laen ssor

I have this problem with developing a nice rootball on junipers. I have read and tried just about everything and I can't seem to get it right.
I have tried taking off half the old root mass from nursery plants, disentangling the remaining roots and planting them into good free draining soil. What I end up with is lots of fine roots at the tips and the entire middle of the old root mass turns black and die. Then I remove some of that, sparingly and trim back the new growth just a tad to ensure there is enough to sustain the plant and what happens? The new root growth extends but the inside still remains dead with no new growth. So what I end up with is an ever increasing mess of stringy roots that at this rate won't even make into a bonsai training pot.

Then I have tried cutting wedges into the initial root mass and replacing those areas with good soil. The old roots extend and the areas I removed the old dead compacted soil remain dead with no new roots. Same situation.

So what do I need to do to encourage new healthy roots close in to the trunk?

None of my junipers are showing signs of distress, they all have healthy new growth and are doing fine. I just can't get the roots to cooperate.

Mind you I don't have any problems with any of the other species I work with. My trident maples have nice rootballs, my hornbeam, boxwood, elms, and my sequoia are developing nice healthy rootballs. So what gives with junipers?

If I don't get help here I am calling Dr. Phil!

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