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Should I have root pruned?

16 years ago

I've had one or two year old fig tree that I bought bare root for a year now. It's been in a 20-25 gallon container since the day I recieved it. I now know this was too large of a step initially.

My question is whether or not I should have root pruned it this winter. It's only been in this large container for one year, but the surface is thick with hair-width roots. I will definately prune it this winter, but will it have enough room below these roots for major thick roots, or enough room to at least do well?

The fig it turns out is a Lattarula, though initally I thought it a BT. It has 46 visible brebas on it right now and I can noticibly see that the length between branch segments has shortened as the tree grew last year from nothing but a main trunk to branches 3 feet or more in each direction. Initially the segments were around 8 inches long, but got smaller as it grew over the course of the year to roughly 3 inches per segment. There are no brebas on the inital 8 inch segments either.

I'm wondering if this size reduction is a result of adaptiation to the pot, root binding, heat stress or lack of nutrients, or if it's normal.

The tree is potted in a potting soil that is mainly composed of tree bark and other chunky bits. I fertilize with a slow release 10-10-10. Thanks!

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Comments (4)

xgrndpounder
16 years ago
wild_forager,

James has quite a post on the figs4fum forum about root pruning!

He pretty well covers it (as usual)

Cecil
hlyell
16 years ago
Don't worry about your tree having a root problem as long as your potting soil drains well. Before I learned better I put newly bought fig trees into very large pots too. Some of them stayed in those pots for 4 years. Fortunately the soil I had used drained very well. This winter I repotted those trees. They were not NEARLY as rootbound as I feared. I pruned the roots, repotted them in Feb., and they are fully leafed out and growing well now.

If I understand the other issue you are concerned about I wouldn't worry about that either. I think it's generally true that with more branches there will be less distance between leaves. This is a good thing since figs form at the leaves. I guess in some cases it could be indicative of problems, but in this case it doesn't sound like that's the case.

At any rate, your tree should be fine for another year in the large pot. The small roots at the surface of the soil is completely normal, btw.

Henry
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Good question. I wish I knew the answer! I worked in plant nurseries for a few years and I thought I had repotted just about everything at every stage of potbound. I never heard of root pruning like that. I'd just remove the old soil if you feel the need to. The roots might wrapped around the rootball alot. Half the fun is the challenge of repotting something that rootbound. We never removed the old soil. Maybe because it was in a nursery? Maybe homeowners repot differently. Anxious to see other people's answers!
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Bad roots - rotted: usually blackish, sometimes mushy or slimy, could have bad odor dead: should be quite easy to see, darker or light in color, brittle, skinny and or wrinkled and really dead looking damaged: fresh damage, with 'flesh' visible Good roots look plump, usually whitish color (some plants may have darker color roots), do not feel too soft when you touch them. Often they have lots of fine, hair-like roots. From what I can tell in your photo, they look pretty healthy (it may be easier to judge by taking close-up photo). That's what I would be looking for - hope I got it right...Rina
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wild_forager
Original Author
16 years ago
Whew! That's good news. I am aching for a taste of my first home grown fresh fig and the thought of losing my crop was not fun.
joeysquared
16 years ago
You can always throw a little mulch, compost or garden soil on top of those roots. It wont hurt at all.

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