The Effect of Mineral Nutrients on Growth, Flushing, Apical Dominance and Branching in Quercus petraea (Matt.) Liebl

The supply of mineral nutrients had a significant effect onthe growth and form of seedling Quercus petraea. Plants receivinglarge amounts of fertilizer were more vigorous producing longershoots with more buds and branches on interwhorl sections ofshoot and in whorls than those given smaller quantities. Foreach flush there was a significant relationship between budnumber and length of shoot produced. Qualitative effects werealso apparent, high N plants flushed more frequently and producedmore branches per bud. The number of buds on interwhorl sectionsof shoot was greater than in corresponding whorls but whorlbuds had a greater tendency to form branches. Application ofNPK to 10-year-old trees in the field increased the number ofbranches produced during the lammas flush of growth. These resultsare related to growth habit and apical dominance.