Repotting and Root Pruning Question

Abby B

3 years ago

Hi all-

I originally posted this as a comment on another thread but it was suggested I

repost as new question for clarity. Sorry for any confusion. New to the forum and

still obviously confused at navigating ! :)

@talpa

Thank you very much for posting the link to the treasure trove of prior threads you’ve written over the years. (And thank you Anna for the question ). I regularly read through posts on gardening forums for anything I can learn and maybe it’s just me, but I’ve had a heck of a time navigating the Houzz site and forum in any clear way. The compilation of your prior threads is an excellent springboard of detailed information that I’ve only just started to study,

I read and digested the Overview of Good Growing Practices yesterday and I’m glad I started there. I’m fascinated to know the stark differences in potting up vs re-potting with root pruning. I have been collecting several varieties of ficus over the past 1-2 years and some have been potted up once now so this information comes at a critical time. I’m trying my best to learn all I can to help a growing plant collection thrive. Have you written a thread on the details of the root pruning process I can study now should the need arise in the spring for repotting?

I also have a beginner question regarding how repotting and root pruning applies to some other plants, for instance Ming and Fabian aralia and also crotons, I’ve read that they are especially sensitive to having their roots disturbed and typically fare poorly if that happens. I’ve potted up these plants one to two times now and I’ve taken great care to move the root ball intact to the next larger pot size without disturbing any roots. What would you advise in the future with these plants? Also, I’ve got a couple Christmas cactuses that I think qualify for being stuck in soil I’ve seen referred to as a “brick”. It’s very dense and takes water a long time to permeate it. The plants were potted up about 5 years ago and I’ve had them maybe 10 years now. One of them has had a large branch break off at the root which I’m rooting now in starter pots. The large old plant is due to be watered any day wondering if I should soak the dry rootball and attempt repotting?

thanks so much for sharing your years of knowledge!

Abby

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Some questions about roots- pruning or repotting?
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Nota, since winter is coming, plant growth will slow down..I'd wait until spring, especially if you're considering cutting roots.. One thing you can do is divide in half, but then you'd have two of the same hibs, etc. I don't consider Hibs plants that go dormant in winter..My hibs bloom yr round so this tells me they don't go through dormancy..In fact, Mr. Crockett from Victory GArdens states this in his house plant book. But, if they're getting little sun, something we can't control, (natural sun) they do slow down..I bought 3 hibs in summer, repotted two. One's in a 10" the other a 12. I'll keep them in these pots a couple yrs..Some of my smaller hibs that are a few yrs old were repotted in spring..I noticed roots growing out of a few pots but decided to wait until next yr to repot. Are you seeing roots on top of the soil? If so, then I'd say the hibs are really potbound. You mention the soil not drying too fast though, so I'd wait..As long as you're not watering daily because leaves are wilting you shouldn't worry about repotting. Do you have pics of your hibs? Bays grow big..is yours a tree or bush? They grow into standard trees if bottom branches are kept pruned. The trunk will thicken, too. The Sambac grows in winter, also, like hibs. Is your jasmine the Maid of Orleans? Sorry, don't know the botancial names for these plants..Toni
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EW - The best time to repot F lyrata is around mid-Jun if you're N of the equator, and mid-Dec if you're south of it. If you're less than 25-30* N or S latitude, it's not particularly important when you repot. If you want to achieve that look, and especially that look combined with that ht, you'll need to make some sacrifices. Trees thicken and trunks strengthen in a direct relationship with foliage mass, The more leaves, the faster the tree grows, thickens, and strengthens. To replicate that look, your job would be to try to make sure the terminal bud on the main stem doesn't get damaged or removed until the plant is about 3/4 as tall as you want it in the end. In the meantime, you should only tip-prune any branches that occur, so you maintain as much foliage on the tree as possible. As the tree approaches the desired ht, you'll start removing the lowest branches and working your way upward over time. If you allow any secondary branching (branches of the main stem, to grow 2 - 3 leaves, then remove the apex (growing tip), more branches will be forced to grow from the leaf axils. You can then keep those oriented toward growth that flatters the plant, and remove those that spoil your vision for what you'd like it to be. Often, growing is a catch 22. If we maintain a plant so it always looks its best in the immediate, we might be destroying its future. If we're serious about having our plants grow into something that is going to be pleasing to the eye at maturity, we usually need to make some sacrifices and stick with a plan as the plant moves through the formative stages. I realize how much that is to ask of a grower because of how long it took me to develop the ability to look ahead. The good news is, though, I didn't have anyone to help me learn to see into the future or explain all this to me, you do. ;-) Al
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That thing recovered?!?! Wow...what was the process after you pruned it? I thought about severely pruning back some plants to over winter this fall but that's extreme. If it's feasible to do that though, i may overwinter more plants.
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These are some of the tools I use for repotting. The tool that looks like a root rake to the right of the pruning saw is a root rake, can be had here for under $10, stainless steel a few $ more. The wooden tool made from a dowel rod looks exactly like a 'tell', which is used to check moisture levels deep in a pot, but this highly specialized tool made by sharpening a dowel rod in a pencil sharpener is filling in as a root-pick, which is used to tease soil out of the roots. The hooked tool with a wooden handle is a single prong root hook. It's used to untangle roots and can also be had here for less than $10. When I root prune, I comb out some of the roots, then snip them off, then repeat. When I'm done, there is a hollow in the root mass directly under the trunk where there are no roots. The tree, regardless of it's size, will have a root system that looks like it will fit over an over-turned soup bowl, or for trees older than 25 years, the root system might be flat. When I pot the tree, I mound the soil in a volcano shape, set the center of the roots on the peak and rotate the tree back and forth to settle the soil into the hollow before adding more soil and working it into all air spaces in the roots with the root pick. If you stick the tapered tip of the root pick in beween roots and rotate the end in your hand in a circular motion like you're following the rim of a funnel, you can watch the soil settle into the roots like it's going down a swirling drain. Strong work, JS. If the last image in the OP shows what the root mass looked like before it was repotted, I'd have pruned roots tight to the bottom and removed all the long roots sticking out of what's left of the root mass. You might even have done that, but I thought I'd make the suggestion. Al
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Repotting and Root Pruning Question

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