Did I take off too many roots?

[C-Jewel]

Did I take too many roots off? I did root work when I planted in the ground 3 years ago but it didn’t respond like I wanted.... so I was more aggressive this year when I pulled up. I also made a few cuts on the side that didn’t produce any roots, and dusted with rooting hormone. I screwed to pine wood and planted in mostly Akadama with a little pumice, in an Anderson flat
Also should I reduce more branches down?
The tree was 9 ft tall, now stands 14” tall

Honest thoughts appreciated but please play nice

 

[parhamr]

The tree was 9 ft tall, now stands 14” tall

Based on that, it sounds like the trunk should have a decent reserve of sugars and starches with which it can produce new root tissue.

Is this an Acer palmatum? I’ve seen people have success with root work like this.

You haven’t shared your location, so it’s hard to have more specific recommendations based on your climate. If you’re able to ensure the bottom of that Anderson Flat is heated to ~80ºF then your chances of root development will massively increase.

 

[C-Jewel]

Based on that, it sounds like the trunk should have a decent reserve of sugars and starches with which it can produce new root tissue.

Is this an Acer palmatum? I’ve seen people have success with root work like this.

You haven’t shared your location, so it’s hard to have more specific recommendations based on your climate. If you’re able to ensure the bottom of that Anderson Flat is heated to ~80ºF then your chances of root development will massively increase.

7b, North Carolina, it’s actually snowing right now:/ I have the tree in an I heated garage at the moment

 

[MrWunderful]

I would have airlayered it, that thing was alot of tap root to try and rebuild. If its a trident you might be ok, not sure in 7b though. Maybe in a greenhouse with heated roots like @parhamr said.

 

[Dav4]

Did you take off too many roots... perhaps. You will know by Midsummer. The tree may leaf out normally, but if there aren’t enough roots to support the canopy, it will eventually collapse.

 

[Shibui]

It depends a lot on the species which you have not told us yet.
Tridents - no problem with root pruning this hard but the bark does not look right for trident.
Zelkova - probably OK
Japanese maple - I would expect some dieback between the trunk chop and cut roots but even JM will try to survive.

As Dav4 said, no point worrying now that it is done. All you can do is sit back with crossed fingers and wait.

This is the very reason I no longer leave trees in the ground for years. Straight trunks with little taper and large scars. A good chance of a couple of dominant roots rather than well formed nebari. I'll gladly forego some trunk diameter to get well shaped trunks with smaller scars and good nebari.

 

[C-Jewel]

It depends a lot on the species which you have not told us yet.
Tridents - no problem with root pruning this hard but the bark does not look right for trident.
Zelkova - probably OK
Japanese maple - I would expect some dieback between the trunk chop and cut roots but even JM will try to survive.

As Dav4 said, no point worrying now that it is done. All you can do is sit back with crossed fingers and wait.

This is the very reason I no longer leave trees in the ground for years. Straight trunks with little taper and large scars. A good chance of a couple of dominant roots rather than well formed nebari. I'll gladly forego some trunk diameter to get well shaped trunks with smaller scars and good nebari.

It’s a basic Acer Palmatum seedling.

 

[sorce]

I'm with an airlayer, or a should have airlayered.

Since we're speaking radial....

Attempting to fix these roots is like bolting a new wheel and tire over the old one.

There is a line at which it IS still worth attempting a fix, this one may be just inside that line, but there is sooooo much area before that line where it still makes sense to airlayer......

I mean....

For me...

It literally makes more sense to just airlayer, because just the digging to find what is a shitty nebari 90% of the time isn't even worth it.

Just get the saw out!

Saving time 90% of the time will make more and better material faster than being lucky 10% of the time!

Sorce

 

[namnhi]

I personally think you got carry away with your pruner. Hope it lives...

 

[WNC Bonsai]

With a maple around here I think you did too much too early. Now you will have to keep it in the garage until the weather moderates and even then you will have to move it in and outside daily until probably April. That in turn means that as new roots develop they may get damaged with all the moving about. The other issue around here is that due to the tendency of A. palmatum to bud out early it is difficult to wait since you run the risk of waiting too long. Normally I would watch the buds and wait until they look almost ready to open before doing replanting and rootwork.

 

[0soyoung]

It is as good as dead right now.
But, the future will be that buds will break, shoots with leaves will emerge, hang limply, turn black, and desiccate. Etc. Etc.

 

[parhamr]

7b, North Carolina, it’s actually snowing right now:/ I have the tree in an I heated garage at the moment

If you’re not able to get this outside in good sunlight for another 3 weeks then I suggest immediate intervention like a grow light and a heated root mat.

The garage air temp will probably be around 65 degrees and the humidity will probably be fairly low. I think you need to get the roots to 80 degrees and to keep them moist with some top dressing to ensure success.

 

[Zach Smith]

That's a severe root-pruning! But I predict the tree will live. Set it outside as soon as local temps are 32F or above overnight. Water every few days or once a week, depending on how dry the surface of the soil looks, and feed when you see foliage pushing. Otherwise ignore. And seal that trunk chop!

 

[C-Jewel]

With a maple around here I think you did too much too early. Now you will have to keep it in the garage until the weather moderates and even then you will have to move it in and outside daily until probably April. That in turn means that as new roots develop they may get damaged with all the moving about. The other issue around here is that due to the tendency of A. palmatum to bud out early it is difficult to wait since you run the risk of waiting too long. Normally I would watch the buds and wait until they look almost ready to open before doing replanting and rootwork.

Buds have been pushing on many of my trees, some of the leaves are out on some so I decided to go ahead and dig it up. We will see what happens, you live and you learn.

 

[C-Jewel]

It is as good as dead right now.
But, the future will be that buds will break, shoots with leaves will emerge, hang limply, turn black, and desiccate. Etc. Etc.

well I hope not but we will see

 

[Zach Smith]

well I hope not but we will see

Most enthusiasts, when collecting deciduous trees, chop the larger radial roots too long. This usually causes a second chop later on when it's time to put the tree in a bonsai pot. It took me a long time to figure out that those larger roots need a drastic pruning with the ultimate bonsai pot in mind. The trees survive just fine. With that said, you needed to leave about twice as much as you did, but root tissue is root tissue and the tree should produce feeders right off the cut ends of yours. They'll start forming after the foliage appears.

 

[M. Frary]

well I hope not but we will see

Give it a chance.
It could very well surprise you.
I haven't worked too many maples but like Zach have learned that it's the little roots that do the heavy lifting.
I've done way worse to American and Siberian elms and none died.
Maybe it's the whole elm thing but maples are a tough bunch too.
Just don't fool with it anymore for a bit.
Like at least a year if it recovers.

 

[Maloghurst]

Short answer is yes. 50/50 chance of survival. Lucky you have those small bit of feeders on the one side.

 

[leatherback]

You left a few smaller feeders roots. It is not in leaf. It will start pushing roots soon. As long at the tree is not wiggling in the substrate it should be fine. Next time, leave a bit more.

 

[Shibui]

I agree that chances of this tree surviving are good.
Like Zac, I have found that harder initial root pruning produces good results and rarely kills my trees.
The issue I see here and have experienced is that JM seem to resent the combination of large trunk chop and radical root chop at the same time. Although I've lost very few JMs after similar surgery that combination has nearly always produced large dead sections of trunk and associated roots. I try to avoid doing both at the same time because very few people want JM with large areas of dead wood.