I need help on plan for Trident

[rollwithak]

Hello Again Nutties,

This tree started as a big tree I purchased at a nurseries ugly plant sale. It still has a massive root base but I have started chopping down and working on regrowing shoots. I need your opinions and advice on how to do that. Do I get out of this big pot and cut the roots down, do I let growth come out this year with current roots? Will be a lot with a root mass the size it has right now. Will grow like wildfire. I will need to work on roots, so looking for ideas, do I ground layer?

really just at a stuck point creativity wise so thrilled to hear your thoughts and what YOU would do!

 

[Hack Yeah!]

Awesome start! For sure get it out of there and cut most of the roots off. You'll want to rake it out and hose it to make sure your getting down to the widest base before you cut too much of the bottom. It would likely survive if you cut almost 100%of the roots, so don't leave more than would fit into a proper pot on your first cutback.

 

[Shibui]

I always prefer to get the roots right for a start. makes more sense to me to chop roots really hard when there is little growth up top rather than chopping roots off a well developed tree.
My experience is that tridents will grow new roots very quick and still grow like mad through summer.

Layer only if you cannot find a good set of roots to cut back to. You won't know that until you check what's under the soil. I can see 1 root curled round the trunk at the surface. Probably chop that one off flush with the trunk. Hopefully there are others growing outward that can be used.

 

[rollwithak]

I always prefer to get the roots right for a start. makes more sense to me to chop roots really hard when there is little growth up top rather than chopping roots off a well developed tree.
My experience is that tridents will grow new roots very quick and still grow like mad through summer.

Layer only if you cannot find a good set of roots to cut back to. You won't know that until you check what's under the soil. I can see 1 root curled round the trunk at the surface. Probably chop that one off flush with the trunk. Hopefully there are others growing outward that can be used.

I ended up looking and it was a mess under there. I went with a tourniquet method and covered it back up. Will dig it up next season to see how it fared. I forgot to take a picture of it but I wrapped copper wire around the trunk where I carved out that outline. Was initially trying to do it at an angle, but the undulations on the tree made that too difficult. We’ll see

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

That probably isn’t enough of a bridge to cause rooting, unless you did something more that isn’t photographed. As shown, likely the cambium will swell up around the copper and keep on going.

 

[Shibui]

Tridents love to grow new roots just under soil level so I often get entire new root systems without any intervention just because a tree has been buried a bit deeper but self rooting can take a couple of years.
The tiny girdle you've used might make a difference and wire girdle helps but I do agree with @Brian Van Fleet that cutting right through the bark is probably more effective and slightly wider too.

 

[rollwithak]

That probably isn’t enough of a bridge to cause rooting, unless you did something more that isn’t photographed. As shown, likely the cambium will swell up around the copper and keep on going.

Hey Brian, the part I didn’t photograph was the 3mm copper wire tourniquet that I inlayed into that cut I made around the base. Are you and @Shibui suggesting that I use a basic ground layer method and cut like an inch ring there and cover it with soil? Do away with the wire?

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Hey Brian, the part I didn’t photograph was the 3mm copper wire tourniquet that I inlayed into that cut I made around the base. Are you and @Shibui suggesting that I use a basic ground layer method and cut like an inch ring there and cover it with soil? Do away with the wire?

More like this:

 

[rollwithak]

More like this:
View attachment 424254

Ahhhhh, now THAT makes sense!!! Thanks dude.

 

[rollwithak]

There. Thanks to some helpful expertise, hopefully this sends out some good feeders!!!

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Now cover it up good and be sure to rotate it throughout the season.