Firstly let me say there's people here done a lot more rootwork than me.I do my root pruning in autumn in the UK though many here advise springtime.Not sure of the pros&cons,perhaps zonal/climate?,maybe someone can advise if it's not a suitable time for you.
Personally I'd cut it wherever needed to get it out of the way,otherwise you'll always be wondering if you have any problems in future.You say you'll inspect it when you plant it,so unless that root supplies a major proportion of the root system,it should be ok to do so,the tree looked nice and strong before.Remember it's only the tiniest fine roots that actually do anything,that big root is just a 'supply tube' to some of them.I remove a third or more of the root system when root pruning anyway.
I believe I saw your other post saying the leaves had already turned colour,so I wouldn't worry about the dried leaves,sometimes they drop or sometimes shrivel and hang about,I get both on the same tree.
Ok,hopefully the experts here can say yay or nay.....good luck.....oh and I think it's amazing your tree looks so good considering where you are....you must be doing it right :)

Thanks a lot for your response. In fact, if I had the experience, I would prefer to wash all the soil from the rootball and make necessary corrections upon inspecting the root structure.

I'm sure that I'd kill this tree if I attempted that though. Even if I could somehow washoff all the soil while giving minimum harm to the roots, I doubt I can carefully add soil while planting without tearing off those smaller important roots.

What could be the worst case scenario if I did not touch that woody root? Can it choke the stem eventhough it is not circling it? (I guess after some years, it would grow into the stem at one side only.)

Ah you sound pretty sure it's not girdling it so I should think it'll be ok to leave it.I must admit most of my trees stay in pots so it concerned me.I think girdling mainly occurs in potted plants because the roots have only one direction to expand,and that's inwards.I'm not sure how 'clever' trees are but now the roots will be unconfined,I like to think it wouldn't expand them in a harmful way,it has other options now.Anyway I didn't realise you had just root pruned also,so that's probably enough stress for now.
Just a quick word of advice from someone who's learnt the hard way,though I apologise if too obvious.I believe it'll be your first spring with the tree yes?Knowing you're in a hot country,spring is when the tree is most vunerable,it's got so much to do solely on reserved energy.I lost 3maples this year because of a spring heatwave in england!...it only took a day to frazzle those delicate new leaves whilst at work.Any other time of the year it wouldn't be such a concern,but the poor things just didn't have the energy to re-bud(not necessary later).So prepare some means of shading/sheltering your tree if you get a hot/windy spring,remember it won't be fully settled in and I'd hate to see you lose such a beauty.I know spring is when it looks it's best but it's not worth the risk just for this first year.
Good luck with the transplant.

Yes, I had to root prune because the root flare was burried in too deep (about 3''). I just don't know if timing was right though, I should have probably waited until the tree went dormant.

Aside from roots growing towards the stem, isn't a parallel root also a danger for the tree? Because it will grow and become thicker and bigger in future just like the stem next to it and the space between them will be gone. Then will they not start growing into each other?

I'm pretty sure I have read before that such a woody root will choke the stem in future as it grows in size, but I remember it was more about a woody root that made a circle around the tree. I just don't know if such a parallel root which will pottentially touch the stem at 1 side only can also choke / harm the stem. If it is not an issue, then I prefer to leave it alone (yes I am pretty sure that it doesn't circle it. I have also felt it with my fingers that the woody root goes deeper but ends about where it is seen in the photos.)

Thank you very much about your spring advise. I'll be very careful about it next spring.

Hmm,just been looking on web about this.I didn't realise that the deep planting of the tree can actually cause this to happen.Apparently it can force the tree to put out odd roots from it's stem tissue in an attempt to access nutrients.I also saw a photo,although much worse,with one root quite similar to yours,as an example of girdling roots....so perhaps it could cause problems in future and I was wrong.I'm sorry no-one as yet has been able to give you a definate answer on either forum...perhaps it's one of those 50/50 situations...and you know it's not easy to give out advice which potentially could do just as much harm as good.
Just an idea to throw out here....if the start point of the root is visible...what about merely snipping it and leaving it to rot away?....anyone?

