No pictures before anyone asks.
I was a little disappointed in the results. So far, my test has been inconclusive. What I mean is that very few of the seedlings had grown enough for the washer to be impacting roots. I noticed that several of the maples that I had NOT placed thru a washer ...but had done good root work on (apparently there was enough decent roots to not warrant the washer) were beginning to excel.
A few addendums were I to begin this experiment anew. Firstly, I would plant the trees in larger pots to allow for more rampant growth. I might also experiment with a less porous/aerated mix.
Second, the seedlings in an akadama/lava/pumice mix seemed to have better quality roots but not nearly the volume of those in a mix that substituted turface for akadama. Those seedlings' roots certainly had more volume ...but at the expense of lesser quality, longer, bigger roots. My guess is that in the long run, those in akadama would lead, but in the all-out-growth phase I'm not concerned with the quality of the roots I'm growing ...since they'll be removed below the washer anyway.
C.) As with all my trees, more attention, water, and fertilizer would certainly help to get these going.
But.... as I mentioned previously, I'm seeing nice development that is simply the result of appropriate/traditional repotting technique/maintenance. In this case, those seem to be developing more quickly.
I'll continue to monitor and update.
