I planted this dawn redwood tree along with another one when they were the size of twigs and about 6 inches tall. I was aware of how root flares should be and when I received these trees from the nursery I assumed the nurseries knew as well and planted the tree so that the dirt it came with was level with my dirt. 4 years later and I’m seeing posts on this sub Reddit about how nursery stock in fact frequently comes buried too deep. Paired with the fact that one of my redwoods has noticeably stunted growth compared to the other, I concluded I’d better do some excavating. Here’s what I got done by hand today. The green lines are about where the soil was previously and the red arrow is pointing to what I believe is my first indication of root flare. But the third picture shows the other side of the tree at about the same level and there seems to be a distinct lack of flair. These trees were very small when planted so there’s only so deep this could possible be. Do you think I’m correct and have found the flare or should I go a little deeper?
TLDR: Is the red arrow pointing to a correctly identified beginning of the root flair?
by csn030696
6 Comments
Hey, I’m here to watch. I work at a garden center and I am fascinated with understanding things like the proper planting depth for trees and shrubs. So I hope to see some good commentary on your very worthwhile project. It’s root *flare* by the way, not flair. Ok, back to the stands.
To my understanding, the red arrow is the root flare yes
No it’s a bit above that. You want the start of the inverted funnel to be above ground. You’ve gone too far with exposing the smaller root system below your root flare (specifically on the right side of the picture). I’d put some mulch back in and create a donut and call it a day.
I think you’re on the right track. Those small roots you would be cutting off will not be a significant loss either way.
Yes. Correct. In the second picture, remove the root that is crossing over the one beneath it.
The adventitious roots above the flare should all be pruned. Especially the crossing one. You could do it in stages if you’re worried about over stressing the tree.
Be sure to water the tree regularly post excavation and root pruning.
To me it looks like yes it was planted very deep. the top of the red arrowed root looks like the top of what was supposed to be the flare.
Also, the soil underneath can settle and cause this, especially if it was dug deep and backfilled. This can be one of many reasons for stunted growth.
If it were me I would airspade to the drip line, coat with compost and lightly mulch. Perhaps you could try and rake and a broom? Keep everything moist for a while.