Hi , I have been trying to develop the roots on my young Acers, they’re all in big-ish pots to also help thicken the trunk in a mix of pine bark, mp compost and pumice . I use this for most of my trees in training and they seem to grow very well under the conditions where I live. However, I was too aggressive root pruning my 3 year old Acer Nishiki - in hindsight , I know I cut them way too short! Sorry I don’t have a pic. I’ve been looking online and there seems to be conflicting information for how to try and rescue them, and I know it’s a long shot but I have to try ... so I was wondering if anyone had any experience of saving a distressed tree and maximising root recovery? I was thinking of wrapping the roots in 100% sphagnum moss and then place in a sealed clear plastic bag... any ideas would be gratefully received! Thanks

Without a picture it is really hard- more so because you don’t explain what the tree is doing - you just say you pruned the roots too much?

Please see attached ... essentially all the new growth has completely died back and now some of the leaves on the older wood are starting to wilt , I’m assuming it’s because it’s not drawing enough water , I checked the roots and there is zero new growth but they don’t appear to be rotting either.

When did you repot/rootprune?

As mentioned by Leatherback, put them in decent soil, then keep plastic baggies over t hff employees to keep the humidity at 100%. Put thin mostly shade with a little sun.

It was repotted and root pruned in mid April. I’m sure it’s lack of water and nutrients due to me being overzealous and cutting off way too much root, compared to my others

Far too late to re pot, they should by then have been in leaf. That is the problem, it is not lack of nutrients either, If you think it is lack of water then water more. REmove the damaged leaves. It could also be the late frosts that caused the damage.

keep in mind, wet substrate hampers root development. So you need to keep the roots fairly dry (But stil moist!). And reduce evaporation, so shelter from hot sun and wind. A spot with an hour or so of morning sun. And stop fiddling. Leaving alone is key to recovery.

m5eaygeoff wrote: Far too late to re pot, they should by then have been in leaf.

I guess that depends on location and climate. My Acers that are overwintering outside are not in leaf in mid april. The Ones I have kept in my greenhouse is fully in leaf by then.