....or if the root origin is what we see here...how about plant as is now,then snip it next autumn...should be ok for a year and less stress for now

A young tree like this will not miss this root in the least. Chop it off, why wait until it is larger and damaging the trunk, or the tree is depending on it?

Ah good there's your definite answer from someone who knows more.I must admit I wasn't sure the root would be an issue once planted inground until I saw that web photo.I guess chopping this one root is probably no more stressful than the root pruning I do on my potted maples.....perhaps even less,so why wait? you're right IpmMan.(wondering why I changed my mind now)So yes, I'd take IpMan's advice and do it now.

Thank you very much houzi. You've been of great help and I really appreciate it. It doesn't matter for you to change your mind, because I believe this one was a tough call anyway.

@IpmMan: Thank you for your advice also.

Kind regards

Bare-root the whole thing to see what you are dealing with, the common situation - based on what I see here - is large quantities of plants being grafted on roots that have been left sitting in small bands way too long. Likely the entire root system of your specimen is out of whack, not just the one root that is at the top.

Badly deformed roots among woody plants offered at local outlets is not limited to grafted items, either. The production element of the nursery industry apparently does not care very much at all about sending out finished plants with non-deformed root systems, for the most part. This includes large operations that toot their own horns quite a bit about the quality of their methods and stock.

UPDATE:

I got brave and removed as much soil as I could in an attempt to bare root it. As bboy says, there were other girdling roots making a circle even a few inches inside the rootball. I had to prune a lot of woody roots as thick as the one you can see in the picture, because it was obvious that these wood choke the tree sometime in the future. Sadly though, a lot of feeder roots that were connected to these thick roots had to be gone also.

Then I planted the tree:

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I tried to plant it as correct as possible (the slope isn't too obvious in the photos, but in fact it is more than it looks like).

About the original woody root that is in question, I had only cut half of the top one which was overlapping another woody root and going parallel to the trunk. I only pruned off that one because I could see that the feeder roots that attached to it weren't considerable amount of the total rootball...

Now I am still worried about the remaining portion. I was really afraid to prune it because it originates way below. Also, many feeder roots are connected to this one.

What do you advise? Should I cut (shave off) the top portion of it? This would be like shaving the top portion of a big woody root and I don't know if it is a good thing or not. It is also quite a hard task for me to do it correctly without cutting somewhere I didn't intend to, but I am confident I can pull this off.)

Or do you advise to prune it differently? Please also advise when to prune it because I fear I already stressed the tree and pruned out a lot of woody & feeder roots so I am scared that the tree won't make it.

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Typical gross deformities resulting from careless container production. I have a very hard time finding woody plants here that are not like this. When a given specimen is really bad you are left with throwing it away, unless you want to grow on a tree or shrub that is likely to fail later. Last time I bought a grafted conifer the rootstock turned out to be like braided hair, both spiraled and J-rooted at the same time. The entire root system was this one strand of multiple roots arranged like a braided ponytail. I wouldn't know how to produce this level of deformity deliberately.

The tag indicated it had been obtained from one of those aforementioned growers that has a history of bragging about their high quality.

I threw the tree away. Cost me 35 dollars plus tax and wasted time.

One thing about grafted stock is there is some potential with some kinds for the scion to make its own roots, above the stock if soil gradually covers the lower stem of the scion, over time.

The problem is, I don't have the luxury to throw this one away and replace it. I had bought it 400 km away, and another Inaba Shidare is also 400 km away. Not only that, but I doubt I will find another at this size which is cared for about its root system.

What I love most about this tree is that it seems to be my most heat tolerant japanese maple. While all my other japanese maples had worse leaf scorch despite being in half shade, this one had much less being in almost full sun. And here, 100 F temperatures is regular for summers. (My climate is at the edge for raising japanese maples) Here, you can see what it looked like this fall after summer.

