Are You Ready for Some Root Pruning ??

[newnandawg]

Almost time to get busy. Close to 70 degrees by Sunday.

[fitzski]

Nice!

Do you add anything to the ProMix HP when you repot?

[newnandawg]

Usually some large #4 perlite and if available worm castings.

[fitzski]

any particular ratio or just until it "feels" right?

[newnandawg]

Its pretty much a feel right/looks right kinda thing. I put more in the one gal
pots for more air circulation around the root zone. The larger pots will suck
up the water in the summer with no problems.

[COGardener]

I root pruned my two oldest trees on Monday. I bought a Diablo 12" pruning blade for my reciprocating saw... man that thing is awesome!!!

I cut the bottom 3" off and 2" around the perimeter. I had planned on up potting them from the 16 gallon pot to 25 gallon pots and could not. All of my trees are either breaking bud or about to so I did not have to acquire larger pots and get the work done prior to my next trip.

So either 2017 or 2018 I guess.

Looks like you are going to be real busy Mike!!!

[newnandawg]

Yep Scott, I will have a busy couple of days coming up. I have two twenty gal pots,
two fifteen gal pots and six ten gal pots that need root pruning this spring. In addition
I need to repot seven five gal pots, up pot eight three gal trees and nine one gal trees.

When I look at all this on the to do list, it makes me glad that there are about 100
trees in ground that dont need anything. LOL

[jmaler]

Have you used hp promix before? The promix hp I recently got from amazon had perlite mixed in already, at least what seemed to me to be enough for established plants like the ones in your picture. The promix right out of the bag drains very well.

[newnandawg]

Jerry, yes I have used the Promix HP many times. It does have a good amount of small perlite added but
for my fig trees I like to add a good bit more of the large #4 perlite especially to the 1 and 5 gal trees for
additional air circulation around the root zone. Even the large pots benefit from it although it means
more frequent watering the summer.

Its all a matter of personal preference. Over time I have found I have better results by following these
guidelines. Others use different mixes, ratios etc and they may obtain the results that they are looking
for and happy with.

[jmaler]

Oh, ok. I have the chunky perlite. I just never thought to use it on larger potted trees. I'll give it a try. The perlite is way cheaper than the promix.

[F. Bennett]

Oh yea! I used Pro-Mix BX, only because I got a deal on it. I too added perlite, along with Osmocote pellets and azomite. I had good success with this mix the past 2 years for my SIPs.

[Rafaelissimmo]

Good luck Mike, I hate root pruning, gotta do some in 10 days, it'll be 40F here, yuck!

[newnandawg]

Rafael, thanks. I hate it also especially wrestling some of the big boy root balls.

[COGardener]

Rafael, I don't know how many your are planning to do. I only had two and it really wasn't to bad, it tool me around 10 minutes to do both of mine in 16 gallon pots.

You must have a ton!

[Rafaelissimmo]

Scott

A fig friend will help me with 2 25-gal SIPs next week. After that, in March, I have about 3-4 more I will deal with myself as they are smaller. Its the large ones that are a ton of work because I have to re-set the SIPs and that means clean off the wire lath and cups, reset the burlap, check the overflow tubes, mix new soil and repot, much harder than repotting into 10-gal pots. Not fun in 40 degree weather.

[COGardener]

Sounds like quite the task! I'm looking forward to moveing some trees to larger pots, yet not the maintenance that comes with that move.

I know who's helping you, I'm sure it will go fast and seamless.

[pacifica]

I have bought a large bag of organic potting soil from Costco as per image attached. Can I use this one instead of Pro-Mix HP to save money if I wanted to root prune my 5 years old unknown fig tree bought from a guy never met before in last Oct ? Now the fig tree is about to wake up from dormant.

[newnandawg]

OK, I am done with this root pruning thing for this year. Man that can take a toll on an old man.
I don't recall it being this exhausting in the past.

It took almost four 3.8 cu ft bags of Pro Mix HP to do four 20 gal pots, four fifteen
gal pots, and two ten gal pots.

Still 12-15 3-7 gal pots to up pot so if your in the area, drop in. LOL