Dig up and rotate

Rid

Shohin
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Does anybody dig up their field grown plants periodically and rotate them in their hole? If so How frequently do you do it and when?

Thanks
Ridley
 

Wires_Guy_wires

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It would partially defeat the purpose of ground growing; thickening the trunk. When you keep cutting roots periodically, it's almost the same as keeping the plant in a pot or collander.
It also creates a dense root mat filled with dirt, which will make it harder to remove the suffocating soil whenever the tree is ready for a bonsai pot.

But on the other hand, for good an equal development, it might be a good thing. I don't know. I think there are good reasons not to do it, so I don't do it. But I don't know if one thing can outweigh the other in terms of advantages.
 

peterbone

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It depends where it's grown. As long as you avoid planting next to a fence or wall then it should be unnecessary. Wild trees don't need rotating.
 

BunjaeKorea

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In Korea trees are give a cut around the outside in a wide radius the year before they are to be removed from the ground. This is to encourage fine roots nearer the centre. Especially used in pines..... helps them survive the move to a training pot..... with that said its only done once so I wouldn't go chopping around never mind rotating unless it's to be replanted next year...... plus I would be doing it later winter or early spring as you would for repotting.....
 

Dav4

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Depending on species, in ground trees should be dug every 2-4 years and root worked. I suppose at that point, you could rotate if you felt the tree would benefit from it. Don't forget that much of what develops while in the ground should be considered sacrificial and will be eventually cut away so worrying about balance may not be necessary.
 

GGB

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I don't intentionally rotate them but I plan to dig up trees periodically to work on the roots. I had some native maples get completely ruined by not checking their growth. I'd rather slow a tree down and know it's got decent roots than dig up a tree 7 years later and find out it's unusable. I probably over think things though
 

Anthony

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That's why we plant in colanders. Removal and then a period
left in the colander to restart the fine roots - In response to
the Korea training.
Good Day
Anthony
 

Rid

Shohin
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Depending on species, in ground trees should be dug every 2-4 years and root worked. I suppose at that point, you could rotate if you felt the tree would benefit from it. Don't forget that much of what develops while in the ground should be considered sacrificial and will be eventually cut away so worrying about balance may not be necessary.
Thanks again Dave. That makes sense. Years ago, One of the first people I ever talked to about bonsai was Julian Adams (my wife is from his hometown). He told me he did this to his tridents, and he must have been doing it every few years, like you said, to work the roots. At the time, I didn’t understand why he was doing it. I have a ground growing trident that is due for root work this spring, so thanks for the timely advice.
Ridley
 
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