Correcting roots without digging up tree

7 years ago

last modified: 7 years ago

THe first few trees I put in the fall of 2014 were planted improperly. I dug up two last fall and did some work on them, a Karpick Maple and a Sunset. The Sunset had a disastrous clump of a mess, but got replanted anyway, not much root left after major surgey -- should have dumped it for a better speciman....the new growth died back this spring. Anyway, two more need to be done. The problem is they are big, a Sugar Maple and White oak. The Oak took two of us to get in the ground. I wonder if I could correct the roots by using a hand auger digging down in quarters around the root ball and get a reciprocating saw blade to cut and then pull some root out. Pulling the Oak out just is not going to happen. I had to wrestle enough with the much smaller trees. With the Oak roots grabbing out some and the weight added from two seasons of growth by this fall I'd end up breaking my back and likely damage the tree.

Comments (7)

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
7 years ago
was the oak field dug.. or potted ...

what signs of a problem are you noting.. or are you just trying to kill it with love ...???

ya know .. the thing might only live 30 50 50 to 100 years .. before it MIGHT have root problems ...

how far is it from the house ...

in my MI ... april is oak planting time.. surely not july/august.. but i think you know that ...

no.. i would not auger ... or frankly.. do anything ...

ken

pS: now you know the real reason we all suggest smaller trees.. lol ... they are easier to hoick around...
lone_elm_z6
Original Author
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
Sorry Ken, I should have mentioned they were all pot grown and I did not correct for that when planting and just plopped the root ball in the hole. I assume pot grown root systems MUST be cut up some and pulled out for best chances. The Oak and Maple actually look pretty happy. The Oak last season had a handsome leafout.

and yes, these days I only plant when there's no leaves on them. A Burr and Swamp oak went in this April, little bare rooters.
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because this is my soil .. pic below ... yellow mineral sand ... lol ... and trees and conifers love it ... by the time i have dug twice around .. WITH A SHARP SHOVEL ... you see all the soil that remains in ball form .. lol most nurseries that want to produce ball and burlap stock.. buy property .. with a clay based soil .... but my point was .. simply... a ball of soil would be nice.. but it isnt imperative ... with PROPER TIMING.. there is a lot of leeway .... and also.. note the size of the roots compared to the tree... if i recall... i started digging about 4 feet from the trunk ... and by the time i was done.. i probably had a 4 foot wide set or roots.. which i then took the time.. with the felco's [hand pruners] to trim each root end that was not properly cut with a sharpened shovel ... never forget.. that to dig a trench as wide as your shovel to make a ball.. you have to make a moat 12 inches wide or so.. so you start that much further out .... so that the interior dimension is proper ... you can always cut more off the roots.. you can not staple or tape them back on .... i believe that i had marked this tree the year prior.. and while it was still in the ground.. i trimmed it for shape the year prior ... i use the same tape in the weeks prior to hauling out the chainsaw ... once its running.. there is no time to ponder each tree i walk by on 5 acres.. i simply trot from one marked tree to the next.. doing what must be done ... and then it takes a week to clean up the mess. .. lol .. ken
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edlincoln
7 years ago
People think about their garden this time of year, but it's not the best time to do everything. I'd wait until Fall or early Spring if you must do this.
wisconsitom
7 years ago
What's more, as bad as most of these potted plant root systems are, it is not a given that every species will develop a problem. Some tree species' roots are able to graft together, and often enough, these do not go on to cause issues.

I think I'd put my efforts elsewhere....and do those tings you should with poor root structures....in future plantings. The cure just sounds worse than the disease this time around.
bengz6westmd
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
I gently dug away soil around the root crown of several planted trees and was able to cut away some girdling roots. It should have been done at planting, but shoulda, woulda, coulda, etc. I assume it helped some -- the trees are healthy yrs afterwards. You might gently expose the root crown on your tree(s) and post pics here for advice.
lone_elm_z6
Original Author
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
I'll leave them alone then. Wisconsitom, do Maple roots graft together? I've heard White Oaks don't like having their roots disturbed and was extra reluctant with that tree, even unestablished. It really has looked the happiest of all that has been put in in the last couple seasons.
wisconsitom
7 years ago
One peer-reviewed study I read in The Journal of Arboriculture some years ago found that while all maple species tested were able to develop what look like girdling roots, it was only in Norway maples where this went on to cause problems. And of course, anyone who has managed many trees (in the north temperate zone) will know that Norway maple succumbs to girdling root frequently-almost to the point of making it an unsuitable choice where a long-lived tree is desired. So again, what looked like girdling roots were found on sugar maple, silver maple, Norway maple, and perhaps others. But only in Norway maple (in this particular study) did the apparent go on to cause actual plant performance problems.

Correcting roots without digging up tree

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ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5

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Correcting roots without digging up tree

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ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5

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