For "aerial-pruning" of the rootmass, can you simply line the inside of a *solid*-walled container with shade-cloth?

[SU2]

I wish I could remember the username of the B.Nutter here who is growing OUTSTANDING japanese Pine seedlings using felt-paper on the inside-edges of his containers, it's basically causing the "pond-basket container" effect of aerially-pruning the roots when they hit the edge of their growing-substrate, instead of letting them wrap/encircle the container. If anyone knows who I'm referring to it would be IMMENSELY appreciated if you'd mention them, as I'm quite sure they're basically pioneering this niche of "aerially-pruned containers"

SO.....I've got a few big, quick-growing species (BC, Acer Rubrums, Bougies Ficus etc) that, if I put them into a regular container this time of year, they'll grow "thick lignified encircling roots" by mid-summer, totally pointless way of "working towards a final rootmass", IMO the only way to go for "developing specimen" is pond-baskets/grow-bags, my only problem is that since most of my trees are bigger than any colanders/etc would hold, I'm constantly building god-awful, hideous-looking contraptions (usually stationary/can't be moved) so I can have my roots the way I like but it's impractical (for instance, a recent large BC re-pot was done by putting a cement tile on the ground, an 8x8' sheet of shade-cloth on the ground over that, placed the BC in the center on the cloth over the central cement tile, poured substrate and "pulled-up" the sides of the shade cloth, and tied them at the top - much like you'd wrap a root-ball with burlap for transport So now it's got a good container, it just cannot be moved in any way/shape/form, has to stay stationary til I un-/re-pot it

So am about to re-pot a pair of big'in's today, have an awesome pot for one but it's solid-walled and - since it's a bit wider than necessary - I'm planning to "bunch up" a ~1" layer of shade-cloth around the interior of the container, kinda "lining" the inside-walls, this'll make it so once all's said & done there'll be a "soft spot" of a 1" "border" around the interior walling of the container, IF I understand the principle then this should suffice for aerially-pruning my roots while still allowing me to use a rigid, movable container!!

Thanks a ton for any help/insight, heck for all i know there's a technique I'm missing....has crossed my mind to do them all "as burlap root-ball sacks" and simply make "wooden shelves/stands" for each of them, so that I can pick them up by the stand/platform the otherwise-soft container is sitting upon

(For context, and prolly some yucks, here's the "ball of substrate atop a concrete paver" I referred to

[note- that's a 1yr old BC that, subsequent to that picture, was sawzalled to about half its trunk-height, at a very steep slope, for a kinda 'experimental grow' ]

 

[penumbra]

OUTSTANDING japanese Pine seedlings using felt-paper on the inside-edges of his containers, it's basically causing the "pond-basket container" effect of aerially-pruning the roots when they hit the edge of their growing-substrate, instead of letting them wrap/encircle the container.

This is the basis for root bags and growing bags whether in the ground or on the bench. In the ground root bags were developed by Root Control which I believe was the brain child of Dr Whitcomb. I still use root bags in the ground and in growing beds and I have used them for over 30 years. Growth is explosive and re-potting is a breeze. Feeder roots are hugely in abundance in root control bags. I have not tried lining pots but I have used in bottoms of pots sitting on the ground.

 

[SU2]

This is the basis for root bags and growing bags whether in the ground or on the bench. In the ground root bags were developed by Root Control which I believe was the brain child of Dr Whitcomb. I still use root bags in the ground and in growing beds and I have used them for over 30 years. Growth is explosive and re-potting is a breeze. Feeder roots are hugely in abundance in root control bags. I have not tried lining pots but I have used in bottoms of pots sitting on the ground.

OMG thanks for replying so quick, I was so sure that I was close to doing just 1 this way (before replies, before proceeding w/ several more!)

