree roots. However,
you should remove any rope across the top of the ball, and bend back or
remove the basket loops. 6) Using a correctly sized basket for each root
ball is imperative. The top horizontal wire should be at least several inches
above the top of the soil ball. |