HBR Job on my Big Juniper

[just.wing.it]

.....well its big to me, relative to my tree collection.
This my first time attempting to Half-Bare-Root a tree.
I think I lucked out with the last one, fully bare rooted with a hose....all is well with it, but I don't wanna take those risks anymore.

I think I got into it as well as I could, considering there's quite a bit of wood below the surface on this guy....a tangled mess of thick roots that will have to probably have stay, I'm thinking.

The pics.

 

[just.wing.it]

No idea why the first 2 pics ended up as thumbnails at the end of the post there....

Foliage:


I'm very happy with the health of this tree, when I got it this spring it was not looking very good. I think the fertilizer on the foliage seems to help a lot.
I've just been dousing the foliage of on my junipers this year with every fertilization.

 

[Japonicus]

Red Root tea? I've never HBR either. Gives my chai or ying n yang an off balance feel LOL

Soil looks good. What are you using? Looks like Douglas fir bark in it?

 

[just.wing.it]

Red Root tea? I've never HBR either. Gives my chai or ying n yang an off balance feel LOL

Soil looks good. What are you using? Looks like Douglas fir bark in it?

Haha!, I know the feeling, I'm hoping the watering goes ok....
Good eye! Lava Pumice and Dougy Fir Bark.
Everything I repotted this year got that mix. So far seems to be pretty nice. I used to be an advocate of all inorganic, until I moved to a sunny place.

 

[just.wing.it]

Didn't skip a beat so far!
Looking lush this morning with many runners all over.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

I would get rid of this root...

 

[just.wing.it]

I would get rid of this root...
View attachment 265541

That's its Handle!

Oh yeah, in time for sure.
I didn't want to remove any yet.....though I likely could have.

The roots are a fused up tangled mess and my plan is to slowly.....very slowly remove the uber-offencive ones like that one, over time.
This tree has a good basal flare, but not a great nebari, which I'm OK with for this juniper.

Of all the messed up roots, that one is that main one that must go.....maybe I'll snip it off next year while it builds up more strength during HBR Recovery Time.

I plan to let it grow free again next year, minus some branch selection.
Then HBR the other side in 2021, and give it a solid year to recover before any real thinning and styling will happen.

I'm just trying to be extra safe with it, I really like the unusual look of this particular tree.
I appreciate you chiming in BFV!
Thanks!

 

[Silentrunning]

I would get rid of this root...
View attachment 265541

When you remove a large root like that one, do you:
A. Cover the cut with sealer
B. Cover the cut with rooting hormone
C. Just leave it alone

 

[just.wing.it]

When you remove a large root like that one, do you:
A. Cover the cut with sealer
B. Cover the cut with rooting hormone
C. Just leave it alone

I will leave it alone.

If I can tell where it actually connects to the trunk, I may be able to determine if it will be dead any way, due to the cutbacks.
I'm basically going to have to use one main branch to build the canopy from, all the others are so far from the trunk that they will likely be jinned or removed completely one day.

Really all the foliage is far away from the trunk.... but I guy wired one branch back down towards the trunk this spring, thays the one with the strongest runners of now and is making the tree appear fuller than it really is.

 

[defra]

looking healthy, this is the grey owl right?

 

[just.wing.it]

looking healthy, this is the grey owl right?

Thanks buddy, yes. This is the 2nd one.

 

[0soyoung]

When you remove a large root like that one, do you:
A. Cover the cut with sealer
B. Cover the cut with rooting hormone

Could explain the science that persuaded you to believe this is necessary/beneficial?

 

[Silentrunning]

Could explain the science that persuaded you to believe this is necessary/beneficial?

No science. I just want to do what is best for my trees. That is why I asked because I didn’t know.

 

[0soyoung]

No science. I just want to do what is best for my trees. That is why I asked because I didn’t know.

Oh, I see. I didn't find a question mark anywhere and thought it was a rhetorical statement, instead.

IMHO, the only reason for cut paste is to keep the exposed ring of cambium from desiccating until an epiderm has formed over it. One might use damp sphagnum instead of any kind of paste. There is no point in 'sealing' when the stub of an amputated root is in a damp growing medium.

Applying rooting hormone is somewhat nonsensical as there is a flow of auxin in the polar auxin transport (PAT) stream from above. Girdling or amputating a root is just like girdling a stem in air layering - auxin levels escalate, and cambium cells de-differentiate and up regulate to become auxin producing root apical meristems. At best, applying root hormone gives this process a kick-start. It makes sense with cuttings where the growth of roots is a race against time.

Lastly, a 'sealer' certainly would seem be counter-productive since new root growth is anticipated from the root stub. You might try applying your favorite cut paste/putty to the upper edge of some air layer girdles to find out, if you don't have a number of root amputations to experiment with.


So, just leave it be, #C, unless the cut is exposed at the surface of the substrate, in which case apply something moisture retentive (such as sphagnum moss, but probably not a cut paste/putty) to/over the stub.

 

[just.wing.it]

I'm liking the HBR method @Adair M .....
I will let this plant run free this year and HBR the second half in 2021.

 

[Japonicus]

I like the trunk on this one. Lots of interest! I've still never done the HBR. Looking good

Dude, you really need to come dig this pfitzer

Very strong trunk line but pic doesn't do the horizontal trunk justice along the soil line.
Put my shoe in for size comparison.
It was urban yamodori ~12 years ago when I dug it from a retirement community.
EDIT: Next big rain we get I may take a spade and circle all the way around it.
Maybe if I suit up and glove up, by the time I get it reduced it won't break me out so bad

 

[Yamabudoudanshi]

Forgive me, but HBR? (Hedging-???-???)?

Cool trunk.

 

[KiwiPlantGuy]

Hi,
Post #1 of this thread and second line. Hmm,
Sorry @just.wing.it , had to help out newbie.
Charles

 

[Yamabudoudanshi]

Hi,
Post #1 of this thread and second line. Hmm,
Sorry @just.wing.it , had to help out newbie.
Charles

Talk about plain sight.. Thanks.

 

[just.wing.it]

I like the trunk on this one. Lots of interest! I've still never done the HBR. Looking good

Dude, you really need to come dig this pfitzer
View attachment 295471 View attachment 295472
Very strong trunk line but pic doesn't do the horizontal trunk justice along the soil line.
Put my shoe in for size comparison.
It was urban yamodori ~12 years ago when I dug it from a retirement community.
EDIT: Next big rain we get I may take a spade and circle all the way around it.
Maybe if I suit up and glove up, by the time I get it reduced it won't break me out so bad

That does look nice! Dig that bad boy!