Can I Prune The Roots Of My Shrubs?

What is root pruning?
It is the process of trimming back long roots to incite a shrub to develop new roots closer to the trunk. Tree root pruning is a crucial step when you are transplanting an established shrub. Keep reading if you want to know more about root pruning.

When you are transporting established shrubs, it’s best to move them from one location to another with as many roots as you can. The soil and roots that travel with the shrub create the root ball.

Typically, a bush planted in the dirt will spread its roots wide and far. It would be impossible to try to have them all in the root ball. Arborists realize the more roots that a shrub has when it is moved, the better and faster it will adjust to its new spot.

Can I prune the roots of my shrubs?
Pruning shrub roots before planting reduces transplant alarm when the moving day arrives. Root pruning shrubs is a procedure meant to replace the long roots with roots nearer to the trunk that can be part of the root ball.

Shrub root pruning involves cutting the roots at least six months before the move. Pruning roots before planting give new roots time to grow. The ideal time to trim roots of a shrub to be transported depends on if you’re moving it in fall or spring. Shrubs designated for a spring move must be root pruned in the fall. Those to be transplanted in fall must be pruned in the springtime. If you want to get a stump removed to get to the roots, call a stump removal company.

Root pruning shrubs
To start root pruning, make a circle in the soil around the bush to be moved. The circle size is parallel to the size of the shrub and also has to include the outer measurements of the root ball. The larger the shrub, the larger the circle.

Trim the roots you see with a shovel edge or sharp spade. When you have dug deep enough to get the bulk of the roots, seal the trench back in with the removed soil. Restore it as it was, with the topsoil on top then the water well.

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