Abstract
Stem tilting and survival in large (> 160 cm tall) cuttings of potted sugi (Cryptomeria japonica) were compared with and without staking poles during the first year of planting. Cuttings were supported by one or three staking poles, or they were free-standing. Stem tilting in free-standing cuttings was a maximum at two months after planting. By the end of the study, the stem tilt of 70% of the free-standing cuttings had recovered to less than 30°. One- and three-staked cuttings tilted slightly over the course of the study, with stem tilt maintained to within 30° in 83 and 95% of the cuttings, respectively. The stems of free-standing cuttings tended to tilt more heavily as the stem length-to-diameter ratio (L/D0) increased. More than half of the free-standing cuttings withL/D0 ratios > 120 tilted more than 60°, albeit temporarily. The survival rate of free-standing cuttings was 83%, as some of the heavy tilted cuttings became entangled by weeds and died before the end of the year. However, more than 93% of staked cuttings survived until the end of the year. Thus, staking large cuttings to prevent them from tilting is useful for improving survival. Alternately, the need for staking can be avoided when using large cuttings with low L/D0 ratios.
