A comparison of loblolly pine seedlings six months after planting. Initially, washing alone was not expected to reduce survival. If washing roots increases seedling stress, it was initially assumed that physical damage to the fine roots would explain a loss of vigor. However, no treatment differences in either lengths of fine roots or the weight of small or large roots were detected. Further studies are planned to determine the exact cause of the reductions in root growth and seedling survival.
Researchers plan to test the idea that washing roots causes more harm than soaking roots in water.
One hypothesis states that a reduction in new root growth is due to the removal of important growth stimulants.