Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
(a)
(b)
Figure 3.31
The pot-bound plant will have taken on the shape of its pot (a). Wash away the soil from the roots so it is
easy to see. Cut away the thicker roots saving as many fibrous roots as possible (b).
unsuitable soil conditions) where the vigorous
rootstock outgrows the weaker cultivar
grafted onto it.
its pot, wash the roots and get a good look at
what needs to be done (see Figure 3.31). Root
pruning is a useful tool when growing fruit
trees in pots, especially those that are not
grown on dwarfing rootstocks (see page 155),
like figs.
Suckers are best tackled when they are
young; the greener the wood the better. If
necessary, dig down until you can see where
the sucker is attached to the root. Grasp the
sucker firmly and
rip
it off its parent root.
Never
cut suckers off; it leaves part of the bud
the sucker originated from, so it just
resprouts. The idea is to remove the
meristem/bud/node entirely so that the
sucker will not regrow. Unfortunately, once
this suckering habit has started it is hard to
stop. Keep your plants healthy and try to be
vigilant in removing the suckers as soon as
they are noticed. Be on the look-out,
especially in spring and early autumn.
Once the soil has been washed away it is easy
to see the large roots that have few root hairs
and the fine fibrous ones that will support
many root hairs. As the root hairs will be
severely damaged, don't allow the plant to dry
out once repotted. By keeping your plant
moist, not wet, the translocation of water and
nutrients will enable swift recovery.
Large thick roots are really just long plumbing
appendages, useful for stretching out in
search of water and nutrients at a distance
when the plant has a free run of the ground.
However, they are not necessary in a pot where
the root zone is so confined and the plant
needs as many fine roots bearing root hairs as
possible, and the supply of water and nutrients
is in the control of the gardener.
Rootpruningpottedplants
Bonsai is the classic illustration of how plants
are kept small by pruning their roots. This is
acceptable when you can remove a plant from
