Fraxinus - How much roots can I remove?

[dansai]

I saw a claret ash in a nursery today with a thick base and at a reasonable price. It probably has typical general nursery roots and there is definitely atleast one crossed root and one large root so will need pretty heavy root reduction in order to start its life towards Bonsai. I resisted buying it straight away as I thought it best to find out how much root reduction could be done first.

So how much root could I take off and it still survive? Any one with experience? It's currently in a 300mm pot with the trunk about 80mm wide.

[dansai]

Here's a picture of tree in question


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[Boics]

HEllo Dansai.

Grant has done some good work with Ash in the forums and conducted an e-learning session as well.
I would like to think he has covered a bit on this topic?

Personally I wouldn't see any issue and with a gradual reduction process I think you will be fine.

I have a couple of Ash myself and I find them to be very hardy trees.
Probably a pretty good time around now too.

[treeman]

So how much root could I take off and it still survive?

A lot. Just be sure to retain a good amount of the finer roots. You can remove 75% overall.
Wash it too so you can see what you're doing.

[dansai]

Cheers guys. Looks like it should be worth it.

Would it be too early for a repot? I am away from home and would love to reduce it to take it home. If not I can leave it here (my parents place) as I'll be down again in a month.

[GavinG]

Is that a graft just above the lower shoots, where the bark texture changes? You would need to be careful after you cut back, rubbing off shoots below the graft so your red leaves shoot higher up. I believe you can cut the top back now, maybe root-prune better later? Although it is dormant.

Gavin

[Josh]

So how much root could I take off and it still survive?

A lot. Just be sure to retain a good amount of the finer roots. You can remove 75% overall.
Wash it too so you can see what you're doing.

Yep agree with Treeman. Easily take 75% off. As Treeman said wash the roots clean so you can see what your doing. Being North Coast NSW I'd repot now just don't let it stay wet over winter.

Josh.

[dansai]

I don't think it's a graft. The others in the nursery were much smaller and had swelling just above the soil which appeared to be the bark developing rather than than a graft so assume the same with this one. That is the smooth bark is last years growth.

So my plan is, first go back to the nursery and purchase this plant. Then clean up the roots, remove the crossing roots and any others that are over sized and cut the others back hard. Remove all shoots except one leader and plant it in my dads raised garden bed and let it grow for the year.

[treeman]

I don't think it's a graft.

It's a graft 100%. Don't cut below it (smooth part) if you want a claret ash!

[dansai]

Part of the reason I doubted was the nursery I found it at does large amounts of cutting propagation and although it sells some grafted stock I doubt they do that themselves or sell them at that size for $40. Also looking at Grants Ash there is a distinct difference between the upper section and lower trunk. There also seems to be no scar tissue around the site.

It may also be that it is not a Claret Ash. I picked it up today and cut the top off to get it in the car and the few leaves left on it were faded green.

[treeman]

Part of the reason I doubted was the nursery I found it at does large amounts of cutting propagation and although it sells some grafted stock I doubt they do that themselves or sell them at that size for $40. Also looking at Grants Ash there is a distinct difference between the upper section and lower trunk. There also seems to be no scar tissue around the site.

It may also be that it is not a Claret Ash. I picked it up today and cut the top off to get it in the car and the few leaves left on it were faded green.

Grants plant is just plain exelsior. The upper part of the trunk often takes a long time to bark up. Your tree is definitley a graft. You can clearly make out the union. Whether it's a claret or a golden I don't know. Claret ash takes decades to develop any bark if at all.

[Josh]

I believe this is the graft union. It goes down on the angle.

image.jpg

[shibui]

I believe this is the graft union. It goes down on the angle.

And that would mean that all the shoots below that are from the rootstock so they will have different leaves and bark to the main 'claret' trunk.