Any tips on root pruning?

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johnbecker
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Any tips on root pruning?

#1

Post by johnbecker »

I rescued this lovely mature microstigma (I think) from a friend's house but it looks super root bound and just not very happy at the moment. I'm planning on doing a root prune then repotting it with new soil--does anyone have tips and techniques that it'd be helpful to know? Want to talk me out of it? Would also love input on whether you think it actually looks like it needs it. It looks unhappy to me, but maybe I'm misidentifying it? The problem isn't the roots? There's a crazy ant nest in the pot as well--I put a Terro trap in there to clean them out and will take a new look in a few days to see if they're dead.

Note: Apologies for the blurry 2nd picture. Was moving fast this morning to snap a pic with a toddler in the car.
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Spination
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Re: Any tips on root pruning?

#2

Post by Spination »

Maybe I'm lazy... I never do it. If I want to pot something up larger, I take the whole thing and put it in a larger pot (or into the ground), with soil on the bottom and then fill in the sides. I've never had a problem. I know the idea behind it is to get new roots, remove old roots that may be dead, and encourage new and faster growth. Like I said, it's never been a problem for me... so my attitude is don't fix something that isn't broken.
I do know though that if you cut roots, they will need to be either treated with something like sulfur powder, and/or allowed to dry for a few days for the cuts to heal over, otherwise soil borne pathogens can be introduced into the plant via the root damage.
I also know if I went pruning my plant's roots every year or so, there would not be enough hours in the day to fit in all that (unnecessary, in my opinion) extra work.
I'm also pretty sure that if plants are potted up regularly before they are root bound, they don't get root bound to begin with. ::wink:: Potting up as needed... I do that. :))
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Azuleja
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Re: Any tips on root pruning?

#3

Post by Azuleja »

If possible, I would wait for warmer weather when it's actively growing. With the shape of that pot, you might have to break it out. If you're replacing the soil or removing an ant nest, dirt is easily removed with a spray nozzle then you can see what you're working with. I don't cut or remove healthy roots either. If you're trying to get it back into a small pot and feel you need to, be sure to let them dry out and seal themselves before repotting. In that case, I wait at least a week. I love Aloe microstigma. Good save!
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Agavemonger
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Re: Any tips on root pruning?

#4

Post by Agavemonger »

If you have a severe ant infestation, you probably have root mealy inside the pot (a species of small pink-to-white mealy bugs that will be obvious on the roots when the plant is taken out of the pot).

For now, I would treat the plant with a rotational miticide regimen, including bifenthrin (1st in the rotation) to rid the plant of ants. That should also clear the plant of any unseen insects within a few months.

Then in late April I would bare-root the plant. You can probably save that fancy pot if you are planning to bare-root the plant. Just stick a screwdriver in to the soil and gently move it sideways back and forth (in several spots about 1/2 way between the plant and the edge of the pot) and you should be able to loosen the soil enough to get the plant out. On larger, older, easier Aloes like this, I generally cut the roots back (after bare-rooting) to 6-8", then re-pot in new soil and a larger pot. Peel off all the bad (brown) leaves and separate any pups.

You can also bury the base up to the lowest good leaf to make for a more compact plant that will soon offset. This has the effect of making the plant appear "new" and generally promotes new roots and offsetting further up on the fresher, newer part of the stem.

You shouldn't need to treat the roots or let them dry out if done in spring; These plants are quite tough and will be growing new roots quite quickly. I never bother with that unless the plant is a really tricky one or you have a broken or cut stem. In my mind, the quicker you get the plant growing again, the better for all concerned! ::wink::

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mickthecactus
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Re: Any tips on root pruning?

#5

Post by mickthecactus »

He's good isn't he........!
johnbecker
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Re: Any tips on root pruning?

#6

Post by johnbecker »

Seriously Mick. Well, this is pretty much exactly what I was hoping for in terms of advice. Thanks!

One tangential but important question that was raised from Monger and Azuleja's responses. Microstigma is from the Western and Northern Cape region--winter rainfall, right? Doesn't that mean that it's a winter grower? For instance, my plicatilis is clearly growing right now, and was dormant all summer. Same for distans. If it doesn't mean it's a winter grower, then what, if anything, is the link between seasonal rainfall in habitat and growing season? Is seasonal rainfall actually not really that important to pay attention to?
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Agavemonger
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Re: Any tips on root pruning?

