Training Surface Roots

7 years ago

So I've been keeping a watchful eye on on my new LimeLight tree...

Even watching the output of the drip relative to weater, letting it dry out a bit before giving it some H20, etc. However, I might have babied it with water on the 2 heat waves we got...

I mulched the planing plug/root zone very thing. just enough to cover the dirt. Less than 3/4"

The other area past did , I laid down compost as mulch.

And of course, I pull the mulch back to take a eyeball, I see thicker feeder roots that were not there at original planting time this spring.

So what's the secret sauce on making these LL roots not wanna hang out at the surface and get all that 02, H20, etc.

I have a older limelight that has rooted similar - some surface roots or shall we say very close subsurface roots (hence I knew it would on my radar to check this new one). Do I dial the drip less even more and let it dry it out even more

Featured Answer

gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)

7 years ago

As I tried to explain, surface roots are just that - roots that are concentrated at the soil surface or just below the soil surface. And that is where they should be as the soil moisture, soil nutrients and soil oxygen are all located in the upper soil surface. These are not anchorage roots, which will tend grow down more than out, but the feeder roots, which support and nourish all the topgrowth. They don't need to grow down and really shouldn't. These are the reasons why one digs a planting hole 2-3 times the width of the current rootball (but not deeper) and why one loosens the containerized rootball before planting. These roots need to extend out, not down!

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Comments (6)

User
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
Why are you assuming that the presence of surface roots means a lack of deeper roots?

The advice for encouraging deep roots is generally "water deeply but infrequently". But this is not good advice for a recently planted container-grown plant, which needs frequent watering to keep the original root ball, in its fast draining nursery mix, from drying out while the plant roots out into the surrounding soil.

Why so thin on the mulch? Less than 3/4 inch isn't going to do jack..
a1an
Original Author
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
I don't want to encourage a wet happy top where the root plug is.....been handpulling/weeding the occasional weeds that have settled. Peat plug stays pretty wet....
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gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
7 years ago
I don't understand your terminology....what do you mean "root plug" or "peat plug"?

When you first planted the tree, you should have adequately loosened the rootball to encourage lateral expansion of the root system and in the process, discarded a lot of the potting soil. And then after planting, watered slowly and deeply but not too frequently. And when you did water, for a long enough duration for the water to penentrate the full depth of the rootball, not just a surface sprinkle.

FWIW, virtually all woody plants - trees and shrubs - will concentrate their fine feeder roots - those that access soil moisture and nutrients - just below the soil surface. And I also agree about the quantity of mulch....less than 2 inches of mulch is like using no mulch at all..........
a1an
Original Author
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
Heh, my wording of plug just really meant the potted shape in which I'm saying plug. Yes, the outer rootball was teased out and medium removed. I did not get as agressive on teasing out the medium as I got towards the middle.

My theory for at least year 1 on having nil-none mulch, was not for moisture retention but the opposite. I wanted the surface to be a bit dry as I did wangt the ~surface roots~ being discussed to want to be surface roots but dive down. It's heavily mulched with compost right past planting hole - just not in the direct 15 inch diameter of the plant hole. Am I doing it wrong ?
a1an
Original Author
7 years ago
10-4 on the wiki on the surface roots now.

I've pulled back mulch and have found surface roots right along the soil-mulch line going 3+ feet away. Here I was thinking it was due to bad watering practices...