Can a crabapple handle a carving off of a root knuckle

Cadillactaste

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Like sort of seen in the other photo...can one just carve off a crabapple's knuckle root and not effect the tree?

Anyone? I hate that one knuckle is holding me back on a tree. Though the other side of the tree may work as a front...just trying to work out my options.
 

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qwade

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Thats a pretty big chunk of root there. Probably going to get both answers in this thread. If tree was very healthy and vibrant I might hack it off. It would have to really bother me. Probably stress the tree. I would normally like to look at the root structure. I would cut it at a re-pot where i could examine the root structure. If I had a lot of other roots--- no problem i'd cut. Either way I don't think it would kill the tree, but you could wait and take a look at the roots before making a decision
 

Stan Kengai

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Crabs can easily have 50% of their root mass removed. If you take that root off and remove little else, the plant should be fine. If you don't repot and cut that root in late spring/early summer, treating with cut paste, the wound will be mostly healed by fall.
 

ianb

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Are you repotting at the same time? It's hard to judge what you can remove without seeing the strength of this root versus the rest of the root system
 

GrimLore

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Could you show me a picture of the whole tree? I cannot give advice on it just seeing the base. I do have a plan but it depends on the rest of the tree... ;)

Grimmy
 

GrimLore

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So you do not have the Crab:rolleyes: Either way, that one would do well if you repotted it in Spring, cut/chiseled off the root AND made sure you took out any root attached to it to prevent rot. I would say no only if it exceeded 50 percent of the root mass. If it did I would reduce the root mass, leave it go another year, then chop it. They are very hardy and if the conditions were proper the first time I would also trim every branch back 1 node at the same time.o_O

Grimmy
 

Cadillactaste

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So you do not have the Crab:rolleyes: Either way, that one would do well if you repotted it in Spring, cut/chiseled off the root AND made sure you took out any root attached to it to prevent rot. I would say no only if it exceeded 50 percent of the root mass. If it did I would reduce the root mass, leave it go another year, then chop it. They are very hardy and if the conditions were proper the first time I would also trim every branch back 1 node at the same time.o_O

Grimmy

Yup...I passed on it.Interesting take on it...
Did you see the thread on my azalea?

http://bonsainut.com/index.php?threads/taking-the-plunge-on-an-azalea-from-don-blackmond.18222/
 
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