Question

Upon root inspection of some of the recently planted trees that died outside our building, I found small roots (phone cord diameter) growing out of the trunk of the tree at the top of the root ball. Explain why these plants died.

Answer 1

The rootball is the mass formed by the roots, and the soil it is holding on to.

• The in-plant nursery root ball is formed because the plants are grown in small pots or plastic cups.
• When we plant them in the ground or in open spaces, we need to loosen up the root ball.
• Otherwise, they interfere with the normal root development and stunt the plant growth.
• Especially those formed close to the trunk are difficult to correct and can have a significant impact on plant survival.
• The small roots coming out of root ball indicate the plant's roots weren't spread and in contact with the surrounding natural soil, it is likely that roots have not grown out from the original root mass. This is the most likely cause of plant death.