Pre Root pruning for Collection

[digger714]

Hello. I was just reading another thread where rockm said to cut the roots around the trunk about 8 " out all the way around the tree, and then collect in september. If i have the time, would it be better to wait until all the stored food is mostly out of the roots, like mid spring, and then spade around the tree? I know this makes smaller roots start to grow in closer to the trunk, which should start causing the roots to fuse together and make a better nebari, if you could do it for several years before collecting. Am i correct in this thinking?

What about trees planted on tiles, or boards? Should they be done the same way, or taken out of the ground every few years to rearrange the nebari? I know it would stunt the growth of the trunk, but isnt it worth it to get better nebari? The trees i am talking about are all decidious trees. Thanks alot. Brad

 

[serpentsgarden]

A thought

Try using natural stone form its natural region. One of my club buddies swears that it will not inhibit rootgrowth and balance soil ph. They make tile out of so many stone types yopu bound to find somehting form your tree's natural region. Just a thought. I do not know if a tile would bother the tree but i was taught this way so i use this way. Mostly it makes sense to tyr to use more natural things to work with. The tree wont care though what you use so long as it is not an irradiated piece of uranium or something =P

 

[sfhellwig]

The rule for deciduous work is always while dormant. While it sounds logical to wait until the food has left the roots for growth in the upper portions of the tree, once it is growing it cannot tolerate certain disturbances the same. Root work while dormant is like doing surgery while a person is under anesthesia. You wouldn't do it any other way unless you had to. Root pruning a tree for transplant is done in the dormant season. Several version suggest doing half circle one year, the other half next year, with final collection on the third year before bud break in spring. Only when the tree is very special will most people take this kind of care. If it is a species that can tolerate aggressive work, people collect under far worse conditions.

The point of the in ground pruning is to get the roots to grow feeder roots closer in. It has nothing to do with the nebari at this point but rather getting the tree to have enough to survive on. In the ground, feeder roots are at the drip line and would be un-collectible except for the smallest of trees. Root pruning forces the tree to grow new roots at the cut which benefits us because of the rootball we must collect as well as the small containers we choose. You are aiming for the same condition as a final bonsai: lot's of roots in a small space. Difference is this is for survivability, not aesthetics.