Root Advice

[CrannEire]

Hi, I'm new to this forum. I look forward to connecting with you all.
I recently acquired a nicely aged, but quite neglected pomegranate. After much care I am starting to see new buds. However, the roots are in an awful state. They have been left to intertwine and meld into each other, leaving a hollow under what i see as the front of the tree. I would love to hear your suggestions and advice on what I could do with this. Thanks.

 

[bwaynef]

Layer it in the spring. Build up a "container" w/ mesh screen and fill it w/ soil a little above where you clear the bark/cambium. Water in the new "container".

 

[CrannEire]

Layer it in the spring. Build up a "container" w/ mesh screen and fill it w/ soil a little above where you clear the bark/cambium. Water in the new "container".

You mean air-layer it and start a new root system?

 

[Paradox]

Layer it in the spring. Build up a "container" w/ mesh screen and fill it w/ soil a little above where you clear the bark/cambium. Water in the new "container".

Do you know if pomegranate air layer well?
If they do that is a good option cause Yikes those roots are crazy

 

[bwaynef]

I don't know how they layer, but I've taken cuttings of one and it rooted so that's the basis for my suggestion.

 

[CrannEire]

Yeah. I've definitely got a project on my hands. I'll look into layering pomegranate. Hopefully it'll be a viable option. Thanks.

 

[Paradox]

Yeah. I've definitely got a project on my hands. I'll look into layering pomegranate. Hopefully it'll be a viable option. Thanks.

Definitely research it first for sure

 

[Shibui]

You mean air-layer it and start a new root system?

When it happens low on the trunk in raised soil we call it ground layer but essentially it is air layer in the soil.
Pomegranate grow easily from cuttings so should layer easily too.
Ground layer will shorten the lower trunk a little but that's probably better than those roots.

Another option is to remove the upper roots but I cannot see that helping much as the other roots I can see are not much better so I'd also go with a layer to get new roots just above these.

 

[Potawatomi13]

Possibly could pick different front as well.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Remove a few big roots with each year’s repotting, and plant it deeper.

 

[CrannEire]

Remove a few big roots with each year’s repotting, and plant it deeper.
View attachment 454323

Interesting idea. It'll take a good few years to do this, but it might work.

 

[CrannEire]

Would you consider a root over rock approach?

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Would you consider a root over rock approach?

No

 

[CrannEire]

No

Ha. Succinct.

 

[Paradox]

Would you consider a root over rock approach?

You would not be able to get those big roots to shape to the rock property to make it a convincing picture. There would be gaps that wouldn't look right. It would look like a tree was strapped to a rock rather than a tree that grew around a rock.

 

[CrannEire]

You would not be able to get those big roots to shape to the rock property to make it a convincing picture. There would be gaps that wouldn't look right. It would look like a tree was strapped to a rock rather than a tree that grew around a rock.

I get ya. Thanks for your input.