Girdled roots

[David Humphries]

First five pics are of one tree...the next five of the second, plus a reference shot of adjacent fig tree stem/root crown to show the root architecture.

 

 

 

Fine shots Sean, thanks for sharing.

Is this species in the shots prone to girdling as much as that, or do you feel these are sub standard nursery stock/poorly maintained at planting?

 

 

 

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[sean freeman]

Very much a case of poor stock plus what I can only describe as abusive treatment at and after planting...have seen these trees often but only when one failed did I realize just how bizarre that root formation is around the stem.

 

Some significant incipient decay in that tree too guessing that was made worse by the girdling...unsure of the ID of the decay fungi.

 

The first tree had dead and well decayed roots directly under the root crown, those roots were much smaller in diameter than I would have expected too.

[David Humphries]

David, I did not knwo that dr. bruce ever wrote anything on sgr's; could you link ?.

 

http://www.bartlett.com/resources/Stem-Girdling-Roots.pdf

 

 

Thanks for the links Guy, particularly found the last one good reading.

 

Has ANSI Z60 been updated yet to include root pruning at the nursery stage ?

 

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[treeseer]

.bartlett.com/resources/Stem-Girdling-Roots.pdf

 

Thin crown to compensate for root loss, hmmm

 

"Thanks for the links Guy, particularly found the last one good reading."

 

The TCI magazine piece? Thanks; that was not really reviewed much at all. Lack of review often = better more logical flow and smoother.

 

"Has ANSI Z60 been updated yet to include root pruning at the nursery stage ?

 

no update of their 2004 standard is underway that i know of. In 1.7 page 20 (free download) there are 3 "shall"s re no girdling roots in pots, but in reality there are millions that are strangling themselves. for sale at bigbox stores and garden centers.

[David Humphries]

A hybrid oak (maybe Quercus x hispanica 'lucombeana')

 

Desire line path (foot/joggers & small vehicle traffic) through the root plate, close to the trunk.

 

Restricted butress growth on foot path side.

 

Girdled root perhaps ?

 

 

 

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[David Humphries]

Girdled root perhaps ?

 

Top of the heath, sandy soil = airspade heaven

 

Thought we'd have ourselves a closer look.

 

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[David Humphries]

No girdles, but a fair amount of decayed/dysfunctioning roots & a poor rooting environment.

Very few fibrous roots within the top 600mm of this side of the trees root collar.

 

Desicated fruiting bodies (possibly Inonotus dryadeus) eifel tower adaptation to the core decay.

 

Incorporated an organic horizon for the back fill.

Vertical mulching of the immeadiate tree environment including the path out to the drip line.

Path & base of the tree (probably tomorrow) top mulched.

Couple of big logs either side to deter the traffic off from the desire path & on to the made up hard surface only a few meters away.

 

We'll see if this does the job to keep the foot fall off the root plate.

 

 

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[alex_m]

Instresting stuff David!

I now know alot more than I did about this and will look out for it in future.

[Amelanchier]

I'm struggling to see where there is any specific information within our BS 3998:2010 on prunning 'girdling roots'

 

Clause 6 'Management of the rooting environment' doesn't make mention of it as a practice.

 

A small reference within Clause 8 'Treatment of wounds and other injuries'

8.6 'root injuries' "exposed damaged roots or those that have to be pruned should be cut so that the final wound is as small as possible and free from ragged torn ends"

 

Guess another instance where we need to be working with external standards to keep moving us forward.

 

Becoming far more aware of this as an issue that really should be getting appropriate remedial attention.

 

 

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That has always struck me as odd. Why treat roots as if they're branches?

 

The available literature seems to suggest that a healthy optimal response to root severance is the production of a profusion of new roots from cambial callus tissue and the tissue immediately adjacent to the damage. These new roots compete for resources that have been made available since the severance; underging primary and secondary growth until only a few large roots remain blah blah blah. Essentially subterranean epicormic growth.

 

But aren't nice tidy natural target pruning cuts intended to minimise epicormic shoot production? Small, clean cuts minimise the proportion of damaged cambium and limit the differentiation of adventitious buds - why would we want to do that to roots? Why limit or control their natural response. There's no aesthetic to consider and roots compartmentalise better that any other part of the tree - besides doesn't the tree need to re-assert its water / mineral uptake as fast as possible to avoid cavitation / dysfuntion?

 

So what do we do above ground when we want to stimulate epicormic from a branch? Fracture prune. Make some ragged torn ends; put away the airspade and get the digger in.

[David Humphries]

Instresting stuff David!

I now know alot more than I did about this and will look out for it in future.

 

Always happy to share the observations of an ongoing education

 

That has always struck me as odd. Why treat roots as if they're branches?

 

The available literature seems to suggest..........

 

...........So what do we do above ground when we want to stimulate epicormic from a branch? Fracture prune. Make some ragged torn ends; put away the airspade and get the digger in.

 

 

Mini digger is in the wings awaiting the nod

 

 

Which literature Tony ?

 

 

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