Root maker bags

These are the trees I want to put in bags for the next 7 or more months. They came in 4 gallon pots.
 

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My walmart trees still had the old nuts in the pot they came in... I just always figured the big nurseries started them in smaller starter size pots but I must be wrong..


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Root ball pictures of a few of my Walmart 3 gallon Dunstan Chestnuts. They look good to me but what say the experts.

Currently planning to plant them in 7 gallon Rootmaker bags (above ground) and plant them next winter, 7-8 months. Unless someone has a better plan.


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weekender21 said:
Matt,

Have you (or anyone else) had luck planting trees in these root pouches and leaving them above ground in the winter? I'm looking at low temps in the upper 20's worst case (upstate SC).

My plan is to transplant 3 gallon dunstan chestnut trees into these bags or the root maker pouches (5 gallon?) and baby them until I have a chance to plant them. Might be 6-18 months.

"root maker" vs. "root pouch" vs. "air-pot"....is one better than another?

Am I on the right track?
Click to expand...

Sorry just now saw this. You should be fine. I'd bunch them closely together and cover the bags with hay or something similar. You just want to make sure the roots don't freeze. I use root pouch because of the price. I get the 12 month ones and plant bag and all when it's time.

Matt


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Those root balls look fine to me. Should do just fine in RM bags till next winter. I don't know if you will see a whole lot if root pruning in that time but should get some. I have several trees that I wanted to get planted this last winter but only got about half of them in the ground. I'll take care of them at the house in pouches because if planted now there is a good chance of them not making it with our hot dry summers.
 
Thank you both. The main reason I want to transfer them to bags is to prevent circling. I'm not sure how much growth the root ball will put on in the next 7 months and want them in as good of shape as possible. Could probably get away with up-potting them to a regular 5 or 7 gallon pot but there is a chance I won't get them in the ground for a year.


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I received an email from Dr. Carl Whitcomb at RootMaker today. He recommended I transplant the 3 gallon trees into 5 or 7 gallon containers with a soil-less container growth medium. He also recommended not disturbing the root balls when the trees are transplanted.

Has anyone had good experience with using these soil-less mediums? He attached a document that outlines a mixture of conifer bark, peat, and coarse sand.

I'm definitely willing to give something new a try but I'm also looking for a foolproof method. Seems like I could mess this up!

I might be starting to over think this. I'm sure a root pouch and some potting soil would be good enough.
 
Last edited:
I would follow Whitcomb`s advise. The soil less mixture, which will dry out fast, will help promote faster root development while in the bags.
 
dogdoc said:
I would follow Whitcomb`s advise. The soil less mixture, which will dry out fast, will help promote faster root development while in the bags.
Click to expand...

I have no doubt his advice is sound. My goal is really to keep the roots in good shape (not bound or circling) prior to me planting them this next winter/spring. I'm just wondering if I could accomplish this without spending a ton of money. I'll have to do some more research on the soil less mixtures, they are really expensive online.
 
weekender21 said:
I have no doubt his advice is sound. My goal is really to keep the roots in good shape (not bound or circling) prior to me planting them this next winter/spring. I'm just wondering if I could accomplish this without spending a ton of money. I'll have to do some more research on the soil less mixtures, they are really expensive online.
Click to expand...
If you are game I would experiment with a couple and try just plain coarse sand and a small amount of peat moss mixed in. I have a hunch that it will work. You are going to have to fertilize a bit more frequently and monitor for drying out more closely. If the Missouri gravel bed system can work on a larger planting I really dont have doubts that it could work on bagged trees.
 
To be honest I don't think you will see much or even any root circling in whatever you plant them in if they are going in the ground in 7 months. Go to Wal-Mart and buy some of their blue reusable grocery bags and put them in those. Work just like root pouches and they cost 50 cents. I wouldn't spend the money on root trapper bags for 7 months.
 
I'll probably try a few different methods and document for the benefit of all. Hoping to get back to the east coast at the end of the month so I can take care of this myself. Don't want to ask my dad to go out his way on this project.


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I buy cheapo landscape fabric and make my own pots with scissors and a stapler. You can make any size you want.
My trees do great in these.
Fill with miracle grow potting soil (actually soilless), maybe a few handfuls of sand and bark if you can find it, and just keep them watered. Fertilize with miracle grow every couple 2-3 weeks.
 
Fish said:
I buy cheapo landscape fabric and make my own pots with scissors and a stapler. You can make any size you want.
My trees do great in these.
Fill with miracle grow potting soil (actually soilless), maybe a few handfuls of sand and bark if you can find it, and just keep them watered. Fertilize with miracle grow every couple 2-3 weeks.
Click to expand...

Sounds like an easy option, thanks. This will be a fun project regardless but I do hope these trees will survive to maturity. Looking to give them the best start possible then let mother nature do the rest.
 
I can vouch for Dogdoc's Walmart bag idea. It really works and they're cheap. Not worth my time to make something. Plus they have handles.


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I have 11 trees so it might be fun to try RootTrapper, Root pouch, and Walmart bags just to experiment.

It's been raining like crazy at my dads house, need to up pot pretty soon to make sure the roots don't start circling.
 
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