Gardener's Almanac: Nov. 16 - Root Pruning

Garden Supervisor Adam Glas discusses root excavation and root pruning.
Tune into the Gardener’s Almanac each week to learn what we are doing in the garden at this moment. Learn from Scott Arboretum staff which plants we are pruning, planting, weeding and which pests we are monitoring and removing right now. This virtual almanac is a great week by week reference guide for gardeners.

[@zacharyvought5597]

A follow up video to show how the tree has responded would be neat

[@marklanders6833]

He obviously ended up messing it all up by taking out too much of the root system. A follow up video would show you this guy wearing a mask while throwing the wood from this poor tree into his own fireplace 🌲🎄🌳❤‍🔥🔥🥶😷 😂

[@seanandellenwebster1467]

@@marklanders6833 Doubtful. This tree would likely have died in 10-15 years anyways with such severe root girdling so taking all those roots out was the best thing for it long term.

[@marklanders6833]

@@seanandellenwebster1467 Yes...IF it makes it for the long run. IF. But I really doubt.

[@robbyatt7240]

Excellent Video! Do you then backfill the area as it was - or do you keep the root flair exposed to some degree ? Thanks a lot.

[@vilsonpinto7718]

Hello dear friend, amazing job you are doing! But... try blow out the soil using JET AIR (air compressor). it will get you a better results at the end. Also open this excavation another foot (I would say 1.5 to 2 ft from the tree base. I used to do that with large trees in MA area. Saving a lot of 🎄 trees cleaning out the suffocating roots . After you perform this root excavation, don't forget to give the tree a good fertilizer! You can drill a hole at the base of that tree. It will depends which size is the tree and which seasons you are working on it. Also, replace the soil with good fresh soil. PS: never ever put the soil as a VOLCANO 🌋 around the tree base. Sorry abou my English, I am from Brazil, but I love to work with trees, in Special... saving them. (Climbing tree and prune, roots excavation, shrubs hand pruner, ornament trees and shrubs. Also I did some tree removal, with large spade tractor and or crane.

[@alidi4144]

Good video

[@mercedeslindigenous4219]

I see this all the time and have started to do root excavations and pruning I have a question, Is it best to prune large roots when the trees are dormant? If the customer wants the hole filled in could you put rocks in it that still allow air flow?

[@luvminiwheaties]

Rocks are heat conductors/bad for roots/soil.

[@oldcarolinaoutdoors-harley834]

What if there are circling roots that are underneath the root flare that was formed when it was first in a acorn liner? Would those roots eventually fuse together and become one and have no affect on the tree?

[@JA-jm8bk]

Perhaps cut smaller, pliable girdling roots a little further out & extend them straight out from tree.

[@Snufkin224]

as you said for barely a split second, this is mostly a problem if you don't cut/rub the roots of the pottet plants when planting.

[@scottarboretum]

That is true. Sometimes we inherit root problems, thus this video is useful for addressing those issues.

[@maximos.8456]

This should be a law, all landscaping companies should have a certified arborist approve their design and teach them how to plant a tree correctly.

[@carrasco2011sc]

Wait, so cutting the roots will help the tree? I transplanted one small tree but I kept as much as the roots as possible, one was kind of circular but I planted the tree like that.

[@marklanders6833]

So you're telling us that you f***ed it all up??? Oh shhhiiiieeet.

[@beverleeshaw853]

Where can I go to ask guestions about layering my fruit tree in the fall

[@scottarboretum]

Try reaching out to your local extension office and Master Gardeners. Here is the office in Northampton, PA. extension.psu.edu/programs/master-gardener/counties/northampton/hotline

[@xaviersan6250]

Which season it is?

[@scottarboretum]

This video was recording in the fall for eastern United States. (Nov. 16)

[@ckennedy309]

The bottom line is a lot of people who sell trees are just mass producing and dont care what the results are. So if you buy a tree at a chain store and didn't "fix" it you may want to look into it before it gets big. A lot of nurserys are just as guilty. They make pots that prevent this but ive never bought a tree with one on it.

[@mrjon75]

Oh you encourage masks outside, stunning and brave!

[@marklanders6833]

🤣🤣🤣

[@pistachiobutta]

Wear your mask outside in the fresh air! Dont forget!

[@cinmif446]

For real 😳

[@mrjon75]

Protect the trees with your mask!

[@marklanders6833]

🤣🤣🤣