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It was quite a surprise for me, because I was expecting to shelter it early summer when the leaves start to get burnt. But they didn't, so I didn't shelter it.

So, even if I lose hope with this tree, I just want to make sure that I clone it (graft it to its own seeds? ). But I guess, that is even a harder and long process for me to get a tree in the end that is even close to this one...

So, there is absolutely no hope for this tree? Nothing I can do to save it?

Things aren't that simple, if you have not cut away so much root that it fails for that reason then it may grow well enough now to suit you. Trees with bad roots may or may not develop adequately, roots are corrected at planting to markedly improve the odds. Lots of root-bound trees and shrubs are planted every year, naturally, as it seems just about everything offered these days has deformed roots (notable exception some (most?) stock sold bare-rooted). And garden center staff is often still telling purchasers to not disturb the roots at planting time. A lot of this material manages to get a hold on the ground and grow a substantial top, maybe persisting for a long time before girdling or toppling occurs.

Failure is no more guaranteed than success.

Yes,only you know how much work you've already done,and wether it's feasible to completely sort out the problem roots.My guess is that you've already spent enough time on this and you probably won't be able to end up with the ideal rootball.I still think it was right to cut out that root next to the stem as it imposed the most immediate threat.
Well as bboy says it still has issues,but I don't think it's gonna keel over tomorrow.You may well get many years of enjoyment out of it,we'll see, but as he says it may not live to be the grande ol' girl we hope for.I think you'll have plenty of time to look out for a replacement one day...who knows,perhaps you'll be glad to put in something different by then.In the meantime you can also learn to graft if you really want to clone this one,it's quite easy if you can get hold of rootstocks,and all part of the fun(?)
One thing I've learnt in this 'hobby'....even the best of them lose some.It used to upset me but not so much now.I just use it as an excuse to go get another cultivar:)

In warm zones, you can root-prune in the Fall.
The resulting root-growth, though tender, won't be frozen in the ground.

In cold zones, those new roots would freeze, which would give the tree nothing in return
for the energy lost in producing those new roots.

Josh

The usual routine in temperate climate plants is elongation of intact, existing roots in fall and initiation of new roots in spring. In both cases the status of overwintering terminal stem buds is what determines when the roots become more active. Formation and maturity of these buds in fall results in hormones being sent to the roots, that cause these to extend. In spring it is the opening of these buds that coincides with hormones going to the roots.

The rest of the time root growth is comparatively minimal, with a little in summer and perhaps pretty much none in winter.

That is why top growth of bare-rooted stock is markedly stunted the first spring and summer after planting. The roots killed by the bare-rooting and storage process the previous fall do not begin to be replaced until the spring after planting, and are not anywhere near fully replaced until after the first fall after planting. Replacement roots appear in the spring, but do not elongate enough to restore normal top growth until the first fall after planting.

Update:

I went brave and pruned that root. I guess earlier I was not careful about the roots around the trunk and did not remove enough soil to make them clearly visible, because a few days ago I had noticed some girdling roots that are infact adjacent to the trunk originating from that woody root! (LOL if you look carefuly they are even visible in the above photo)

I used a saw and simply cut the top portion of that woody root as much as 1 '' (it is infact much bigger and goes deeper). Also with a pruning knife I cut that overlapping woody root close to the trunk...

To my surprise I did a good job and didn't hurt anything else which I did not want to hurt... But still, in the end together with this last root pruning lots and lots of roots (woody and fibrous) had to be removed, so I'm still worried about this tree. Let's see how it will be in the spring. I will let you guys know.

Since you are in a warm zone you at least won't have to keep it hydrated during cold weather. Drying out during freezing conditions is the main threat to bare-rooted and other dormant stock that has lost a lot of its roots.

