How to handle high roots on the base of the trunk?

[Michigan Tree Murderer]

I repotted this Dawn redwood, and saw it has high roots on the base of the trunk with significant roots attached below the surface. I ended up leaving them alone, other than to spread them out radially. They look too high to be part of the base/nebari, and I wasn't sure how to handle them other than cut them off. Just seemed like more work than the tree could handle at this point.

How/when should I handle these high (pigtail) roots? Cut them, or leave them?

 

[BrightsideB]

The longer you leave them the more they will swell the area up they are feeding into. Looks like they are causing a reverse taper. 1 vote for cut.

If you like them personally in the design then leave them.

 

[BrianBay9]

Ground layer above them.

 

[Cajunrider]

For BCs I just cut them and leave a concave cut. I think the same will apply to dawn redwood.

 

[Michigan Tree Murderer]

The longer you leave them the more they will swell the area up they are feeding into. Looks like they are causing a reverse taper. 1 vote for cut.

If you like them personally in the design then leave them.

Not a recent picture but this is the full tree. I'm trying to grow the base/trunk around three inches.



I went out in the rain and snapped some current trunk pics

Ground layer above them.

Never done that before. I'd like some practice first.

 

[ponderingsage]

Ground layer above them.

After seeing more of the trunk, l think this is your best bet.

 

[Shibui]

Just seemed like more work than the tree could handle at this point.

I can understand initial reluctance but the more we work with trees and push boundaries, the more resilient we discover trees are.

I repotted this Dawn redwood, and saw it has high roots on the base of the trunk with significant roots attached below the surface.

Your idea of 'significant' and mine are likely to be quite different. Most trees can easily cope with losing 50% of roots. Really resilient species, including Dawn redwood have no problem recovering from 75% root loss. I suspect there would be no problem cutting those high roots right off.

The latest photos show significant inverse taper close to ground level. Maybe layering will be a better long term answer to the problems but, obviously, you'll need to be comfortable with the process and prospects of success before going ahead with that.

 

[Paradox]

If you are concerned with how many roots you are removing by cutting them all at once, you could cut one each time you do a repot so you're not leaving the soon to die roots in the pot. Will take longer to eliminate them all but it is a more conservative approach. Remove the largest one first.

The base looks OK to me in the picture of the whole tree. That angle doesn't seem to show the reverse taper. So if that is your front and you're not comfortable with air layering it, you might not need to (?)

 

[Michigan Tree Murderer]

I can understand initial reluctance but the more we work with trees and push boundaries, the more resilient we discover trees are.

Your idea of 'significant' and mine are likely to be quite different. Most trees can easily cope with losing 50% of roots. Really resilient species, including Dawn redwood have no problem recovering from 75% root loss. I suspect there would be no problem cutting those high roots right off.

The latest photos show significant inverse taper close to ground level. Maybe layering will be a better long term answer to the problems but, obviously, you'll need to be comfortable with the process and prospects of success before going ahead with that.

Thanks for sharing your knowledge and wisdom. Now I need to find a ground layer test subject to practice on.

If you are concerned with how many roots you are removing by cutting them all at once, you could cut one each time you do a repot so you're not leaving the soon to die roots in the pot. Will take longer to eliminate them all but it is a more conservative approach. Remove the largest one first.

The base looks OK to me in the picture of the whole tree. That angle doesn't seem to show the reverse taper. So if that is your front and you're not comfortable with air layering it, you might not need to (?)

One side looks okay but the "back" of the trunk definitely has some inverse taper. Maybe a ground layer is in its future. Thanks for helping, it's much appreciated.

 

[Joe Dupre']

My fallback position is "If you like them, leave them. If you don't, cut them off.". That really is the "artistic" part of the art.

 

[Cajunrider]

Thanks for sharing your knowledge and wisdom. Now I need to find a ground layer test subject to practice on.


One side looks okay but the "back" of the trunk definitely has some inverse taper. Maybe a ground layer is in its future. Thanks for helping, it's much appreciated.

Now that I have seen all the pictures. I agree with the ground layer, it is kinda started already. If it were mine, for this year I would nick the trunk where I want the roots to fill out and stop the inverse taper. Then I would pack the area with sphagnum moss and raise the soil level with potting soil to cover the inverse taper. I now have a higher moisture top that the roots like. We’ll see soon if that would do the trick.

 

[Cadillactaste]

I repotted this Dawn redwood, and saw it has high roots on the base of the trunk with significant roots attached below the surface. I ended up leaving them alone, other than to spread them out radially. They look too high to be part of the base/nebari, and I wasn't sure how to handle them other than cut them off. Just seemed like more work than the tree could handle at this point.

How/when should I handle these high (pigtail) roots? Cut them, or leave them?

One sided on the tree? Now, we know my love of roots. Be them exposed and all. Up high on the trunk. What would I do? I would throw the tree into a slant style. Using the visual of those additional high roots holding the tree up from falling over.

 

[Michigan Tree Murderer]

So, should I wait till I have the 3 inch trunk base size I want before I attempt the layer?

 

[snowman04]

Why wait?

 

[Michigan Tree Murderer]

Why wait?

I'm Inexperienced as I've never done a ground layer before, and I repotted it a few weeks ago so I'd imagine I'd have to wait at least 6 weeks or so.