ROOT PRUNING

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22391, 11 April 1936, Page 10 (Supplement)

ROOT PRUNING

Many fruit trees planted in rich garden soil tend to produce a tremendous amount of new growth every year, and in consequence bear little or no fruit. Rank growth and fruitfulness rarely go together, and it becomes necessary to check the vigour of the trees to encourage the formation of fruiting wood. Hard cutting back of the branches only makes matters worse, for the hard pruned tree grows all the stronger the next season. The check to vigour is obtained by pruning the roots of the trees. With young trees, say up to five og six years old, the simplest way is to lift the trees, shorten the coarse roots to half their length and replant the trees in the same spot. Where possible the roots are cut slanting* from the underside of the root outward, making clean cuts with a sharp knife. Roots chopped or broken in the lifting process, should be cut clean. Tress older than five or six years must be dealt with as they stand, opening out a trench all round the tree

about three feet from the stem. Any thick roots met with should be cut cleanly while the more fibrous ones are saved and tied up in a bundle out of the way, covered with sacks to prevent drying out. When the lateral roots have been dealt with, the tap roots must be reached by .tunnelling under the ball of soil and these cut also. It may be more convenient in the case of large trees to do one side of the tree one year, leaving the other side until the following season.

It is important that the tree shall be firmly established in the soil after root pruning, and in some cases it will bo a wise proceeding to provide the support necessary by means of stakes until the tree has recovered. The present is a good time to undertake the loot pruning of any trees that may be unfruitful by reason of too much woody growth, and the beneficial results are nearly always apparent the following season in a good set of fruit buds.