| Editor's note: The advanced techniques depicted in this article are not appropriate for all growers and all species. Drastic pruning should never be undertaken lightly. It is often prudent to perform extensive work to different parts of the root system in alternating years to limit stress on the tree. Experience is your guide. |
In bonsai there is no more drastic measure taken than root pruning.
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Fig 1. A Healthy Root System
©2005 bonsaiTALK (Click to Enlarge) |
For some plants a drastic pruning may be the kiss of death, for others, it will restore vitality and bring forth many bounties. Root pruning is but one measure for restoring vitality in a weak plant. In this essay, drastic root pruning will be studied and photos will be provided for backup, they help reinforce those thousand words.
(Oh, and one caveat, this is mostly about deciduous trees. Junipers have their own time schedule and can’t be hurried up for anyone. Trees can be lost with these procedures and I take no responsibility if you lose your best specimen!)
The keys to a healthy root system can be summed up in four points:
1. Adequate soil drainage and moisture retention.
2. Proper watering technique & water quality.
3. Soil fertility for stimulation and growth
4. Rejuvenation of feeder roots through root pruning.
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Fig 2. Roots
©2005 bonsaiTALK
(Click to Enlarge) |
When the first three points have been mastered, the next logical step is to master root pruning. Root pruning helps the plants in many ways.
- First, It develops a compact root system full of feeder roots that actually do the working part of the fuel exchange. This feeder root system can take up the necessary water and nutrients for proper growth above the soil line.
- Second, with a compact roots system bonsai aesthetics can come into play with additional pot choices for artistic compositions, and
- Third, fibrous root systems can achieve the kind of branch ramification necessary for proper bonsai aesthetics.
Ever wonder why farmers, for no apparent reason, will remove an entire orchard and replace with some new type of crop? This is done with grapes and fruit trees in 10 to 15 years cycles. Farmers do not have the luxury of digging up the entire orchard for a root prune. Drastic top pruning is done on a yearly basis and this pruning stimulates the plant into a more rigorous growing cycle. This can be done with nearly all plants, for a while! Without drastic root pruning, the plant will exhaust its root system and become weak. In fruit trees and grapes, this may happen in as little as 10 or 15 years. While the plants would surely live long useful lives and still produce fruit, it is not as productive as it was in its youth when it responded to top pruning only.
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