Ask-a-Dave's-Gardener: Surface roots on drake elm, 3 by ViburnumValley

ViburnumValley wrote:
All your conversation above is positive, and leading in positive directions.

I will add that the idea of circling/girdling roots is not a new one, nor should a paying customer let any green industry professional/business owner off the hook for not being aware of it. Imagine if any other vendor or product were to be provided in similar fashion:

\"Hmmm. Didn\'t know that I was supposed to tighten ALL the bolts on the rims for those new tires I mounted on your car.\"

\"Hmmm. Didn\'t know you wanted a medicine that would CURE your problem, rather than just mask it for a while so that you\'d have to come back and seek my help for treatment AGAIN.\"

I\'m pretty sure you\'d have a bit more of your dander up.

The video is a good one, and there apparently are quite a few more available at that link. You should watch these, and a lot more about how roots grow so that you understand where to expect to find them as your tree matures.

Dr. Ed Gilman is a great source of information, and he happens to be a University of Florida professor. Tap into anything you can find that he has produced. Bartlett Tree Experts are also great researchers, and should be sourced on advancements in understanding trees, their growth, and their care.

I recently toured Bartlett\'s arboretum near Charlotte, NC, where they were presenting some in situ research on - drumroll please - girdling roots on landscape trees. Here are some images of those plants - all Acer rubrum selections. Each individual tree shown is salvageable, albeit some have more severe issues than others. Deliberate efforts to remove the offending/wayward roots will result in a long life for the tree. Ignoring the problem will result in the inevitable failure and death of the plant.