Impacts of Wire Basket Retention and Removal on Planting Time, Root-Ball Condition, and Early Growth of Acer platanoides and Gleditsia triacanthos var. inermis

The use of wire baskets to maintain root-ball integrity has greatly increased the efficiency of balled-and-burlapped harvesting practices. Despite the advantages offered by these products, there is notable disagreement among green industry groups and practitioners regarding the effects of wire basket retention or removal at the time of planting. For this experiment, 30 Norway maple (Acer platanoides) and 30 honeylocust (Gleditsia triacanthos var. inermis ‘Skycole’) shade trees were evenly planted at two sites in the midwestern U.S. after random assignment of a wire-basket removal treatment (i.e., no removal/intact, partial removal, and full removal). Planting time and initial root-ball condition were assessed at the time of installation. Short-term growth and plant stress were assessed each season as trees became established in the research plots. Results indicate that treatment impacted both planting time (P < 0.0001; both sites) and root-ball condition (P = 0.0360 or P = 0.0049; depending on site). In contrast, treatment had limited impact on tree caliper, twig elongation, or chlorophyll fluorescence in the first two to three years after planting.