Did i kill this tree in repot.

[maroun.c]

Repotted this spruce today abdnlooks like it was planted in this pot for years I guess as it had huge circular root circling the pot. As I cut and removed the thick roots it seems all the finer roots came out from them and I was left with this nearly bare trunk.
Is there any chance for it to recover ? Anything I can do to help or is it most probably dead ?

 

[Housguy]

don't cut anymore off and let it be and recover in a new pot for now. If it were mine, I would leave it alone for at least a year at minimum in a partial sunny area. Good luck.

 

[0soyoung]

Mmmmm. I see why you're all puckered up.
All I can say is to give it sun like it was getting before and wait and see.

I can highlight to you that this sort of root mess is common with container grown stuff - they are simply kept in small pots far too long, so the roots start circling like this. You can simply hold the tree by the trunk and knock off the plastic can by sharply striking it around the rim - do this in the nursery before you buy, next time.

 

[sorce]

This is why I like to Repot spruce after it grows for the year.

Now you're burning the candle at both ends.

So....
@Schmikah this is why you don't just cut off circling roots without thought.

It has a 50% chance of life.

In fall it would have been greater. 65-85%.

It's all in the genes now.

Sorce

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

Back when I was exploring bonsai for the first time, I did some things like this. That was five years ago.
My spruces still live, but they still don't look good.

If you find stuff like this again, keep all the roots. It might send out new feeder roots from the base over time. If that happens, then you can cut the fat ones off.

I repotted a scots pine today with some fat roots, but it also had emerging finer roots close to the trunk. I'm going to let those grow so in the future they can replace the fat ones.