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Root Pruning

Root pruning is practiced to encouragethe development of fibrous roots which are theplants' suppliers of food and water. Plants thatare being readied for transplanting or that needinvigorating, and trees whose roots are over-taking gardens, lawns and paths are often rootpruned.

When fruit trees consistently fail to setfruit, though all other conditions are favorable,the grower may resort to root pruning. In thefall a trench about two feet deep and six feetfrom the trunk is dug around the tree. Thetrench exposes the big anchor roots for cutting.If no big roots are found, there is very likelya wild taproot that must be located and cut.Any ornamental tree that has spread its rootsout into areas where they are not wanted canbe treated in the same way. A metal or cementbarrier set in the trench will prevent subsequentspread.

When planning to move a deciduousshrub, it's a good idea to prune its roots by forcing a sharp spade into the soil elthe stems during the summer. In respothe pruning, the plant will develop more Iroots and so become easier to take upfall. Sometimes judicious root pruninforce a recalcitrant flowering shrub into tA system of root pruning and top prtnsometimes used to keep tub plants small.

In the nursery, trees and shrubs arelifted several times or planted wide aparoot pruned regularly until they are sold_these methods force trees and shrubs to da mass of fibrous roots rather than a fewwide-spreading ones that would make theficult to move and establish successful]nurseries, special machines are used to croots under as well as around the plant.

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