Dome Shaped Root Profile

a1an

last year

last modified: last year

Someone here can probably explain more eloquently what I am seeing

I have a rootball that is DOME shaped

I have a tree who's root is shaped like a dome.

When you remove it from the pot, the root ball is the entire height of the pot on the outside.

However, it is not shaped like the pot on the rootball profile. The center of the rootball is domed inward and there are no roots facing downward. The rootball is shaped like a dome. Inside the middle *recess*, I see the roots going in circles. The potting medium (bark) literally has remained in the pot when I lifted it.

I think this was container grown in the field, removed, I can se the middle of the inverted *middle* cleanly as there is no soil on it. The top of the plant appears where soils has remained in the 1st 4 inches appear to be soil and not bark....but I haven't reallty gone crazy to confirm as such.

It is rootbound. I noticed there was a SIPE already on the exterior of the rootball. I suppose the seller did this during prep for shipping.

I presume the tree was already rootbound in a 3G and when it got upotted and uppotted, the roots just reached for the sides of the pot wall (where there is more air) and it has grown in a circular pattern for a very long time. The *dome* is the size of a 3G ish oit

Does this sound about right on why I am seeing what I am seeing ?

I've seen rootbound plants before but this is generally the whole pot.....including the bottom

Never have received one where the 2/3- of the middle core was empty an the potting medium just stayed in the pot when I lifted it

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Comments (9)

BillMN-z4a
last year
Sounds about normal now days.

You didn't say what type of plants you're talking about but it's generally best to place the root ball into a tub of water and wash out all the bark/soil and try to straighten out as many roots as you can. You may find some J-roots or some circling roots near the base that need to be snipped.

Tree hydrangea roots aren't quite as fussy but a 'Strawberry Vanilla' tree I helped my son plant last week had a root that came over the top of the root flare and was already cutting into the tree quite severely.
a1an
Original Author
last year
last modified: last year
Japanese White Fir uptop - most likely Black Fir Understock.

Holding the plant over to plant next year or maybe the follwing

I plan to do a root correction late winter/sping of next year due to the roots.

I generally root wash and root correction all woody things before planting.

Firs...being the sole exception.

Firs, afaik don't like their roots messed with. The whole mycellium-myco thing. I don't plan to mess with it it entirely but bearing that the core is a circle that probably then reaches to the outside wall and round and round it goes.....I think by even combing it out, it' might mess with quite quite a bit of the soil medium as it's just ****long roots**** that have grown round and round early in it's life
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BillMN-z4a
last year
Whatever you do, do it when the plant is dormant.

And the sooner the better.

Most nurseries root prune when they up-pot.

Holding trees in containers for a season or two wouldn't be my first choice when managing tree plantings.

Especially when the roots are suspect.

Woody plants get more woody as time goes on, including the crooked, twisted roots.

But your call.
a1an
Original Author
last year
last modified: last year
The seller, I saw a video and photos so I can't really say for certainty. I believe they are field grown in fabric pots *in dirt* - easier for transplanting instead of ball/burlap . I'm familiar with how roots are grown in these when above grade.....Airpots:super pots do make fantastic root systems.

Tree is healthy uptop by slight disappointed on the root system (mainly as it's not like i'm pruning the outer periphery of the plant to get them radial) but what appears I will need to UnWind the roots from outside going into the inside core of the plant.

For clarity, when I said -hold it for another year-....

Aka, root prune 1/2 and let it recover Then root prune the other half the following year...

And or it's my understanding it may be the best course due to fir being the roots i am messing with
a1an
Original Author
last year
last modified: last year
"Most nurseries root prune when they up-pot."

Who's got the labor for that. I assume they just slip pot it in.

Off topic on the discussion of root bound:root pruning

One of the wholesalers I've seen, they field grow direct. Aka, not container in the soil.

They actually make it a point where a tractor with -underground blade- scoops under the soil line and **root** prunes the trees+shrub at some point during their growing cycle:period. This way, when they bring it to market, there is a larger root mass, for a spade cut plant
a1an
Original Author
last year
Drats...not just big plantings...but root issues even on small ones this year.

Received a HTF JapaneseMaple . I knew it had root issues but since it was *rare*, I wanted to just grow it for one season and deal with the roots , when dormant 2026. It leafed out, then started declining. I decided to pull it out of it's 1G pot. Out came a 4" Liner shapped root bound tree....Root washed and filled almost a 5 gallon bucket of water. Zero roots able to be teased out. I didn't even want to sipe cut the roots this time of the year since it's **rare**. I hope it survives for this season so I can bare root and go to town with scissors in tow.....I don't think raking the the roots out is going to be much of a option.
BillMN-z4a
last year
Can't say what JM's are like because I have zero experience with them. Maybe not as fussy about roots as many trees are? Sorry I can't help but maybe someone with a JM background can chime in and help.
a1an
Original Author
last year
While the heat hasn't quite set in yet, and if the plant wasn't stressed, I would probably chance it....

But between it being HTF-rare and it being stressed enough (95% canopy of the canopy is either wilting or leaves have completely died off), probably best to leave it alone.
a1an
Original Author
last year
Here's another ugly root .......JM though.

Received planted too deep. Secondary roots also seemed to focus the trunk to make this ugly bulge where the roots grew more vigorous than the roots 2 inches below where it's more flush with the soil line.

I tried to gather the best angle and even as such, it does not capture how *bulbous* this bulge is compared to the trunk/roostock below. It is that much *thicker*

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/ie6nowsiz7nhhib7zakdo/IMG_2283.jpeg?rlkey=cgx0rmuxl6wno8z4mmwgryqtp&st=kk6t109x&dl=0