Junipers and dry rootballs

[cheap_walmart_art]

I have several junipers I've picked up along the way that are in nursery containers. I decided I wanted to repot one, and when I got it out of the container, I noticed it was very rootbound, with blackened roots around the outside edges. I figured no biggie and went ahead and sawed a disk off the bottom. Turns out the root ball was 100% bone dry. On this particular tree I tried to tease out the healthy roots where I could, cut away the blackened roots, then poked many holes into the center of the rootball. I left the rootball mostly in tact. I repotted it into bonsai soil and tried to chopstick in as much new soil as possible into the sides and the holes I poked into it and then I let the whole thing soak in a tub of water until it seemed soaked through.

I have several junipers that I think have the same conditions going on, but they all look great foliagewise. Should they be worked on in a similar manner before something goes south with them?

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

As nursery soil decomposes and breaks down, it becomes hydrophobic. Special attention when watering can sustain the trees in this soil for a while. But if you’re concerned, now is the right time to repot, and I would, based on your description.

 

[cheap_walmart_art]

As nursery soil decomposes and breaks down, it becomes hydrophobic. Special attention when watering can sustain the trees in this soil for a while. But if you’re concerned, now is the right time to repot, and I would, based on your description.

Looking at the conditions described previously, would it be advisable to really work on the roots and take away, say 30% all around, or do it like I did previously and leave a majority of root ball, poke holes through it, and chopstick soil in around the edges and soak? My thought process was that since there weren't a lot of growing tips I would kind of "chase back" the healthy roots and reduce the rootball over the next couple of repottings.

 

[sorce]

Use the opportunity to get rid of all the dead and dry IMO.

I been leaving 30% with success. Just make sure that 30% is alive.

Sorce

 

[Dav4]

How big are these junipers? My inclination would be to get them out of that crappy soil as quickly as possible, and if they were young, healthy, and not too big, I'd be removing most of the soil in one go.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Looking at the conditions described previously, would it be advisable to really work on the roots and take away, say 30% all around, or do it like I did previously and leave a majority of root ball, poke holes through it, and chopstick soil in around the edges and soak? My thought process was that since there weren't a lot of growing tips I would kind of "chase back" the healthy roots and reduce the rootball over the next couple of repottings.

30% isn’t removing that much, but with junipers, the goal isn’t really to reduce the roots if they fit in the pot comfortably anyway; it’s best to leave as much as you can to keep the tree strong. I’d say your approach is ok, if you’re cutting off the matted bottom roots, removing all the old soil, combing out the roots, and working in new soil.

 

[Lazylightningny]

30% isn’t removing that much, but with junipers, the goal isn’t really to reduce the roots if they fit in the pot comfortably anyway; it’s best to leave as much as you can to keep the tree strong. I’d say your approach is ok, if you’re cutting off the matted bottom roots, removing all the old soil, combing out the roots, and working in new soil.

So basically bare rooting?

 

[M. Frary]

So basically bare rooting?

I do it to all of my junipers.
Pull them out of the bucket,start housing and tearing the roots apart.
Then I cut what I dont want off.
Late spring early summer when they are growing strong is the time
Hinoki cypress can be handled this way too.
I've lost one juniper from this but it was weak and had mites when I performed the work.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

So basically bare rooting?

Basically, yes. We aren’t talking about a 50-year old collected Juniper are we?
Without pix, we are talking a bit in generalizations.

 

[Lazylightningny]

I do it to all of my junipers.
Pull them out of the bucket,start housing and tearing the roots apart.
Then I cut what I dont want off.
Late spring early summer when they are growing strong is the time
Hinoki cypress can be handled this way too.
I've lost one juniper from this but it was weak and had mites when I performed the work.

I started doing this last year and have had really good success so far. I was doing it a little later, though, July and August, and not touching the foliage, allowing the foliage to power new roots during the "root growing" season. Putting them right back into full sun.

 

[cheap_walmart_art]

Here is the on I repotted. I wanted to get it into a bonsai pot but I got too worried about all the dead roots and the bone dry rootball center. Sorry for the bad photo, just brought it in for this derp freeze we are getting tonight. The other two are similar size and shape.

 

[WNC Bonsai]

Keep the foliage misted regularly and junipers can get by with little remaining root mass. I just did a juniper that I have been working in a nursery pot for several years and this spring finally got rid of almost all the old soil. I handled a couple hinokis the same way as @M. Frary suggested and I mist them all several times each day. So far they are looking good. Nice looking juni by the way.