To: North American Fruit Explorers <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
Subject: Re: [NAFEX] grow tubes / dormancy
Date: Tue, 28 Oct 2003 08:40:43 -0600
At 08:28 AM 10/28/2003 -0500, you wrote:
Hello,
What is the difference between these grow tubes and plastic spiral tree wraps?
Tom,
The grow tubes or tree shelters are typically double-walled polyethylene
tubes - either pre-formed or able to be fastened into a tube shape with
cableties. They serve several purposes - they advertise the presence of
small seedlings, protect against lawnmower blight and weedwhacker wilt,
guard against browsing by deer, and act as mini-greenhouses - lessening the
dessicating effects of direct sun and wind on young, establishing
seedlings, and any moisture tanspired supposedly condenses on the inner
wall of the tube and runs back down to the roots. There may also be an
added growth effect by way of the tubes 'trapping' CO2 produced by soil
organisms, and keeping it available in higher concentrations for
utilization in photosynthesis.
I've used them, and still do, to a lesser degree, on occasion, but rarely
leave them on for more than a single growing season, as oaks, in
particular, seem to grow rapidly, but are very spindly without the
'caressing' of the wind to stimulate them to develop some strength of
trunk. I've seen northern red oak and burenglish seedlings grow out the
top of a 4-ft shelter in one season, but if you take the shelter off, they
will flop over on the ground, almost like a vine.