Chopstick vs Root hook for repotting

[geargarcon]

I’ve had a number of plants for a couple of years and have mostly focused on what is above ground. I’m now turning my focus to what is below ground and had a question about cleaning up the roots when reporting.

I’ve seen a lot of videos of people aggressively hacking away at root balls with root hooks. That seems rather destructive. The one place I’ve seen people do this is on Mirai where they gently use chopsticks to painstakingly remove the dirt bit by bit.

Do you all find that root hooks are effective or do they damage your plants? Or are chopsticks the way to go?

 

[sorce]

Someone was just talking about how even chopsticks are damaging. I believe where we were talking about underwater repotting, which I finally found someone else to believe in with me.

I'm an ungloved hander. I believe a tree can't hurt itself, (cuz it's true), so I pry through with pruned material of itself, just about the same size, since it will bend before it hurts itself, unlike the stiff leverage you get with any tool.

Sorce

 

[TomB]

I’ve had a number of plants for a couple of years and have mostly focused on what is above ground. I’m now turning my focus to what is below ground and had a question about cleaning up the roots when reporting.

I’ve seen a lot of videos of people aggressively hacking away at root balls with root hooks. That seems rather destructive. The one place I’ve seen people do this is on Mirai where they gently use chopsticks to painstakingly remove the dirt bit by bit.

Do you all find that root hooks are effective or do they damage your plants? Or are chopsticks the way to go?

I use both, and I don’t ‘hack’ with either. Both tools have their place. Just be careful and systematic.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

I use both.

 

[yashu]

I think it might depend on what you’re trying to do. An otherwise vigorous tree being repotted to a smaller vessel where you will be pruning peripheral roots anyway then a root hook is just plain faster and more efficient. A delicate tree or one with questionable vigor a more delicate less invasive/destructive approach with a chopstick will serve you better

While I like @sorce ’s theory on the tree not hurting itself for its poetic and romantic basis I question its validity as I’m pretty sure that if I remove a limb from any of my trees and go at the root ball with my general ham handed approach I can be pretty friggin destructive. I like the idea though.

 

[Mike Corazzi]

Someone was just talking about how even chopsticks are damaging. I believe where we were talking about underwater repotting, which I finally found someone else to believe in with me.

I'm an ungloved hander. I believe a tree can't hurt itself, (cuz it's true), so I pry through with pruned material of itself, just about the same size, since it will bend before it hurts itself, unlike the stiff leverage you get with any tool.

Sorce

Will you sacrifice a finger so the doctor can use it to remove your appendix?

 

[sorce]

Will you sacrifice a finger so the doctor can use it to remove your appendix?

I'd watch a YouTube video and take it out myself.

Though I keep pouring on those pounds of prevention!

Which is mostly just not believing "their" BS.

Sorce

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

I recently saw a home made whisk broom used to clean out a nebari and tease out roots. Choice of twigs to make the whisk broom can range from pretty soft to pretty stiff. Like others I have used a root hook, and chop sticks, but one needs to think ahead about what the goal is. How much of the fine root system do you risk tearing? Go gentle if you need to preserve the fine roots.

 

[jeremy_norbury]

I use a really small rake and I absolutely swear by it. Used it for decades and just managed to find a new one in a homeware shop last year.

I use chopsticks to add soil and sometimes to get into the nooks and crannies...

IMG_2805 by Jerry Norbury, on Flickr

 

[BrianBay9]

Depends on what stage of work. I use the following for root work, depending : root hook, chopsticks, small rake, hand saw, reciprocating saw, chainsaw.

 

[Cajunrider]

I am with Peter Chan on the roots. I use an axe.
PS: In the last few weeks, most of my root work involved the Root Slayer

 

[geargarcon]

I am with Peter Chan on the roots. I use an axe.
PS: In the last few weeks, most of my root work involved the Root Slayer
View attachment 438417

Haha! I just saw the video where he went at some roots with a hatchet.

 

[penumbra]

They are different tools and if you use only one you are omitting a valuable tool.
I also don't use a screwdriver for a chisel or visa versa.

 

[geargarcon]

They are different tools and if you use only one you are omitting a valuable tool.
I also don't use a screwdriver for a chisel or visa versa.

So then what do you use each for?

 

[PA_Penjing]

I don’t use a root hook anymore but it’s personal preference. I like using a chopstick and a soaking tub (if it’s material from a nursery can.) If I was going to buy a root hook and use one again I would actually buy one of those single prong hooks that horse people use to clean hooves. It’s basically a halfway between a chop stick and root hook. I personally feel like it’s not as damaging but gets work done faster. That was my preference when I had to bang out repots at the nursery. But at home my collection is small and I have all day to finger blast my trees

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

So then what do you use each for?

Root hook to tease out roots and remove old soil. Chopstick to work in new soil.

 

[namnhi]

I swear the tree will instantly turn into bonsai if you use bamboo chop stick. The nebari will fuse into pancake.

 

[kale]

I recently used water and sprayed the roots with a little pressure and it worked really well for just a mild repotting of a lemon tree houseplant I have

 

[penumbra]

So then what do you use each for?

Well, I use the screwdriver for screws.................

If I was going to buy a root hook and use one again I would actually buy one of those single prong hooks that horse people use to clean hooves.

These are great........

 

[We're all Mad Here...🎩]

If you have nice soft fresh soil sometimes a chopstick stuck down in and wiggled around will loosen soil up enough to let the hands dobthe rest of the work. Other times you need a damn saw. We're manipulating nature, and oftentimes nature has its way whether we like it or not