Broken taproot: better roots

[jako9403]

I have been growing some cacao seeds lately and when transplanting i accidentally broke the taproots of 2 seeds. The taproots where about 2,5 cm or 1 inch and i broke about 0,3 inch off. I planted the seeds anyways hoping for the best. Those two emerged first and looked healthy.

A week later when all had emerged i inspected the roots. To my suprise the two seeds i broke had the most healthy and vigorous root system of all of them. The taproot did not go deeper than the point it broke but was shooting more taproot-ish roots out. Will these 2 seedlings be faster growing than the others? Are they going to be impaired when they grow bigger? I want your opinion because i have never seen anything like this.

Sorry for bad punctuation. I am currently writing this on my phone in a moving train.

[simon_grow]

The ones with the broken tap roots will grow faster. Breaking the tap root will create a bushier root system that can uptake more nutrients. You will notice a bigger difference if grown in a pot.

If you intend to grow in the ground in less than ideal conditions, the seedling with the intact taproot may grow better because the intact tap root will go farther and deeper in search of water and nutrients. If your soil conditions are bad or you are prone to drought, keeping the taproot would be ideal. If you have good soil and water, cutting the taproot will give you better and faster growth.

Simon

[Vernmented]

I remove all taproots from my plants with air pruning pots. Taproots are great if you directly sow your seed in it's permanent spot in the ground. Taproots are bad if it is grown in a pot in my opinion.

[jako9403]

Im growing these in pots. Thanks for the response!

[Triloba Tracker]

I'm interested in this discussion because there are some, e.g. Bill Whitcomb, who declare all taproots to be bad, even for trees eventually to be planted in the ground.

However, many nurserymen recognize that certain trees have "strong" taproots and grow them in tall pots to intentionally accommodate the root. Pawpaw (Asimina triloba) is an example, but there are others.

It seems to me that if the tree's natural habit is to produce a deep taproot, it should be allowed to do so IF you plan to plant it in the ground eventually.

I could see the argument for inhibiting taproot growth if it will be in a pot long-term.

Would be interested in hearing more about this, as i'm not much of an expert to say the least.

[00christian00]

I disagree to the common opinion here.
It depends a lot on the plant.
There are some plants that get severely stunted if are not allowed to grow the taproot, it's especially true for plants that grow the taproot quickly (some even before sprouting), like jackfruit for example.
I saw pictures of Jackfruit barely reaching 50-70cm in a couple of years, while I had all my seedling grow to 1 meter in few months, and guess what was the common issue in these small seedling?

Another thing to consider is that the taproot is like a backbone to the root system, often after you break them it start to grow smaller hairy roots and while these may absorb nutrient more efficiently, they are also a lot more fragile, so even in a pot I would prefer to have a decent taproot as you may lose a great part of the rootball when transplanting due to the root structure being weaker.

[Triloba Tracker]

I disagree to the common opinion here.
It depends a lot on the plant.
There are some plants that get severely stunted if are not allowed to grow the taproot, it's especially true for plants that grow the taproot quickly (some even before sprouting), like jackfruit for example.

Yes, Asimina triloba sends out long taproot, 14 inches or longer, before shoot appears.

[jako9403]

Will this work with Jackfruit?