Big Beaut - Nursery cut help

[Backwardsvg]

Well I found a nice BC at a local nursery that was MUCH more in my price range than others I was seeing. The only issue is it was in a grow bag on the ground, I did not see it had escaped roots but when they came to load it up in my car it looks like they had cut some of the escape roots. The tree is probably 12 -15 feet tall and its very strong and happy. My question is:

Do I put the hole thing in a pot like I have it or do I put the grow bag in a vat of water??? How do I keep this thing staying healthy into winter...?

I know I cannot do a repot right now probably so what does that leave me with? I am sad the nursery cut these roots without telling me (unless BC can take that??) I would have picked a different one without escaped roots or I would have waited till late winter to grab it

@Cajunrider @Leo in N E Illinois I trust your expertise what would you do here?

 

[Cajunrider]

If I were you, I'd find a pot with the same depth as the grow bag but much wider in diameter, cut the grow bag off, and plant the tree in that pot. Don't disturb the roots too much. It looks like the tree depended on that cut root a lot for nutrient so I think we should not disturb it much further. However, when you remove the grow bag, untangle whatever roots that wraps around as much as you can without damaging them. At this stage any potting soil would do. By the way, the cut root should be trimmed much shorter. Cut it back to a point where it can start growing roots radially from the trunk.

After you plant the tree in the new pot, water it a lot!! Watch the foliage carefully, it the leaves wilt and begin to dry, you may want to trim it back some. Right now you want to find the balance. You want to keep as much foliage as possible to collect energy for the rest of summer and early fall. However, with the cut of the big root, the foliage may be too taxing for your roots, then you may want to cut back just a tiny bit.

 

[Backwardsvg]

Thanks @Cajunrider

I think I can get a 55 gal drum, maybe I cut that to depth and plant it in there? When moving the roots I see you say dont mess with them too much but also untangle the roots as well. Are you saying untangle just the outer most roots for now and get it in the new pot/ soil?

I assume this will then need extra winter protection this year since it is getting later

 

[Cajunrider]

Thanks @Cajunrider

I think I can get a 55 gal drum, maybe I cut that to depth and plant it in there? When moving the roots I see you say dont mess with them too much but also untangle the roots as well. Are you saying untangle just the outer most roots for now and get it in the new pot/ soil?

I assume this will then need extra winter protection this year since it is getting later

Plastic 55 gal drums were what I used to develop my BCs. I bought them for $10-$20 and make two pots out of each of them. Drill holes on the side about 6" from the bottom. That will allow some of the water to drain out while keeping the bottom of the root mass wet. On the side right at the bottom drill a 1" hole and close it with a rubber stop. In the winter unplug the rubber stop and allow the tree to completely drain.

Yes I meant to tell you to untangle the outer most roots only.

 

[Backwardsvg]

Plastic 55 gal drums were what I used to develop my BCs. I bought them for $10-$20 and make two pots out of each of them. Drill holes on the side about 6" from the bottom. That will allow some of the water to drain out while keeping the bottom of the root mass wet. On the side right at the bottom drill a 1" hole and close it with a rubber stop. In the winter unplug the rubber stop and allow the tree to completely drain.

Yes I meant to tell you to untangle the outer most roots only.

Great thank you @Cajunrider ! And then with the roots you would mainly leave untouched but just tease out what I can and then try to uncircle any that may be? I assume once it is in this 55 gallon drum I will leave it there for 3-5 years?

It is about 3.5 3.75" at the base right now I would love it to be about 5-6". It does have nice taper as well.

 

[Cajunrider]

Great thank you @Cajunrider ! And then with the roots you would mainly leave untouched but just tease out what I can and then try to uncircle any that may be? I assume once it is in this 55 gallon drum I will leave it there for 3-5 years?

It is about 3.5 3.75" at the base right now I would love it to be about 5-6". It does have nice taper as well.

3 max. You may want to repot and sort out the roots much earlier than that. No sense in growing small root problems to bigger root problems.

