Root Cutting ?

[remist17]

I hear many people saying this tree was from a root cutting. Can anyone explain to me what a root cutting is? And how it is performed? I would like to do this on a Bart Davy Ficus.

 

[jk_lewis]

You often will prune large unsightly roots. The section from the cut down to the fine root hairs, is the root cutting. You can also cut away the fine roots, but this has always seemed silly to me.

 

[remist17]

Dumb question..... do plant the root that was cut off to grow another? or do you perform a root cutting to remove the large root.

 

[Mike423]

Yes a root cutting is just that, a section of root cut from the tree, generally 2-3 inches of length (or longer) that after being removed is directly repotted into a pot (or other medium) with the thicker part sticking out of the top of the soil. Letting about a centimeter stick out of the soil is fine. I'm sure plenty of article will come up if you Google 'root cutting propagation'.

 

[rockm]

"do plant the root that was cut off to grow another?"

Happens all the time in the wild and in yards. Ever try to get rid of a particularly annoying tree or plant in your yard? Ever try to grub out a wisteria or (God Forbid) bamboo from a landscape? If you leave even a small section of root, they will produce new top growth. Vigorous plants are like hydras, cut off the main trunk and leave the roots and you get a hundred new plants from the roots as replacments for the single trunk...

 

[remist17]

True... Like I said dumb question....

I will try this with my Ficus. Thank you all.

 

[FrankP999]

When you repot the ficus and prune off roots, you can plant those roots with a small length of the top of the pruned root exposed above the soil. Be sure to plant it "rightside up". It may take a while for the root to put out new growth. Do not over water it or the root will likely rot.

Good luck!

 

[Redwood Ryan]

I've only had success rooting Willow Leaf Ficus root cuttings. I haven't found any Ficus microcarpa roots to take root.

 

[Smoke]

I have only had success with elm roots.

 

[Mike423]

I second that, I root pruned a Yatsabusa Elm last spring and threw the roots back in the garden to see if they would sprout not expecting it to work but every single one sprouted new growth within a month.

 

[Smoke]

"do plant the root that was cut off to grow another?"

Happens all the time in the wild and in yards. Ever try to get rid of a particularly annoying tree or plant in your yard? Ever try to grub out a wisteria or (God Forbid) bamboo from a landscape? If you leave even a small section of root, they will produce new top growth. Vigorous plants are like hydras, cut off the main trunk and leave the roots and you get a hundred new plants from the roots as replacments for the single trunk...

This is not always the case and this post makes it sound like it is. Bamboo does not reproduce from its roots it regrows from a rhizome. Also cutting back a trunk to the crown and having plants emerge is not the same a taking a root section and planting it to grow out. Many trees will sprout from an undisturbed root base left in the ground and cut back to the ground. I think we are talking about pruning a plant, and taking a section of an interesting root and placing it into a pot and expecting it to produce a plant. This is just not what you have said here.

Try to start a maple from a root cutting, or a pine or a boxwood. I have only seen elms really reproduce from a root cutting. I have no experience with ficus so I leave that to those that do. I would like to see some successful bonsai ficus grown from root cutting.

This small semi cascade elm is from a root cutting. In the second picture the color difference in the wood is due to the point where the new branches came out of the root end. You can see the lip of callous tissue there when it started. The tree was much deeper during grow out. It has been placed into a bonsai pot this year. It was lifted higher as can be seen by the roots that are exposed.

Enjoy, Al

 

[Smoke]

BTW, this is three years old from root cutting.

 

[gavin555595]

someone just made me more plants less then 20 miniutes ago i cut my bad cypresses roots that i just recived in a shippment and saved about 12 good root cuttings

 

[remist17]

I really have nothing to loose trying to grow the ficus root. I have one grouwing out of the pot that is about 3 inches long. I guess the cut edge goes to the air?

Thanks

 

[gergwebber]

any luck with the ficus or cypress here? Or any other trees?

I think a root cutting of a flowering plum of mine is throwing out a bud. Will wait and see (can we have an emoticon for fingers crossed now?)

 

[milehigh_7]

Dumb question..... do plant the root that was cut off to grow another? or do you perform a root cutting to remove the large root.

Both! It is a great way to propagate some species. The cool thing about them is the unusual shapes that you get for a trunk. I have done Washington Hawthorn, Prairie Fire crabapple and crepe myrtle. I hear that elms do great this way.

Oh yea I did a Western Hackberry this way as well.

 

[bonsaibp]

It also works with pomegranates.

 

[milehigh_7]

It also works with pomegranates.

I bet it would!

 

[Poink88]

Here are 2 ficus nerifolia/salicaria root cuttings in one pot. I didn't know if it will take and I was out of pots

I believe the first pic is about a month old (see the green buds starting to form) and the next 2 are 6 months after.
View attachment 29711
View attachment 29712
View attachment 29713

 

[Stan Kengai]

Generally, plants that sucker profusely are easily propagated by root cuttings. I have personally done crab apple, crepe myrtle, and azalea, and I'm going to try quince in the fall.