What kind of trees? You're saying "root-stock" because these are grafted?

If you think there is a persisting high water table rotting the bottom tips you need to do something about that. Something like drain lines or planting high.

Yep it’s grafted, Okitsu Wase satsuma on Poncirus trifoliata. It’s mostly an issue of the original soil it came in. I’m replacing it with a mix that did well growing a large root system on my previous Meyer lemon. I’m just looking for some direction or guidance about handling that bottom trunk tip. The tip is very hard and not a root because there’s bark on it. That rootstock was probably propagated as a cutting

Bumping this thread, after 3 hours my tree is still half bare rooted and waiting for me lol.

Any ideas or advice about this? I’ll continue bare rooting and potting it up regardless of the potential bark issue if there isn’t any other advice or ideas after I have dinner !

I suspect it was an air layered rootstock. That could be the only explanation for it to have bark on it. If you go higher on that bark you might see the exposed wood/wound on the trunk.

Sunshine you’re probably right that it’s an airlayer which is actually a great idea. You’ll always have mature rootstocks with thick enough stems for grafting! If that has worked for you then I’ll cut it away even if that heartwood looks fine. Also because I know the cinnamon works for orchids too. Thank you so much for the tips sunshine!

No problem, Kvetch! Update us on the tree's progress :)

Thanks sunshine! I cut it off the way you suggested and put cinnamon on the wound that night. And here’s a photo of the washed rootball before I pruned the roots

^ alot of the mix was gunked up in those kinds of bending roots. The roots had alot of great branching but most of them were already becoming transparent/ not white anymore and beginning to mush. I ended up giving it a pretty heavy root trimming. Sorry I didn’t take a photo of what it looked like after my root pruning. I was up until so late finishing the up pot I wanted to get to bed asap

And here’s the tree next day

Much nicer in the white pot :) I just hope the roots don’t start rotting again with the cool nights we’re having now

Kvetch, it is gorgeous! When indoors, keep it elevated, off the floor, container mix on the floor in wintertime stays cold and the roots don't like it if you have sufficient amount of light. My trees do better in wintertime if they are elevated to the level of the windowsill.

keep the soil oxygenated.

Notice the vacuum and vacuum chamber on the right side of the image. 10 second draw daily when the soil is on the wet side does the trick. As the soil dries out no air drawing is necessary.

Steve

Steve I love that photo as usual lol How are you able to fit a bucket over the vacuum? Is it a normal home vacuum?

sunshine, I didn’t think about elevating it that high before but I’ll try this year. I have a 4 tier shelf this time so it might make it to the window :)

Kvetch, my sunroom windows are large and low sill, about the height of a coffee table, I use benches by the windows to place my containers on. The whole container gets to be in the light.

That sounds so nice for your trees! I know WLD happens from high light & lower temps, do you get that from your trees by the sill? Our house is very old with old school radiators and my room gets less heated than the others in the wintertime. I was considering doing what Mike does this year and keeping them cool in low light but I’m tempted to go with your method

For young grafts and newly repotted plants around this time of the year I would keep them elevated and give more light. For larger trees you can go with Mike's method. Those are my observations with more vulnerable trees.

My Meyer lemon this year had a tantrum :) dropped most of it's leaves as soon as it came indoors, even though I placed it on the most sunny window. Such a cry baby :) sitting there with bare branches, no die back thank God!

Hahahha thats exactly what I was predicting my Meyer will do! The other trees will probably be well behaved enough in cool, low light conditions but my Meyer will get a prime spot at the window