• Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture
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• v.44 no.5
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• pp.59-67
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• 2016

In landscape design by public institutions, although the costs and species of landscape trees stipulated by the Korean Public Procurement Service(PPS) are generally adhered to, the PPS regulations about planting trees with well-developed rootlets are almost entirely neglected. This study aimed to evaluate the performance of buried container modules, which are a new technology and product in landscape production that is able to reduce the defect rate while complying with regulations. To this end, this study measured rootlet density, rootlet development length, rootlet survival rate on excavation, and impairments of tree growth for 3 months after root pruning, and compared these variables for the container modules with those for trees that underwent root pruning in bare ground, and those that were cultivated in a container above ground. The results were as follows: First, the rootlet density was 88% for the trees in container modules, which was very high. Trees that underwent standard root pruning in bare ground had a somewhat lower density of 64%. Meanwhile, the trees that were cultivated in pots above ground died, invalidating measurement. Second, in terms of rootlet development and rootlet survival rate, the trees in container modules showed a mean length of 10.4cm, and 100% survival rate, indicating that there was no rootlet damage caused by excavation. For the trees that only underwent root pruning in bare ground, the mean length was 25.6cm and the rootlet survival rate was only half that of the trees in container modules, at 56%, demonstrating considerable damage. Rootlet development did not occur at all in the trees grown in pots. Third, the trees in container modules and those that underwent root pruning in bare ground did not show any deaths during the root pruning process, or any impairments such as stunted leaf growth. Conversely, the trees grown in pots nearly all died, and severe impairments of tree growth were observed. As shown by the results above, when we evaluated the performance of buried container modules, they showed the most outstanding performance of the three models tested in this study. The container modules prevent defects by stimulating early rooting in environments that with poor conditions for growth, or in trees that are not suited to the summer environment Therefore, it is expected that they would be an optimal means by which to enable compliance with rules such as the regulation presented by the PPS.