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C) INSPECT THE ROOTS
Work in the shade away from direct sunlight. Dry roots are dead roots. If you're interrupted, cover the tree's roots with a damp rag and get back to it as soon as possible. Once the tree is out of the pot, inspect the root system as described above. Does it wind around the pot? Is the tree growing well? Does the soil have a bad odor? Is the root ball well distributed? Are the root tips growing actively? Is the container packed full of fibrous thick roots that aren't doing you or the plant any real good? If repotting is warranted:

D) COMB OUT THE ROOTBALL
Using a root hook and chopsticks, comb out the rootball. You may be surprised to find that the length of roots may be several times the length of the container. Periodically mist the roots with the spray bottle.

E) TRIM BACK THE ROOT SYSTEM
Keep in mind that the most efficient roots are the smaller feeder roots. The larger roots do have some function in that they store starches for plants during dormancy, but they aren't particularly effective at absorbing moisture. You can generally prune away a lot of root mass provided you retain the fibrous roots.

Tools available for root pruning include

Root saws for cutting through larger roots. You may find that the tree has developed roots at two layers within the pot. A nice radial root system at the soil level and another one below at the bottom of the pot. You want to encourage the roots that will give the trunk the best apparent taper.

Root cutters for cutting thick roots off cleanly and easily.

Shears for cutting back fine roots and root tips. Simply cutting the root tips is enough to encourage the tree to develop more and finer roots. You can expect that shears used for root work will dull and be subjected to the occasional nick from stones embedded in the soil. For that reason, use older shears for root work or get a pair that is strong and suited to that practice.

Save your best shears for the top of your tree.

F) Through a combination of saw, root cutters and shears, you should have reduced and improved the distribution of the root system. If one side of the tree is particularly deficient in roots, go ahead and leave the few roots on that side alone with the exception of a light trimming with the scissor, even if this means leaving a few long roots on that side. Prune the roots on the opposite side more severely to encourage a redistribution of vigor.

In general, deciduous trees are more tolerant of aggressive root pruning than conifers. Some pines, particularly older trees and cork bark trees are very intolerant of having their roots disturbed. If a pine is healthy it should not have the entire soil removed at one time. Instead, if you suspect that field soil still remains work on one-half or one-third or the root ball at one time and leave the other portion alone. If the tree is clearly suffering from poor drainage conditions you may want to work more aggressively to ensure that you have all of the field soil (clay) removed. It is generally safe to remove much if not all of the existing soil from a decidous tree without problems.

6) If no roots have developed on one side of the trunk, consider wounding the trunk in that area and applying rooting hormone. Use a knife to make a small nick or series of nicks along the bare area of the trunk at the level at which you hope to have roots emerge. Chopped sphagnum moss may be applied to the surface of the soil in that area to encourage humidity that helps to encourage root growth. Dust the area with rooting hormone powder (Dip-N-Gro) or paint on a diluted concentration of liquid rooting hormone (Rootone). Not a bad time to take a quick photo or make a sketch so you'll know if you were successful!

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27-Aug-2001	#4
TreeBay Tips:5¢ Advice:Free *MODERATOR GROUP* Join Date: Aug-2001 Location: Silicon Valley Country: USA USDA Zone: 9 AHS Heat Zone: 4 Posts: 9,742	How To Repot <continued> <CONTINUED FROM PRIOR MESSAGE> C) INSPECT THE ROOTS Work in the shade away from direct sunlight. Dry roots are dead roots. If you're interrupted, cover the tree's roots with a damp rag and get back to it as soon as possible. Once the tree is out of the pot, inspect the root system as described above. Does it wind around the pot? Is the tree growing well? Does the soil have a bad odor? Is the root ball well distributed? Are the root tips growing actively? Is the container packed full of fibrous thick roots that aren't doing you or the plant any real good? If repotting is warranted: D) COMB OUT THE ROOTBALL Using a root hook and chopsticks, comb out the rootball. You may be surprised to find that the length of roots may be several times the length of the container. Periodically mist the roots with the spray bottle. E) TRIM BACK THE ROOT SYSTEM Keep in mind that the most efficient roots are the smaller feeder roots. The larger roots do have some function in that they store starches for plants during dormancy, but they aren't particularly effective at absorbing moisture. You can generally prune away a lot of root mass provided you retain the fibrous roots. Tools available for root pruning include Root saws for cutting through larger roots. You may find that the tree has developed roots at two layers within the pot. A nice radial root system at the soil level and another one below at the bottom of the pot. You want to encourage the roots that will give the trunk the best apparent taper. Root cutters for cutting thick roots off cleanly and easily. Shears for cutting back fine roots and root tips. Simply cutting the root tips is enough to encourage the tree to develop more and finer roots. You can expect that shears used for root work will dull and be subjected to the occasional nick from stones embedded in the soil. For that reason, use older shears for root work or get a pair that is strong and suited to that practice. Save your best shears for the top of your tree. F) Through a combination of saw, root cutters and shears, you should have reduced and improved the distribution of the root system. If one side of the tree is particularly deficient in roots, go ahead and leave the few roots on that side alone with the exception of a light trimming with the scissor, even if this means leaving a few long roots on that side. Prune the roots on the opposite side more severely to encourage a redistribution of vigor. In general, deciduous trees are more tolerant of aggressive root pruning than conifers. Some pines, particularly older trees and cork bark trees are very intolerant of having their roots disturbed. If a pine is healthy it should not have the entire soil removed at one time. Instead, if you suspect that field soil still remains work on one-half or one-third or the root ball at one time and leave the other portion alone. If the tree is clearly suffering from poor drainage conditions you may want to work more aggressively to ensure that you have all of the field soil (clay) removed. It is generally safe to remove much if not all of the existing soil from a decidous tree without problems. 6) If no roots have developed on one side of the trunk, consider wounding the trunk in that area and applying rooting hormone. Use a knife to make a small nick or series of nicks along the bare area of the trunk at the level at which you hope to have roots emerge. Chopped sphagnum moss may be applied to the surface of the soil in that area to encourage humidity that helps to encourage root growth. Dust the area with rooting hormone powder (Dip-N-Gro) or paint on a diluted concentration of liquid rooting hormone (Rootone). Not a bad time to take a quick photo or make a sketch so you'll know if you were successful! <CONTINUED NEXT MESSAGE> __________________ Want to be a seller on bonsaiAUCTIONS? Get authorized today! bonsaiTALK: Over 100,005.36 Megabytes Served this Month!