Rookies sorting out roots Ebihara don’t look!

[Deep Sea Diver]

Great roots! I’m probably going to need a nap after reading all about all that activity.

Yep! All that sawing, drilling, stapling and impacting … it’s enough to ensure a good nights sleep!

Cheers
DSD sends

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

Zzzzzz!

 

[andrewiles]

Yes, similar to Anderson flats, but with a bit of an airspace under the pot due to the runners to help inhibit downward grow, yet still close enough to keep in moisture from the ground. I’ve used this design for really big boxes on benches (put in pumice over winter) and interested see how this design works out on the ground.

That’s for sure.!

Cheers
DSD sends

I made the mistake last year of having a bunch of Anderson flats up on 2x4s in a corner of my yard, above dirt. Roots bridged the gap easily and had to be cut off with a long saw. Many were big enough that I couldn't just pull the pots up. So yeah, a small air gap may not be enough to convince the roots to behave.

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

Good point and highly likely Andrew. I ran into that same issue last year when I rotated all the trees. Luckily I got to them early.

The plan for this year is to rotate the trees position to even out their sun exposure about every 6 weeks. Presently some get more sun than others in the afternoon. They are small enough to move easily, not like the big ones you have!

cheers
DSD sends

 

[leatherback]

Positioning and tying down

This is *exactly* how I did mine last year, with amazing results

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

Awesome to know this from a really experienced hand!

Excellent practices are not meant to be kept private.

Cheers
DSD sends

 

[leatherback]

Awesome to know this from a really experienced hand!

Excellent practices are not meant to be kept private.

Cheers
DSD sends

Agreed!

I made a little video on mine this winter, and have 2 young maple whips where I will do the repot this weekend [yes I am very late, just found them this week] and show and tell in 12 or 24 months.

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

Gosh, most of our maples are just ready to push out a couple leaves due to the series of cold snaps we’ve had.

We are still taking trees out of storage. Like you I found a couple trees I wish I would have seen last week.

I’ll have to check out your video. Last one I watched was on recycling media. Nice job.

Cheers
DSD sends

 

[leatherback]

Gosh, most of our maples are just ready to push out a couple leaves due to the series of cold snaps we’ve had.

Most of my trees started pushing .. 2? weeks ago. But we popped straight into 60F area. And of course, this week 24-28F nights. I brought my trees out of shelter this morning. Hope this was it.

 

[leatherback]

I’ll have to check out your video. Last one I watched was on recycling media. Nice job.

This is the one I was referring to.

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

Well done!

You are getting quite the collection of videos now.

cheers
DSD sends

 

[leatherback]

You are getting quite the collection of videos now.

Yes. ALMOST more videos than trees

 

[clem]

Good job !
You'll see how it evolves in term of root growing

In my experience of using screens/fence, it was very very difficult to remove the rootball after 2 years of growth because the roots had become encrusted in the openings of the fence/screen. I had to tear down the fence in order to remove the rootball. It was very difficult & unpleasant to do ->


So now i no longer staple screens/fence on the bottom of my woodboxes to enable an easier repotting.

On your boxes there are less wooden planks under the screen/fence than mine, so maybe the roots won't developp too much through the mesh of the fence (no backwater).

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

Greetings!

Yes this is a very good point. There are no easy solutions when one is dealing with living things.

Removal of a tree from a box can be a mess. This exact thing happened when I received a boxed tree with a plastic poly screening bottom.

This set of boxes use more sturdy one piece metal screening. Yet I fully expect root penetration issues. Hoping these screens are sturdy enough so I can just slide scissors, knife or a sharp scraper underneath and cut the key roots free. The rest I can trim from the top. After all, these roots will be trimmed back anyways.

If all else fails, the media can be dumped out, decking screws in slat(s) removed and screen cut free along the inside edge. Then tree, screen and slat(s) removed together. At this point the tree can be easily cut free.

As for the boxes, the sides are much more durable (5/4 decking) , while the bottom slats (fencing) likely won’t last more than 3 years. So the frames might be refitted with screen and slats and reused for one more round.

cheers
DSD sends

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

That said I’m not stuck on staples
Cheers
DSD sends

 

[BobbyLane]

Good job !
You'll see how it evolves in term of root growing

In my experience of using screens/fence, it was very very difficult to remove the rootball after 2 years of growth because the roots had become encrusted in the openings of the fence/screen. I had to tear down the fence in order to remove the rootball. It was very difficult & unpleasant to do ->
View attachment 480991

So now i no longer staple screens/fence on the bottom of my woodboxes to enable an easier repotting.

On your boxes there are less wooden planks under the screen/fence than mine, so maybe the roots won't developp too much through the mesh of the fence (no backwater).

Good point! Im still a newbie, this being my first box, I can see how the roots could become tricky to separate once trees establish, didnt even cross my mind.

 

[LCD35]

I just got done with my repotting two weeks ago when it was warmer in Bothell…and now the temps have dropped back down. Great inspiration for next year, as I’ve started gathering materials to build the boxes ahead of time. My maple seedling collection are a bit younger, so not quite ready for the technique (not enough roots) but will be next summer. I’ve got two air layers that I separated this spring as well, so I’ll give them a season to develop roots and probably apply this technique next year to them. Thanks for the updates

 

[Berra]

Built my first couple of training pots this week.Seems mine have less drainage than some other pots but maybe also less future repot woes.

 

[leatherback]

Built my first couple of training pots this week.Seems mine have less drainage than some other pots but maybe also less future repot woes.


View attachment 481203

Did you have to tear down a wall to make that growbox?

 

[Berra]

Did you have to tear down a wall to make that growbox?

Yes, it was a sacrifice wall.