Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Prepping the Trees
Years ago, fruit specialists sometimes recommended pruning the roots and
tops of newly planted trees to “keep them in balance.” We no longer make
that recommendation. Prune bare roots only if they have been broken during
digging or shipping. Never prune roots simply so that they will fit into a
planting hole.
Dealing with girdling roots.
For container-grown plants and some plants
grown in root bags, circling roots can form around the outsides of the root
ball on plants left too long in the containers. A few roots circling partway
around the outside of a root ball do not cause any problems. In such cases,
use a very sharp utility knife to make two or three slices down the sides
and a cross on the bottom of the root ball. If in doubt, wash the soil gently
away from the roots of a plant or two. I have found plants where the roots
developed first in coils about 4 inches in diameter and later in coils about
6 inches in diameter. In these severe cases, the plants had been rootbound
in 4-inch starter containers before being transplanted to 1-gallon contain-
ers and again allowed to become rootbound. If severe root circling is present,
document what you have found with photos and reject the shipment. Trees
with circling root systems will never anchor properly and may eventually die
due to the roots girdling one another or the main trunk.
You may have heard of a practice called “butterflying,” where the planter
attempts to salvage rootbound container-grown plants by splitting the root
ball with a shovel. At best, rootbound plants treated this way will be slow
to establish and may well be stunted their entire lives; in many cases, plants
will simply die. If your plants are so rootbound as to need the root balls split,
discard the plants and obtain healthy planting stock.
Checking for pests and diseases.
If you see evidence of diseases or pests on
the roots, collar, or trunks, stop immediately. Disease and pest symptoms in-
clude tumor-like swellings, cankers, brownish or black discoloration, stubby