#7

Post by Agavemonger »

Almost all plants respond positively to growing day length and warmer temperatures, thus it is less likely that the plant will be under stagnant conditions later in the spring. Winter is a more likely time to have problematic issues with radical procedures such as bare-rooting, root pruning, repotting, taking cuttings or other radically invasive procedures; these procedures are better done when the plant is more likely to be in a "growing phase", which for most plants is in the spring and summer months.

Generally, I side with Spination for most "normal" plants: Just pot 'em up and move on; this is far less radical and the plants usually don't miss a beat.

If the plant needs total re-working, however, it is kind of like open-heart surgery: It is generally best to do it all at once and get it over with quickly. Most Aloes won't get root rot during their growing periods, which is generally the warmer months. "Cold and wet" is virtually guaranteed to be a problematic condition for most plants with "injuries", which are far more likely to be prone to opportunistic pathogens (rot, leading to plant collapse). But take care of the bugs before you tear into your plant.

It should certainly be noted, as suggested by Azuleja, that most un-rooted cuttings need a period of "callousing" before planting, and are far more prone to failure under "wet & cold" conditions. Rooting hormones and/or anti-pathogen treatments can sometimes be helpful, especially with un-rooted cuttings.

It should also be noted that there are certainly exceptions to every rule. A professional grower with decades of "hard knocks" experience can often make marginal judgment calls that might be well past borderline for less experienced hobbyist-types. However, this can occasionally be akin to being a "Professional Gambler", with wholesale losses to an entire crop being somewhat more savage than losing a cutting or two. ::wink::

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mickthecactus
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Re: Any tips on root pruning?

#8

Post by mickthecactus »

I find "winter growers" a bit of a misnomer. I tend to read it as do not overdo watering at the height of summer but I do not water my winter growers in December/January and probably not second half of November or first half of Feb unless exceptional weather.
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Spination
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Re: Any tips on root pruning?

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Post by Spination »

johnbecker wrote:Seriously Mick. Well, this is pretty much exactly what I was hoping for in terms of advice. Thanks!

One tangential but important question that was raised from Monger and Azuleja's responses. Microstigma is from the Western and Northern Cape region--winter rainfall, right? Doesn't that mean that it's a winter grower? For instance, my plicatilis is clearly growing right now, and was dormant all summer. Same for distans. If it doesn't mean it's a winter grower, then what, if anything, is the link between seasonal rainfall in habitat and growing season? Is seasonal rainfall actually not really that important to pay attention to?
What we aloe fanatics north of the equator need to keep in mind when plants are referred to as "winter growers", is that all things are not equal. Our winters are circa December, and they tend to be wet. Winters in South Africa are circa June, and they tend to be dry. Also, one can Google annual highs and lows (temps) for any particular town (area), and realize that a cold winter night (on average) in Capetown (for example) will be 13 C (55 F). Of course there are variations, as there are anywhere. Capetown's wettest month is July. Johannesburg is January, which is more typical of average rainfall on a wider scale. Average low for Johannesburg is 50F, in June.

http://www.holiday-weather.com/cape_town/averages/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.holiday-weather.com/johannesburg/averages/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

What this means is someone living in California can't expect that during the much colder and wetter winter here, our "winter growers" are going to be happy plants. Also, some species are more cold tolerant and more wet tolerant than others, so one has to figure out what works for some as opposed to others.

What I have found is the bulk of my Aloes respond to warmer temps of spring through fall, when I generally water them liberally, and don't do much during the colder months, when I water very little. Exceptions exist. For example... Tylecodon cacaliodes (something I grow - not an aloe) really is a winter grower. It's relatively dormant (not entirely) in our summer, but puts on a new flush of leaves come the beginning of the off-season here (Sept) and grows actively through spring. A cutting taken after this period will not root until circa Sept. It does pay to know the exceptions, but by and large, I think we shouldn't necessarily be too influenced when we hear the term winter grower. Best I can tell, most of mine respond to our seasons as most plants typically do.

The thing to do is to look up any particular species one wants to grow, and see what it deals with (and more importantly - evolved) in habitat, and try to accommodate each accordingly.
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mickthecactus
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Re: Any tips on root pruning?