When you'd done "just the bottom" it still had that effect? IE, roots hit the lining and do not continue lengthening, they instead die-at-tip and begin branching? The guy who does it w/ japanese pines...I'll have to search to find him as I know he's gotta be one of the best to shed-light here, but am so sure he was simply using a felt-type liner inside regular pots to achieve this...


Re your description of the way in which it works....SERIOUSLY!! It blows my mind hearing how long you've done it, I mean I only started seeing the benefits last year I mean at least a 25% growth-rate increase (I'm developing, not refining, trees so this is useful for me!) but, equally - maybe MORE - importantly, is that for a show-ready bonsai, a "finished specimen", you're not JUST creating an 'above ground' but need a commensurately developed rootplate if you want to show it properly, with the aerially-pruned rootmasses, I mean I have specimen that've been in a colander "too long" and the roots' quality is still amazing, you can take a serrated knife and cut-to-shape to fit it into whatever show-pot you wanted or down-size the rootmass for a smaller aerially-pruning container on its way down to a show-container....but yeah I couldn't imagine actively choosing any solid-walled container again for ANYTHING beyond the act of showing the trees, am surprised such sentiment isn't the norm given just how night&day the difference is! I have a 4x3' bald cypress container that's basically a metal-mesh "frame" with shade cloth tacked-onto it, sitting in a large masonry-tub....that thing is going to EXPLODE this year, mark my words, and am betting I can get at least 2yrs of insane growth before wanting to repot in fact I bet it'll be angling for a smaller rootmass & transition to refinement within 1, maybe 1.5yrs from right now

 

[Adair M]

I believe it is Gary Wood who uses the root bags. He grew the Telperion JBP using them in the ground.

I have one of those trees, and while I feel the griw bag was effective, the soil they used was not. They used a pumice and some type of bark. The bark tended to hold too much water, and it promoted root rot. The pumice did keep the soil open and promoted ramified rootage.

I have now, over several repottings, removed all the original soil that Telperion used, and stopped the root rot.

My advice is to pay attention to the quality of the soil mix that you are using if you want to develop good roots. I believe that’s more important than trying to “air prune”.

And there is no substitute for getting in there and repotting regularly and fixing issues like one sided roots, crossing roots, weakening too strong roots, etc.

 

[SU2]

This is the basis for root bags and growing bags whether in the ground or on the bench. In the ground root bags were developed by Root Control which I believe was the brain child of Dr Whitcomb. I still use root bags in the ground and in growing beds and I have used them for over 30 years. Growth is explosive and re-potting is a breeze. Feeder roots are hugely in abundance in root control bags. I have not tried lining pots but I have used in bottoms of pots sitting on the ground.

I'd LOVE any specifics you could give, am in a unique scenario right now-- my backyard nursery-space was drastically reduced, BUT I found a local retailer that is basically going to let me "use their store", am going to make an outdoor garden and sell some of my stuff on-consignment there, at any rate I have a handful of >5' tall yamma's that I want in-ground at this outdoor-garden, but my fear was "as soon as I take them from their rootmaker containers, and put them in-ground, I'll be saying good-bye to my nice root-mat's " So if wrapping the rootmass with burlap / shade cloth / etc before putting it in-ground helps, I'd be very eager to hear any advice/tips you have!!

My thinking was "I'll put plywood at the bottom of the holes to prevent rooting-downwards, and will simply use a blade/shovel/etc to "prune the roots' perimeter" while the tree was still in-ground"!

 

[cmeg1]

I like this idea

Rootpouch makes fabric that is entrapment pruning( tangle into fabric pruning) rather then air pruning( touch air).
Should work amazing for the most part ,except some roots seem to get through.Always could go with their heavy 3&5 year weaves.

 

[Maiden69]

Grow bags, Rootpouch yes, I don't think shade cloth will have the same effect as grow bags are design to root prune by either entrapment or air-pruning. A strong root tree as a BC will probably grow through the holes on the shade cloth and either rip it or grow over it. I am using Rootpouch this year on my "in-ground" and "pot in pot" trees.