Container volume affects growth and development of wax-apple

Abstract

The wax-apple [Syzygium samarangense (BI.) Merr. and Perry] is a vigorous tropical fruit tree species that has five to six growth flushes per year. One-year-old, root-bearing wax-apple trees were grown in different-sized containers filled with potting mixture to test if container volume restricts shoot and/or root growth and thereby lends itself to forcing culture. The trunk cross-sectional area (TCSA) at 15 cm above the soil was measured to assess vegetative growth. After 6 months, the TCSA had increased quadratically with container volume. At the end of the first and second year, leaf count, leaf area, leaf dry mass, stem dry mass, shoot dry mass, and root dry mass were positively correlated with container volume. However, the shoot: root ratios remained fairly constant among treatments during the experimental period. Thus, root restriction is an effective means of reducing shoot and root growth of the wax-apple.