#10

Post by mickthecactus »

Tylecodons Othonnas and Pelargoniums really are winter growers and need watering weekly. If I dont they actually droop.

But all kept bone dry i n summer. No water from April to September.
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Re: Any tips on root pruning?

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Post by mickthecactus »

This is in a greenhouse of course.
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Re: Any tips on root pruning?

#12

Post by Agavemonger »

Spiney makes a really important point about Southern Hemisphere plants, ESPECIALLY IN REGARDS TO DOING RESEARCH. When it says winter flowering (in a South African produced book), that is better than saying "flowers in July". The plants are also "winter flowering" in the Northern hemisphere, so you need to calculate everything 6 months later for the northern hemisphere, which means in December, not July.

This inconvenient little factoid may sometimes confuse you to the point of dizziness, but remember that the plants always respond to the sun (angle and day length) and temperature, which generally speaking, is exactly 6 months out from Southern Africa (and Australia) when making calculations in the northern hemisphere.

Since most Aloe books and many websites are from the Southern Hemisphere, where this group of plants are extremely important landscaping candidates, never forget to convert July to December, etc..

Of course, there are many other species from Southern Africa (and thousands of different species from Australia) such as Gasterias, Haworthias, Encephalartos, Proteas, Euphorbias, Eucalyptus, etc. etc., so use common sense in determining the Author's predilection. If the book is published in Durban, KwaZulu Natal (South Africa), for instance, you are reading a book published in the Southern Hemisphere.

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Re: Any tips on root pruning?

#13

Post by johnbecker »

Thanks for the interesting discussion. I definitely get the reversed season thing--a solid amount of my well-spent youth consisted of wandering around southern hemisphere countries. If only I'd been into aloes then, that two months in South Africa would've been structured very differently!

My line of questioning is more related to what Spiny was saying about how he finds that his aloes generally are growing more in the spring and summer than in winter, regardless of where they're from. I might've put that last bit in your mouth though--I think you qualified your statement more than I represented here.

My understanding of seasonal rainfall in Southern Africa is that, essentially, the Western & Northern Cape regions, up into southern Namibia, have a similarly structured climate to here, i.e. Mediterranean with warm dry summers and relatively warm wet winters. Whereas more central parts of South Africa and the eastern portions of the country are much more dry winters with warm wet summers. So I've been lately thinking about and investing in aloes from the Western and Northern Cape--gariepensis, microstigma, plicatilis, etc. Maybe I'm overthinking the seasonal rainfall thing, though, and should just keep my eyes on cold hardiness and ensuring that everything has good drainage for when the rains do come. In the few years I've been cultivating aloes I've seen cold damage them far more than water at the wrong time of year.
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Re: Any tips on root pruning?

#14

Post by Spination »

mickthecactus wrote:Tylecodons Othonnas and Pelargoniums really are winter growers and need watering weekly. If I dont they actually droop.

But all kept bone dry i n summer. No water from April to September.
I defer to your expertise, and can only speak for Tylecodon cacaliodes, wallichii, and x dinteri that I have. While all put on their new flush of leaves circa September...I have noted that if I water during the summer, they maintain their leaves until the new flushes arrive. If I don't, they drop their leaves and go into dormancy. I have not rotted one yet. They are interesting looking bare-leaved, but I prefer them with green on them year around. I'm pretty sure your regimen correctly simulates their natural conditions, but what I do keeps them more aesthetically pleasing to my taste. I have had my monster T. cacaliodes for some years, and I've seen it droop as you describe when not watered regularly - even in summer. All I'm saying is that I do not keep them bone dry in summer... not saying that's right, but they don't seem to mind, and they do reward me by remaining evergreen. :M
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Re: Any tips on root pruning?

#15

Post by mickthecactus »

If it works for you carry right on!
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Re: Any tips on root pruning?

#16

Post by Shmuel »

Does winter grower really mean spring and fall grower? I have heard that is how Titanopsis should be watered.

Also, here in Israel we get our rain (winter only about 17' total for Jerusalem) in long dark storms - making wet cold conditions for possibly weeks at a time. I counter is by using clay pots - not glazed and fairly inorganic soil mix so it dries quickly. Also emergency plastic sheets for insurance. Nevertheless - a good sized Aloe melanacantha rotted this year - alas. I should have caught that the unusally good red-orange winter color was really its death rattle.

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