 

[19Mateo83]

Chunky nursery find!

 

[Backwardsvg]

Ok great, and for soil

Chunky nursery find!

65 bucks for that thick, I thought it was pretty good, the other few I called were like $400+ for 1.5-2 inch

 

[Backwardsvg]

The plan is I am soaking the tree in the bag for tonight and tomorrow I will be getting the 55 gallon drum, some potting soil and or some type of organics and then I will be taking it out of the bag loosing some roots that are ciricling, cutting the major cut roots back closer to the trunk and then potting it up and watering the crap out of it.

@Cajunrider does that sound about right?

Here is the first 2-3 foot of the tree. There’s some taper but I want to build more. I dug a tiny bit around the base and it flares more under it

 

[19Mateo83]

Ok great, and for soil

65 bucks for that thick, I thought it was pretty good, the other few I called were like $400+ for 1.5-2 inch

That’s a score, even for here!

 

[Backwardsvg]

That’s a score, even for here!

Ya Ill take it I think they had like 4-6 inch for 200 bucks... Which is a ton of money but for someone this far north with no chance of collection it may be possible with a little saving up haha

 

[Backwardsvg]

Well here is my update. Got it in the 55gal drum with pics below. I used a mushroom compost, perlite, soil mix.

I did cut back the big roots that where snapped and I took some bigger roots that were circling and tried to unwind. But I really didn’t want to mess with the roots much at all so I mainly left alone for this year.

The drum had holes in the bottom of it so I lined it to hopefully catch and hold some water but it doesn’t seem to have worked. I’ll just be soaking it more often 1-2x a day.

It looks slightly unhappy but it’s been through a lot the past 2 days. Hopefully with some love it’ll bounce back.

 

[Cajunrider]

How thick is the soil over the roots? Don’t cover them too much.

 

[Backwardsvg]

Soil is barely over the old root ball. There’s still fine roots poking through. I’d say maybe 1/8inch to 1/2 inch at absolute most. I put a good layer in before as I had cut the drum a bit deep. So the rootball is equal to or slightly over the lip of the drum

 

[Backwardsvg]

@Cajunrider i am slightly sad that it is not holding water as I wanted it to be in a bit of standing water. I assume just watering a bunch will good enough but I still have try to find a pan large enough to slip under it

 

[Cajunrider]

@Cajunrider i am slightly sad that it is not holding water as I wanted it to be in a bit of standing water. I assume just watering a bunch will good enough but I still have try to find a pan large enough to slip under it

Watering it is good enough for now.

 

[19Mateo83]

Looking good, that thing should take off in the next year. I enjoy the trunk line on it with its graceful curve. I can see an awesome tree in the making!

 

[Backwardsvg]

Thanks @19Mateo83 i think it’s going to be a really pretty tree as well. I enjoy it! I hope it rebounds well! I’m already planning how to winter it. I’m thinking chicken wire around it with leaves and or bags of mulch stacked around it. We’ll have to see if I can move this massive pot too

 

[Backwardsvg]

Day 1 test
I have filled most holes, I left the smallest leak, so basically I can water in the morning and it’ll hold water most the day and by the end of the day I’m hoping to fill it again and it’ll slowly leak at night then the next morning fill it again.

Somewhat simulating a rise and fall of water and increase air, who knows if it’ll work / if it is needed.

We’ll see if I like it if not I may just patch the bit and keep it completely flooded

 

[Cajunrider]

Day 1 test
I have filled most holes, I left the smallest leak, so basically I can water in the morning and it’ll hold water most the day and by the end of the day I’m hoping to fill it again and it’ll slowly leak at night then the next morning fill it again.

Somewhat simulating a rise and fall of water and increase air, who knows if it’ll work / if it is needed.

We’ll see if I like it if not I may just patch the bit and keep it completely flooded

Don’t over think things. The tree needs water. It now gets a lot of water. That’s enough.