Root Cutting, Winter Prep

Anonymouse

Sapling
Messages
32
Reaction score
15
Location
North Carolina (Moutains)
Here in North Carolina tomorrow is the first day of fall 😁 And I am wondering if there is anything I need to do for my trees during Fall\Winter.



Anyways I was wondering how much root cutting is to much, I have pushed the limits on many trees. ( That came out sounding random...)
 

leatherback

The Treedeemer
Messages
13,937
Reaction score
26,876
Location
Northern Germany
USDA Zone
7
Here in North Carolina tomorrow is the first day of fall
That's weird!
Here in Europe too!

No repotting anymore ideally.
Remove rubble, weeds etc from your pots.
Once leaves drop spray with winter oil and / or diluted yin sulfur.
Then place in the area where you keep them over winter.
 

Shibui

Imperial Masterpiece
Messages
7,545
Reaction score
15,215
Location
Yackandandah, Australia
USDA Zone
9?
How hard you can cut roots depends on the species, time of year, location, age of the plant, how healthy it was and more.
Tough species like trident maple, Chinese elm, privet, olive can have almost all roots removed and still grow away as if nothing happened. I leave a lot more root on conifers.
 

sorce

Nonsense Rascal
Messages
32,908
Reaction score
45,579
Location
Berwyn, Il
USDA Zone
6.2
When is the last time you cut roots?

I reckon you got time.

Sorce
 

Paradox

Imperial Masterpiece
Messages
9,339
Reaction score
11,410
Location
Long Island, NY
USDA Zone
7a
Not sure exactly what you are asking but cutting roots is definitely not one of the things you do for winter prep.
It is too late to do any root cutting on a tree in North Carolina.

If you mean that you repotted some trees this year and cut the roots back pretty hard, it depends on your location, the species of tree, when you did the repot, and how much you cut off. Without these details, we cant really give you advice. The only thing we know is your location.
 

Anonymouse

Sapling
Messages
32
Reaction score
15
Location
North Carolina (Moutains)
I was not sure it was clear but but winter prep and root cutting were to totally different topics I just wanted to know what to do for my trees during winter and how much root cutting was to much.
Just making that clear😁.
 

Leo in N E Illinois

The Professor
Messages
11,337
Reaction score
23,254
Location
on the IL-WI border, a mile from ''da Lake''
USDA Zone
5b
Okay, separate topics.
How much can you prune off roots when repotting? As said above, there is no fixed answer. Much depends on the species of tree. The health of the tree prior to repotting, the timing of the repotting, and the effects of your local climate, and the diligence you can provide for after-care. This all comes from experience. If your trees are still alive 4 months after repotting you probably did not cut off too much. Did you pay attention to how much you removed at repotting? Take pictures if you have too many projects to remember specifics. Experience is hard earned. Most deciduous trees will tolerate quite drastic root pruning if they were healthy before the pruning and the timing relative the the tree's growth cycle was favorable. Conifers in general are less forgiving of excess root pruning. Aftercare is important. You must refrain from inflicting further stress until after the tree has recovered. Biggest cause of tree death is excessive pruning to frequently after a traumatic repotting.

Preparing trees for winter. Key is to keep the trees outdoors as late into the season as possible. The cooling off at night to progressively lower and lower temperatures causes the trees to make metabolic changes necessary to survive the winter. Trees will increase the sugar content of their sap and cells, by decreasing the amount of water in these tissues. This makes the sap somewhat like anti-freeze. Buds will "harden off" with protective bud scales forming a tight covering over next years buds. THere is quite a list of changes. Your winters are relatively mild, compared to mine. But it is important to not keep the tree indoors for more than a day or two for display at this time of year. Just a few nights in the warm indoors can undo a months worth of adaptations to the cold. Specific critical time in warm to undo cold tolerance is not well documented except for commercial fruit trees, so as a general precaution in autumn and winter, when you bring trees indoors for display or a photo opportunity, try to limit the length of time. Hours are certainly okay, multiple days can undo winter hardiness adaptations leading to freeze damage later in the winter.
 

Forsoothe!

Imperial Masterpiece
Messages
6,878
Reaction score
9,248
Location
Michigan
USDA Zone
6b
I was not sure it was clear but but winter prep and root cutting were to totally different topics I just wanted to know what to do for my trees during winter and how much root cutting was to much.
Just making that clear😁.
The answer is there is no general answer. Ask specifically about one species at one time in the year.
 
Top Bottom