I noticed that some of my brugs pots are completely filled with roots. They are coming out the bottom and top. It looks like the pots are filled with roots, not soil. They weren't repotted last season and have been overwintered in the same container for 2 yrs. I'm sure they need to be repotted and need new soil but I don't want to increase the pot size. They are already in 30 gallon containers. Can I cut away some of the roots? The stems and trunk had been pruned way back last fall and they haven't filled in that much yet. Would I still have to cut back more of the above ground growth if I root prune? How much of the rootball can I safely remove to keep it in the same container? I've never pruned away too much of a brugs roots before. Do I cut a wedge, circumference, the bottom or all of the above of the rootball?
Karyn

I generally cut away about 1/3 all the way around the root ball. Mine aren't actively growing yet, but when I do re-pot them, I will cut off the newest growth as it will blacken in the wind and die off anyway. All I know is that most people have said to reduce the top growth by the same amount. Whether it is necessary, I don't know. I would think it would be beneficial. The roots might not be able to maintain a bigger plant on the top after they are cut back.

ChSam (Shirley Morr)
Chariton, Iowa
Zone 5

If you've already cut the top and it hasn't really started growing back in yet, the root prune will be very beneficial and you shouldn't need to cut anymore off up top.
Like Shirley, I usually take off about a third all the way around and from the bottom, although I have taken off more than that, either accidental slip of the knife, or with smaller ones falling apart during a repotting, without any harm done. Just make sure you leave enough to provide a balance, if it's too top-heavy the slightest wind can blow it out of the pot and it's no fun to look outside an hour later to find it blown over with the pot still upright, roots dangling in the air and all. The larger leaves will probably wilt, water it when you're done and they should perk up pretty fast, usually 20 to 45 minutes here, depending on the temperature. Usually I let them rest in a mostly shady spot for the rest of that day and the next before moving them back out into more sun.

Lynne
USDA 9b, Heat 10
Bradenton, Florida

OOPS! I had a couple of distractions while composing this...in the meantime, Lynne has broadened the info. I'll leave this anyway - sometimes it's helpful to read info written 2-3 different ways.

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Shirley, I'm looking for a little clarification. Am I getting the concept correctly if I visually "measure" from the side of the pot to the trunk of the brug, and at the 1/3 point, cut off that outer 1/3?

And as for the bottom, do you also cut off the bottom 1/3 of the root ball? In some cases that might be as much as 8"-10", which would make me a little nervous.

For those of us who have stored the brugs in a dormant state over the winter, root pruning should probably be done as soon as we bring them out to begin their new growth. If there is very little foliage, then top pruning shouldn't be much of an issue.

On the other hand, if you're dealing with a plant that has lots of leaves on it, then it stands to reason you should remove some of the newer growth when you're root pruning. With that scenario, I'd also keep the plant out of the sun for about a week or more to avoid stressing it.





Patrick
Brug Moderator
USDA Zone 8b
Heat Zone 3
Sunset Zone 5
SeaTac, WA...one cool place

Thanks folks. These haven't put out much new growth at all and what they did put out was damaged from either too much sun or the low temps (I just can't win!) I guess DH has a few brugs to prune I'll be waiting at least a week before lifting the big pots again. I'll have him slice away a few inches all the way around. Should I cut back the roots that are showing above the soil too or just cover those with new soil?
Karyn

I do mine very differently. I grow mine in the ground all season then dig them up and pot them to bring in over the winter and hold them basically dormant.
I basically dig mine (shovel pruning them when digging)to fit the size of the pot I am putting the plant in. Thus, my root balls are reduced by greater than 50% I would have to imagine but then the plant is reduced by 90% as well.
I dust the cut root ball with sulphur, plant into the pot, add totally dry potting soil to the edges of the pot and set them away for the winter. They remain not watered until about Jan, giving the cut root edges time to callus so they don't rot.
When I plant them out once again in the spring they do not get pruned further but are given a good drink with a transplant fertilizer that stimulates new root growth.

I guess what I am telling this method to you for, it to show that there are many ways you can do the pruning and be successful.

Forum Editing Tech
Zone 5b

Ruth Ann I'm probably going to be doing something similar to that this year because I'll lift any brugs that I set in the ground. I still don't know if they survived over the winter this year having been left in the ground last year.
Karyn

In my experience cutting back the roots doesn't bother them. I just removed Shredded White from the pot it had been in for years, it was very root bound. I planted it in the ground next to the house and had a problem digging a large enough hole to put the entire rootball in. So, as I have done before when faced with this problem. I just took my (very sharp) shovel and started chopping off the rootball until it would fit in the hole. I probably removed 1/3 or more of the rootball. It never wilted or dropped the buds it had, that's been about a week ago and it now is starting to bloom again. This is in a shaded, northern exposure which probably accounts the fact that it didn't wilt or drop buds.





Michele
Jacksonville, Fl
Zone 9a
Nature, in order to be commanded must be obeyed. Sir Francis Bacon

From what I understand, the fine hairy roots are the ones that the plant feeds through. I might cut some off the bottom of the plant, but just as long as it fits in the pot, it will be okay. When digging them out of the ground, I don't dig down and bring up the tap root. I cut it off. Never lost a brug yet from doing that. Yes, 1/3 of the way in from the outside of the root ball is what I cut off and believe me...I'm not using a ruler. Where the sharp spade hits is what is removed.

ChSam (Shirley Morr)
Chariton, Iowa
Zone 5