Acer Rubrum var Drummondii (Drummond's Maple)

[UncleTrout]

I got this drummonds maple from my local nursery, it looks like it has some solid potential for an informal upright and I can try to wire that leading branch coming out to give it some shape and eventually air layer off the rest.

A question I have is this, it looks like there is a large root girdling the tree. I talked with the tree guy at the nursery who has some bonsai experience and he was leaning towards cutting the root now and fertilizing through the rest of our growing season here which is rather long being in central Texas where December average low is still 36F... Otherwise it would be to wait and cut in deeper winter/early spring while dormant, but he was concerned with the root getting bigger and killing the tree. If I recall correctly, he recommended cutting where I'm pointing. Which way do y'all lean on this? I have very little experience working roots on any type of tree but have read it's best to do root work during dormancy for maples.. of course this would be just one root.. although a large one..

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

I personally would cut it off without hesitation. But that's me, and I have no remorse for maples.
If you do hesitate however, consider girdling it with a couple zipties as close to the trunk as possible. It will thicken, have nowhere to expand to, and slowly push itself out of existence while the tree has plenty of time to grow new stuff.
Because you never know how much of the whole root mat is attached to this single root, that is your safest option.

 

[rockm]

I’d leave it be until next spring. It’s a little large and probably supporting a lot of the top growth. Cutting it now risks the foliage collapsing and dying in the coming heat of a central Texas summer

Next Jan/Feb or whenever you repot trees (before leaf bud break out) I’d go in and clear all the congested roots out of the root mass. Clear out all the old soil replant with new bonsai soil. Red maple can handle that with no issues

If you do this work now while the tree is in leaf and the summer ahead you have a high rock of severe damage.

 

[UncleTrout]

I’d leave it be until next spring. It’s a little large and probably supporting a lot of the top growth. Cutting it now risks the foliage collapsing and dying in the coming heat of a central Texas summer

Next Jan/Feb or whenever you repot trees (before leaf bud break out) I’d go in and clear all the congested roots out of the root mass. Clear out all the old soil replant with new bonsai soil. Red maple can handle that with no issues

If you do this work now while the tree is in leaf and the summer ahead you have a high rock of severe damage.

With this approach would you be worried about the root girdling the tree? That would be why I’d go for the trim right now.

I think that much growth for the root to kill the tree would have to be pretty significant but again - I’m new to this

 

[rockm]

the root won’t girdle the tree. Not a concern at this point. Severing it now will do more harm than good