Escape roots

[Shibui]

Some developing shimpaku were becoming top heavy and regularly falling off the bench. I decided to double pot them to add more weight without increasing pot size. Should also allow extra root space and maybe enhance trunk and branch development.

The outer pots were added around 3 years ago. Outer pot just filled with 'plumber's grit' AKA 'pea Gravel - around 6mm stone, mostly for weight.

Significant root growth into the gravel.


After reducing the roots.

Sorry, no after picture. 1 redundant branch removed to improve balance then it was potted into the same sized 11cm diam squat pot to recover before I look at final styling this Summer or Autumn.

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

Nice, I've been doing the same to a couple of mine. I'm hoping for one huge escape root to thicken a trunk really fast; if that works with escape branches, I'm absolutely sure the escape root will become a thing in the next decade.

 

[jason biggs]

these 2 grew into the ground and the increase in size in 1 year was absolutely unreal....i had to destroy the pots like that to lift the trees...

 

[Shibui]

these 2 grew into the ground and the increase in size in 1 year was absolutely unreal

Nice sized trunk, Jason. Pity about all the circling roots.

Nice, I've been doing the same to a couple of mine. I'm hoping for one huge escape root to thicken a trunk really fast; if that works with escape branches, I'm absolutely sure the escape root will become a thing in the next decade.

One huge root may be OK depending where it originates.
If it's a down root it can be cut off and not impact the nebari but if it's one of the surface lateral roots (and it often is) that will distort the nebari badly with one thick root and a few thinner ones growing from the trunk. Nebari is much better when all the visible roots are similar size.

 

[jason biggs]

circling roots gone.

 

[Shibui]

circling roots gone

What species is it?
Not all trees can cope with such a radical root reduction.

 

[jason biggs]

What species is it?
Not all trees can cope with such a radical root reduction.

baobab

 

[Attmos]

Nice sized trunk, Jason. Pity about all the circling roots.


One huge root may be OK depending where it originates.
If it's a down root it can be cut off and not impact the nebari but if it's one of the surface lateral roots (and it often is) that will distort the nebari badly with one thick root and a few thinner ones growing from the trunk. Nebari is much better when all the visible roots are similar size.

What do you think would happen if you sunk a pasta strainer into the ground or a larger pot with soil?

I thought about trying it. In my head I envision lots of feeder roots extending beyond the strainer that would be easy to cut cleanly later on....

 

[RJG2]

Same deal with a couple of my pitch pines being top-heavy.

Double potted late spring. I have a couple more that I didn't double pot, and they are noticably thinner.

Some good mycorrhizae...

 

[RJG2]

What do you think would happen if you sunk a pasta strainer into the ground or a larger pot with soil?

I thought about trying it. In my head I envision lots of feeder roots extending beyond the strainer that would be easy to cut cleanly later on....

The one I posted above is a similar idea - should be interesting when repotting...

This is the inner pot:

 

[AGentleman]

@Attmos What do you think would happen if you sunk a pasta strainer into the ground or a larger pot with soil?

I slip potted a Trident Maple into a colander and then in the ground in the middle of last spring (sth hemisphere). It was very easy to dig and didn't have any massively thick roots.
However, it might have been different if I had planted it at the beginning of Spring. I don't know.





Greg

 

[Attmos]

Worth trying I guess. lol

 

[Attmos]

"mycorrhizae".... I knew there was some kind of beneficial symbiotic life coexisting with healthy roots... When I asked about it, I called it a weed, so I never got my answer.

I was actually asking about a detrimental weed, so... they were right in their silent chuckling. lol

Anyway, thanks for clearing that up for me...

 

[Attmos]

The one I posted above is a similar idea - should be interesting when repotting...

This is the inner pot:

View attachment 614535

View attachment 614536

Make sure to post some pictures when you pull it, if you don't mind.

 

[Shibui]

What do you think would happen if you sunk a pasta strainer into the ground or a larger pot with soil?

This is already a bonsai thing. Lots of people have been doing it for 20 years, maybe longer. Try searching for threads with 'colander' or 'pond basket' in them.
In theory, the roots growing through the strainer/colander/pond basket can't grow too thick because the small holes strangle roots that get too thick. In practice it will depend on the quality of the plastic. Roots are slow but extremely strong. They can lift concrete and crush waterpipes so flimsy plastic may not stop them long term. I'd keep checking just to be sure.
Be careful not to plant the colander too deep. Tridents will find any way to slip a new root out over the rim of a buried colander and it will take off and grow huge at the expense of all other roots.