Ah,look forward to seeing it next year then.Saw your 'pink' dissectum.Must admit I'm a sucker for the pink varieties,and as my 'Butterfly' doesn't do much for me would possibly have made the same decision as you.Might be worth waiting to see what the mature leaves look like before making the final chop,just incase it's not so appealing.

It has been a while since I have had time to return to Garden Web. The tree and the planting look great, nice job. I doubt you will have any trouble with it now. Water properly for a few years and check that the girdling roots don't return in a couple of years. Occasionally they do this from the root stubs, but they are no problem to whack off when small. Eventually the large root that is turned to the side will cause a problem, but wait to take this off until the tree is really established, a couple of years should do unless the trunk grows so rapidly that it grows up to it. Thanks for getting back to us to let us know you appreciate the help.

Hi,

Sorry for my late response, as I had been busy, both with work and in garden as well. The following year will either be quite a good success for me with my japanese maples, or it will be a huge disaster. I had to dig up and replant 7 japanese maples so that they would be at the correct level and root flares would be visible. The trees lost a big portion of their root system, but as I dug the soil, I could see that this work had to be done, because the roots were growing in the wrong direction! Many of them went up first (because they were deep below) and then turned towards the trunk. Now, although they have lost many roots, the roots that remained looked good. I have also planted 8 other japanese maples from pots (like the tree in this thread) and ALL of these were also planted too deeply in pots so I had to make a lot of root pruning to make the root flares visible again. The roots were girdling terribly as well, so I had to make an additional root pruning / teasing to correct these. As a result, these trees also lost a significant amount of their root system.

My work of replanting trees didn't only consist of japanese maples though, I had replanted 8 other various fruit and ornamental trees as well as planting 2 others from pots (one of them was a huge tangerine tree)... All of these also lost a lot of roots.

For me, the most important ones are the japanese maples, so I hope that if some trees will have to die, they will not be from my japanese maples... A lot of roots have gone as I said, but the problem is I just don't know "how much is too much"... Below are the photos of only a few of them after all my hard work. Feel free to comment and/or critisize:

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The only addition I will make to the above is mulching them with pine bark before the spring comes... One question I have in mind is, if any of these trees will die, will I see any sign of it before the spring comes?

@houzi: Thanks houzi, I will share the spring photos of the tree that is in question in this thread (hopefully it will live). I also love the pink varieties. I have recently purchased a big corallinum (last photo above) which sadly also had to lose a lot of roots, so I am also keeping my fingers crossed for its survival.

@IpmMan: Your suggestion (about waiting a couple of years before removing large root that turned to the side) seems most logical for my mind as well now, but I wish I could see it earlier. :( As I have stated in my previous response, I had already cut the woody root, and I have also shaved the top portion of that bulging woody root as well. Below is the final situation of the tree after I scratch some soil, and the last photo is how it looks in its final state.

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I really do not mind losing many branches due to diebacks, I just hope I do not lose this tree completely. By the way, if the tree lives, how can I check if the girdling roots have returned in the following years? Do I need to wash off the soil on top to view (to add again after I am finished pruning) or will they be visible in the exposed root flare?

Once again, thank you for your help & comments. Please feel free to add new ones.

Nice trunks....and very appealing shape to your trees!

I don't see any reason why they should die.
If there is branch die-back, hopefully it will be limited to the smaller, tertiary branches.
The work you've done looks very nice. (I, too, prefer to stake away from the tree and use
ties for support as you have done).

With the addition of the mulch, I think you'll have it under it control.

Great trees....

Josh

Thanks greenman, but what I wonder is, is there no risk of death for the above trees when they lose about 50% of their root system? Pruning / teasing the roots from the sides & bottom did not make them lose that many roots, but I had to remove significant amount of roots from the rootball at the top part of the rootball simply because they were planted too deeply. So, many of these trees lost close to half of their root system.

Well, yes, there's always the risk of failure....

I do some pretty radical root-pruning on my maples and conifers, and they seem better for it.

