Is this a girdling root?

2 years ago

Hello dear friends,

This is a 5 years old ginkgo biloba tree that was buried in a pot and I planted 16 months ago, is this big root I’m pointing at a girdling root? should I remove it? I’m sure the tree won’t survive cutting such a big root! is this tree doomed then? what about the other crossing root on the right? should I cut that? and there’s this big root in the middle that comes from above the flare? should this one be cut too? never had such a problematic tree! maybe it’s the norm with ginkgos I don’t know!

thanks so much!

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bengz6westmd

2 years ago

last modified: 2 years ago

To answer your question, most definitively. I've been a tree planter for decades and would hesitate doing anything on that one because it's big, deep and involved. Still, it would prb'ly be helpful at least to use a water hose to blast away more dirt and get a better view of it. Cutting that might do too much damage, but maybe not.

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Comments (9)

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
2 years ago
i always thought.. that girdling meant the root was above the root flare.. and it might be possible that it will strangle to tree in the future.. hence the need to do something about it ...

yours looks clearly below such.. so whats the problem ... it was obviously in a pot too long.. some time in its life.. but its not anymore.. and it sure looks like it put outward roots for future stability ...

you might want to go all archeologist on it.. and move out more of the soil with brush and trowel ... to see a bit more or whats going on ... its something i might do.. simply for the fun of it ...

but im not sure what you would do about it ... i surely wouldnt dig up the tree to do root surgery at this point ... and since its put out good root growth otherwise maybe there really isnt much to do ...

i dont know about your presumption that it couldnt survive cutting it.. as it shows very aggressive root growth otherwise .. but again .. im not sure it matters .. so why do it ...

ken
Lily thanked ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
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Trees and other plants are not an exact science or our jobs would be easy. We look at all research, make the best decision we can, and hope what we do works. Even a tree that is perfectly planted and cared for can; though rarely, develop girdling and nasty cross roots. OP said that most of the trees he was concerned about are young which gives them good chance of recovery with root treatment. Sure the OP may loose some trees to the root surgery but left alone with the problems he described they have little chance of growing up to be nice trees. I have worked with both scientists, businesses and the public and scientists do work in a different thinking zone. They present facts that in science are definitive to them, that is just the way they think. The research that they do has to be used and considered by us, but is not always practical to the real world in which they do not live.
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That tree is obviously very well established and with numerous decades under its belt. While never a good thing, if those girdling roots were to be a concern, that concern would have manifested already with stunted growth and lack of foliage development and the tree would be already in decline. It doesn't appear to be suffering any of those conditions :-) I would guess at this length of time after planting, there are more than enough structural roots radiating out from the trunk to provide anchorage and with them all the fine feeder roots that support the tree with moisture and nutrients. If you were to peel back the sod and soil to expose the entire root system, I am sure you would find large roots extending well out beyond the tree canopy - I doubt the tree would have survived this long without them. There is nothing you need or should do at this point - the tree is self-sustaining. If you have questions about its structural integrity - the possibility that it could blow down in a storm - then you may want to have the tree examined by a certified arborist who is skilled in hazard assessment. This is not your average Joe Blow tree-trimmer but a highly trained tree professional. There is a BIG difference!!
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is it all the same root??? what happens on the other side??? i would cut one side or the other.. and see how it responds ... just stop the strangling.. is my idea .... no need to remove it all.. right now ... ya know.. for me.. in MI ... strobus can grow 3 to 5 feet per year.. once it gets settled in ... perhaps you wouldnt need to buy such a large specimen .... since the whole reason it was so badly root bound.. was because of its aggressive growth rate ... eh ... next buy smaller ... live and learn .... btw.. it might make a neat cut xmas tree .. you probably paid less for this one.. than you would a cut tree in xmas season ... ken
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Wash the soil off, try and pull the roots open as best you can. Use rocks to keep the re-oriented roots in place while filling the planting hole. Another thing you can do is cautiously fill in around the base of the scion over a period of many years, see if you can get it to make its own roots in time. So that it does not remain entirely dependent on the deformed roots of the stock. Corkscrew etc. roots seem to be pandemic among grafted conifers sent to retailers in my area. Not that a lot of other classes of container grow woody plants do not have them as well.
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Lily
Original Author
2 years ago
Thank you dear bengz6westmd and ken_adrian

Based on your insightful advice I decided to leave all these roots alone. thank you so much! I hope everything works fine with this ginkgo
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
2 years ago
i think thats the right decision based on what you see.. but we both said:

Still, it would prb'ly be helpful at least to use a water hose to blast away more dirt and get a better view of it.

after that .. and posting the pics... you can rest easy.. and not worry about it anymore ... ever ....

ken
Lily thanked ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
Lily
Original Author
2 years ago
Thank you, That’s right, here’s a picture of when I washed it 3 months ago but It’s still hard to figure things out. I will try to dig around that root again using my finger and post the pictures, it has been raining so much and I’m afraid to put too much water in the soil

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Lily
Original Author
2 years ago
last modified: 2 years ago
Hello again, here’s an update pic.

Im getting tempted to cut this troublesome root
bengz6westmd
2 years ago
last modified: 2 years ago
ken, looks to me that the big root IS in the original root flair, only that new roots have grown above it. Lily, I might myself tackle the biggest girdler, but since you're not confident, don't do any harm. You could plant another ginkgo right nearby, making sure to address girdling root issues BEFORE planting, then when it's established after a couple years, cut the "bad" one down. Just a possibility because I think the future of this one is not good. Girdling root issues are an epidemic w/potted trees and have to be checked and dealt with before final planting.
Lily thanked bengz6westmd
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
2 years ago
i think i would leave it alone ... what will be will be ...

this is one reason i always tipped a tree out of a pot .. and walked away from a lot stock with poor roots .. i didnt bother with a lot of BB .. i mean you really cant look at the roots in such ... and i wasnt in that price point ....

but this was also a reason.. i bought smaller stock ... not only saved money ... but what root issues there were.. could be fixed thru root pruning after bare rooting them and planting them in native soil ... i used to say i had more money than time.. so buying small and delaying gratification was fine with me ...

go find something else to fixate on ... does it really matter if this thing dies in a couple decades because of this .. and frankly.. odds are low by now ...without the restriction of the pot.. why would it continue to grow roots in circle ??? .. unless you have terrible clay soil.. and its now restricted in reaching out.. because of such ....

live and learn.. and do no harm as noted above ...

ken
Lily thanked ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
Lily
Original Author
2 years ago
last modified: 2 years ago
Thank you so much dear bengz6westmd and ken_adrian!

planting another one nearby was a great idea bengz6westmd

a lesson to be learned for noobie me! I bought this ginkgo cheap, I guess they knew something was wrong because it had yellowish leaves back then. I thought it was because of summer heat. although it leafed out fine and green the next spring.

to tell the truth I really would like to experiment and cut the big girdler. while putting a shade cloth over the tree in summer. one field grower told me ginkgos are really resilient with all their handling. and one research paper wrote ginkgos are prone to girdling roots just like maples.

5 years old should still be considered young for a tree that lives for 1000.

I hope to update you with good news in some years!

thank you!

Is this a girdling root?

bengz6westmd

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ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5

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Is this a girdling root?

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