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u/spiceydog Jan 22 '23
When a Tree is Potbound/Rootbound: This problem optimally should be caught at the 'Picking Healthy Stock' link in the wiki (linked below), but sometimes it's not always evident that a tree is too large for a pot and the nursery has not up-potted the tree in a timely fashion. You may have to do a box cut (pdf, UMN Ext.) to the root mass to assure that the roots will cease circling and grow outwards once in the planting hole. See this series of excellent tree planting videos from the UMN Urban Forestry department; the two-part potbound videos are last on the list.
Please see this wiki for other critical planting tips and errors to avoid, like the section on making sure the tree's root flare is above grade; there's also sections on watering, pruning and more that I hope will be useful to you.
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u/adhdabby99 Jan 23 '23
I am not a plant expert, so please excuse the stupid question, but where did the dirt go? Did the roots, like... absorb it??
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u/JackDiesel_14 Jan 23 '23
I wonder if soaking it in water would help loosen up that mass
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u/Iambecomelegend Jan 23 '23
What happens to the soil in these situations? Did the plant absorb it all?
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u/rick6787 Jan 22 '23
A very unhappy tree