Josh

This "hobby" is turning me into an obsessive compulsive person. LOL

Today I planed my last japanese maple for next year (a bloodgood) and it also had serious root defects. I had to cut the biggest buttress root (3/4 of an inch) because it was going sideways and down very close to the trunk. The tree is about 10 feet tall and I guess that buttress had majority of the root system. :(

Is it a bad idea to buy big trees in conifers? I started to think like this, because there aren't any nurseries who made good reputation here about japanese maples (most trees that are sold are imported) because jm are not popular here (yet). I guess it is best to buy younger trees, but it sucks that I have to wait that many years to have a tree that is big as the one I just planted... I'm very worried about this tree as well...

I assume that "conifers" is meant to be containers?

Yes, smaller trees are generally better in transition from containers to ground.
However, a tree in a large container that has been properly cared for - i.e. repotted
regularly and root-pruned - can be very healthy, indeed. And when such a specimen is released
to the yard, the growth can be phenomenal.

The problem is that many nursery trees are grown improperly in containers without any
attention paid to the roots, or are collected rudely with extensive root-damage. In addition,
many trees are collected with field soil around the roots, and the fine, compact particulate of
field soil simply does not translate to containers (where drainage and aeration is King).

I prefer to work on Maples in Spring, just prior to bud movement. This makes for the smoothest
transition in my particular climate.

Josh

Yes LOL, by conifers, I meant containers. I had another question in mind which I forgot to ask, I guess it is why I wrote conifers:

I guess that important part of these root problems is because the roots do not graft with trunks, but I remember reading that conifers is an exception to this (correct me if I am wrong please). But what I wonder is, do the roots graft with roots? The reason I am asking this is, I see that in some of my japanese maples some roots overlap the buttress roots, but they don't seem like they would cause problem to the trunk. Do such roots also need to be removed, or will they graft with the buttress roots in time and not cause any problems?

Ah, cross over roots. Ask ten people and get 10 different opinions. I was taught, and have seen that roots crossing the main stabilizing/buttress roots can restrict growth and cause damage. I have at times removed some of the worst offenders, but generally they can be left. If I see obvious restrictions, or the crossing roots are small and young I will take them off, but only if they are relatively close to the trunk.

Hi Kanuni,glad to see the trees have made it thru,they're looking great.Remember they still need time to settle in so just keep an eye on them.Well now they should be set up for life,no more worries I hope.Perhaps you'll start a trend in your country :)
Oh did the Corralium come out as expected?

Hey Houzi, I just saw your post.

Thanks a lot, yes my trees seem to have survived. I'm starting to believe the Japanese Maples are much tougher trees than I thought earlier. This will be my 3rd summer with many of them and despite all the negative factors (deep planting, too much watering, hot weather etc... ) not even 1 died on me. I had little hope for many of them last fall as I had removed a major portion of their root system. Some of them I had even bare rooted and it looked as if it wouldn't survive with such a small root system. Now with better conditions hopefully, (hey at least they are planted closer to the "right way" this time with the visible root flare and raised bed) I have much higher hope than before that they will be present in my garden in the long term.

The tree marked as Corralinum seems to be like a sango kaku although it is probably a seedling rather than a true type. I still enjoy it, with its shape and colour. The bark was much more pink in winter though.

Here are a few before & after photos of only some of my trees which I had posted in this thread

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Hi Kanuni,yes the trees are looking great,all leafed out nicely.Though you've still got the hot summer to come,once the leaves have matured I think it's safe to say you've got them through the most critical stage.You know,I've lost a couple of maples this spring,albeit very small.Non stop rain all thru April was too much for them in their pots......though the in-ground maples thrived on it :)
Yes it definately looks like a coral bark you've got there,they always fade come the warm weather and shade from the foliage.
Look forward to watching these grow....good job mate!.....be interesting to see the how the fall colours turn out...probably better than here ha.

Nice to see them healthy. Yes they are a lot tougher than they look. Only thing they really hate is deep planting, which you have corrected nicely.