Trident Maple Root Problem

[W3rk]

I picked up 3 new young trident maples this spring. 2 of them leafed out great early. The 3rd never did and I started to write it off as possibly dead. A few days back I noticed that some of the buds had started to move and are just starting to push leaves. I decided I should take a look at the roots and maybe a quick re-pot. As I suspected I found a lot of signs of root rot, flimsy dark roots.

But I found some good looking healthy young white roots pushing out. I decided that I did not want to risk damage to any of the good roots, especially the new growth - so I basically just slip-potted it up into a slightly larger grow bag. I also know that now wouldn't be the best time to mess with roots. But I wanted to at least ensure better drainage and aeration.

Looking for feedback. Is this likely the safest move? Or should I clean out the old root ball more and remove dead roots and get it in fresh/better soil?

 

[Stan Kengai]

Slip potting without disturbing the roots too much was the right thing to do. Now I would recommend soaking the roots with 3% hydrogen peroxide, like you would water. Also be sure to disinfect any tools you used repotting. Only water when needed, not on a schedule. After the new leaves harden, use mild organic fertilizer only.

 

[W3rk]

Slip potting without disturbing the roots too much was the right thing to do. Now I would recommend soaking the roots with 3% hydrogen peroxide, like you would water. Also be sure to disinfect any tools you used repotting. Only water when needed, not on a schedule. After the new leaves harden, use mild organic fertilizer only.

Thanks so much for the feedback Stan, just the kind of information I was looking for. I've used Hydrogen Peroxide before to deal fungus gnats nesting in the soil, so I'm familiar with that.