Ship a rootball full of roots, not half full

Cultivation and erosion can add extra soil over the roots. Be sure to remove any extra soil on top of the rootball before digging.

It might be best to let this become a standard task of the tying crew. A hoe or spade can be used to expose the root (trunk) flare.

A trunk should not enter the soil like a utility pole. Caution labor not to expose or damage the lateral primary roots.

The extra soil should be removed in order for the rootball to contain maximum roots. This is now part of the ANLA nursery standards. Buyers are becoming more knowledgeable and can refuse the load after checking a few balls.

Most root systems have the natural tendency to grow out and away from the stem; but redbud, ash and pear roots grow down (deeper) before spreading outward. This was learned locally while doing research to determine how root depth influences growth.

This means their roots will not be found in the top few inches of soil like other genera. The technique of using a probe to find the first primary roots will not be accurate on these three.

The technique will indicate the roots are deeper than they should be to someone not aware that the natural tendency of redbud, ash and pear roots is to grow down before spreading outward.

Container producers falling into the Fire Ant Quarantine area may choose to add an insecticide to the media to meet requirements in order to ship.

The pesticide rate will be based on the bulk density of the media. Not using sand will reduce the amount of the pesticide and lessen costs.

Sand is not required in media. Sand adds weight and can help hold moisture by interfering with drainage.