Container Redbud, bent taproot transplanting

last year

I bought a Flamethrower Redbud, tree is in good shape, about 6' tall. As I went to plant it, I found the tap root, but it was curled back on its self, so I pulled it out of the root bound pot and kind of aimed it away from the trunk, however I know it's sort of aiming backwards. Should I snip the tip to keep it going "out" from the trunk, or should I leave it just aiming away as best I can? It's definitely going laterally not vertically down.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (4)

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
last year
where are you ... big city name.. is it proper planting season .. what is the current weather ....

except to hold the seed to the ground.. at original emergence.. a tap root is just another root.. period..

there is nothing special about it otherwise. ..

with out a pic.. its hard to opine.. but i would have probably cut it before the bend.. and i would have went to town on all the other roots.. major root surgery as we might call it ...

i would have no qualms about doing this.. because i would have planted it once the tree went dormant.. so i wouldnt worry about 'saving' the leaves ...

tell us where you are.. and then hold tight.. i might recommend you dig it back up.. and do it right.. but only at the right time of year.. which might be a few weeks away... where you might be ... see section one at link below ..

below is a pic of a 6 foot cherry tree i moved.. note what i did to the roots.. and note. that was perfect spring timing for my ground freeze MI ... root surgery is not that big of a deal.. done with perfect timing ....

ken

https://sites.google.com/site/tnarboretum/Home/planting-a-tree-or-shrub
gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
last year
It's mid September. A very suitable planting time for 80-90% of the country!! Plant away!! And I also have no concerns about cutting or removing the tap root as necessary. It is surplus to requirements at this stage :-))
Related Discussions
super fast roots on Sugar Snap Peas?
Q
Comments (8)
I don't know if it's true, but an old farmer-girl friend of mine said the larger the seed, the longer/faster the taproot. I do know that acorns can sink a taproot 3 feet keep before the first leaf comes out of the ground. For the slugs/snails, get a container of Sluggo, or other snail killer that is IRON PHOSPHATE-BASED. It is OMRI-approved (Organic Materials Review Institute) for organic gardens and is pet-safe and wildlife-safe. Yes, it's more expensive than the toxic Metaldehyde-based poisons, but you don't need to apply it heaviy. It lasts for about 2 weeks against slugs/snails and then just breaks down into iron, a natural element in the soil. Peas need to produce in cool weather, so if they don't turn out too well in your warm SoCal climate, try sowing them in the fall so they mature in cooler weather. And just sow them in the soil and scatter Sluggo (Escar-Go, Worry-Free, Slug Magic, etc) for easier growing. Sue
...See More
Redbud Forest Pansy??
Q
Comments (30)
I am not in your zone, but I do love redbuds and have several varieties. I love Forest Pansy, but should disclose that without a fair amount of sun it just turns into dark, not red, leaves, similar to many of the Japanese maples. Obviously if you plant it as an understory tree like most redbuds want, the window of opportunity for really red leaves is slim, as the tree will no longer be red when the trees above it are in full leaf. Best location seems to be almost full sun if you want to keep it red. Of course, it has an oversized leaf, so that also means that it will need to be monitored more often to make sure it does not wilt down, which many of the fancies will do. I do offer up the Hearts of Gold is another newer variety that is supposed to do well out in full or almost full sunlight, with oversized leaves and the color of a golden delicious apple. What a beauty. All of these newer varieties were accidental seedlings discovered by someone who caught that they were special, many at a young age. Yes, they are patented and propagated via graft, so you are supposed to have a permit to produce more of these trees. Also, a plus for some, these guys tend to set very little, if any, seed. Lavender Twist will set less than 30 pods on an adult tree, all 25% the size of a normal pod, all sterile. I have seen seed for Forest Pansy offered on Ebay with the disclaimer that it may not breed true, but I am very suspicious that the seed may have been harvested from any branches belonging to the root parent, making it plain old redbud from the forest, but not a Forest Pansy. Don't forget some of the older varieties - Oklahoma redbud, the Texas redbud, and the weeping redbud, Traveller. Traveller is the one I want, but couldn't find at anywhere a resonable price. My Lavender Twist is similar, but not the same. A problem that I do not see addressed is predation of young trees by deer. Of course, in NJ, deer prey on most plants. They will chomp off a 2 or 3 year old tree at the base, and strip the leaves off of the lower limbs of older trees. Imagine my surprise to walk out and see a whole you could drive a car through in my Lavender Twist. They had eaten leaves, branches, twigs, everything but the trunk. I know that many do not like to hear this, but they are as bad as any noxious pest we freely kill - rats, mice, or groundhogs, for a few. So destructive, populations soaring as they have found new buffets of food as the gardeners foolishly believe that there is anything you can grow that the deer will not learn to eat. OK, that was my pet peeve for the day. Plant those redbuds, make the world a more beautiful place, one tree at a time. Happy gardening!
...See More
Transplant Detroit Red Beet in Cold Frame?
Q
Comments (3)
Beets don't like to be transplanted very well; they have a tap-root, sort of, which doesn't do well when bent. That said, I have transplanted thinnings in the summer and had them do OK - the younger the better, within reason, and make a long hole so the tap-root gets down into it. I think you might mostly get leaves over the winter, which you can pick from as they grow, and then you would get beets in the spring. Of course, they might just go straight to bolting, but I don't know for sure. You can make a temporary cold frame of hay or straw bales, and an old window or sheet of clear plastic. You would have to weight the plastic so it wouldn't blow away, but ... Just lay the bales out in the shape you want, or the shape your 'cover' will go over, and then add the manure at the bottom, and the compost on top. Beets don't really like fresh manure (none of the root veggies do) so you will have to put in a fair bit of soil or compost to keep the roots out of the manure layer. Considering it, I might be inclined to put the cold-frame in the sunniest spot I could find - which means you will also have to open the top on a really sunny and warm day, so the plants don't cook - and forgo the manure in the section you plan for the beets. You can use the bales as a coldframe/protected area over the next year, or just add them to your compost pile, broken up, or, use them for mulch in the veggie garden, OR, leave them in a pile to break down themselves over the next year or so. Straw bales are less likely to add weed seeds to your compost and garden - unless your compost pile gets REALLY hot, in which case, never mind.
...See More
What if I planted a redbud in a POT?
Q
Comments (10)
Ken, et al: Thursday (it was a Jewish holiday, could not use electricity so could not go online til tonight), I saw a swarm seemingly coming out of the ground at multiple sites of what looked like big ants, many with long white wings. Are those termites? They were walking around on the foam edging on top of the Adirondack fencing around the hosta garden---where the DEAD plum tree is. Were they going for the dead wood? Over the Jewish holiday, I had another idea. I used to teach with a gentleman who is on my co-op board and who lives across the street from me. Tried to call him tonight, but he was already asleep at 9:30 p.m. I will try to call him tomorrow to discuss the dead tree and having it removed, and then getting permission to get a new tree at the tree give-a-way. If I mention the winged things I saw marching around the garden Thursday (TERMITES), I figure that should raise the priority of removing the dead tree. Who wants termites around buildings? This guy knows me and knows I'm a science teacher. He also knows that I know my gardening, as evidenced by my beautiful gardens. So, that might give me the toehold I need to sway the co-op board to let me do what I want to do, which is only common sense anyway.
...See More
Sherry8aNorthAL
last year
I have a redbud that I got a a plant swap. I procrastinated and did not plant. I have it on a gravel drive and it rooted itself. Now I need to try to dig up and move.
ocelaris
Original Author
last year
Thanks for the quick response all. Good to see you're still Active Ken! Long time listener, first time caller! I know it's a bit early here Northern New Jersey, we're now a zone 7a, but we used to be 6b, but temps are OK, but not dormant yet. Nights in the 50-60s and daytime in the 70-80. But selection at the nurseries is dwindling, only two Flame thrower redbuds in the nurseries left, so had to jump on it.

You can see the root flare has been exposed, and it was planted in mostly pine bark + pebbles/rocks (for weight, annoying). I teased out the roots, and the flare/graft is exposed, and I will make sure it gets some water if it hit 80*, but mostly it's in the 60-70s daytime temps. I outlined where the root is going, you can imagine it was tucked under itself. The root curves about 6" from the trunk, where it hit the pot and turned down. Since it's a redbud, and a cross between rising sun and ruby falls, neither of which get large, I can't imagine the trunk ever getting out to that root? But that's kind of the question. In it's current position, it's just buried where it is, but the end is pointing away.

For planting, I've read quite a bit, even have the USDA manual! I dug about a 6' diameter hole, broke up the ground, planted under the top sod and filled back with native soil, tamping down as I went. Mulched around the ring, but not covering the flare.

I don't have the deer fence tied down, it's just floppy, do you pin that down or anything? It's rut season here and last year they were brutal!

Thanks!

Container Redbud, bent taproot transplanting

Comments (4)

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5

gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)

Related Discussions

Sherry8aNorthAL

ocelaris
Original Author

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Container Redbud, bent taproot transplanting

Comments (4)

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5

gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)

Related Discussions

Sherry8aNorthAL

ocelarisOriginal Author

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

ocelaris
Original Author