No Ruth, it sounds like you have been doing it right. Even if the plant is not potbound, there are seldom times when a little root-system work is not needed. And, if root have not already reached the outer surface of the rootball, there is certainly no reason to leave all the extra potting medium (which is not ideal for the plants to be growing in, in the ground, anyway) in place. BTW, if roots have not reached the surface, that could be an indication of hidden problems.

I didn't review the context of the quotes you gave, but, from what I see here, I'd say their authors are dead wrong (pun intended).

I don't think I had ever read the Shrub Forum's FAQ entries written by Iann before. There seems to be quite a bit of bad info in it (amending backfill, digging planting hole twice as DEEP, etc, etc). I would advise ignoring it completely. It seems that, in a rush to get something posted, GardenWeb let someone, who hasn't even had that much interaction on the site to begin with, post whatever they wanted.

Thanks, Brandon. It started with me asking if they wanted a garden fork to break up the root ball a bit...although it didn't look particularly well-rooted. He said no, he never touched the root ball. I looked on the tag to see if there were planting directions, and there was nothing...just height/width info,along with pretty pictures of masses of blooms. :):)

Bad information abounds, especially but not exclusively among commercial sources. General adoption of new thinking is often very slow. Just one example: it began to be seen that amending of planting hole backfill was not helpful, even counterproductive by the 1960s yet this practice is still promoted. A year or so ago I overheard one of the "experts" at a large local independent garden center caution a couple to be sure to leave the ties and wrap in place when planting a field-grown, potted cherry tree. Following this mis-guidance would result in the tree being planted with a clot of field soil around it, with wrap and ties around that to possibly interfere with any roots getting out of the field soil ball, and then an additional hurdle of what might be a quite different soil (from the field soil) around the tree on the new site.

Especially if the planting hole backfill was amended. In which case you have four elements producing an adverse environment for the tree to attempt to establish itself in:

1. Intact field soil ball

2. Wrap and ties still in place

3. Amended backfill soil

4. Unmodified soil around planting hole

The main problem with 1, 3, and 4 being present is they are liable to be different from one another

when in livonia.. where i had a great MI peat soil ... i could GET AWAY WITH ... sticking a potted plant.. right into the soil.. and never looking back ... the MI peat was 'close enough' ...

then i moved to adrian.. where it is all mineral sand ...

if i plant a pot with VERY HIGH PEAT potting media.. in sand.. EVENTUALLY ... the sand will wick all the moisture out of the peat ... and once that happens.. peat can become nearly water repellant ... and eventually.. the plant will die.. and this goes from perennials.. thru conifers.. and into trees ... though if the plant is aggressive enough to grow out of the peat.. its a non-issue ...

so for me.. its the DIVERGENCE OF SOIL TYPES... which is a killer ...

so over the years.. i have found that PROPER PLANTING ... at the PROPER TIME [FALL/SPRING IN MI] ... allows near full bare rooting.. and removal of the problem media/soil .. and while the roots are nudie.. some root pruning if horribly root bound ... and then planting into the native soil ...

the issue would be NO DIFFERENT.. if you were in bad clay.. with peat potting media .. the clay MIGHT hold too much water at certain times of year.. and the peat would only hold more .... and very often.. a plant that rots its roots in spring.. will not LOOK dead.. until the heat of summer ... burns all the leaves off it ... and then we have a hard time.. figuring out.. when it really died ...

ken

Yes, differences in soil textures are the main problem and it makes no difference what kind of soils or plants are involved. Any condition which has an adverse effect on how water moves into and out of the planting hole is liable to interfere with vigorous plant establishment.

Thanks Ken and bboy. bboy - your comment about the soil textures makes sense. Oh, and please don't tell Ken I planted shrubs today - on the hottest Fourth of July we've ever had in Michigan! :-) I wasn't planning to, but I do typcially plant year-round just because there isn't enough time to do it all in the spring/fall.

Hopefully the neighbor's Quick Fires will be fine, and I appreciate the input.

I definitely disagree that soil textures are the main problem with improper preparation of pot-grown nursery stock. In some cases, it's definitely one potential problem, but pot-bound root systems worry me much more.

Yes, potbound stock is pandemic but if the plant bakes or drowns because of differences in soil textures it won't have a chance to be bothered by bound roots.

I've never had a problem with soil textures. As long I teased the encirling roots and planted it properly its rarely an issue (and in IME never an issue).

I dealt with clay, rocky limestone, loams and sand as native soils.

Bare rooting most shrubs is completly uncessary by the way. They will send up new shoots where as a tree could girdle and kill itself. Thats not to say that a completely pot bound shrub will be sucessful though.

My first year of planting I've planted straight from container to hole and I had a couple not grow. After a little edgamacation, I broke up the roots and the plant then grew.

I spend the least time with shrubs as far as root work. But I also don't purchase very potbound plants. I pass on them all the time since nurseries like to carry over stock and not pot up.

Whether or not one has encountered it personally or is even aware of it, textural interface is a real issue and can be a significant handicap to the establishment of new plantings:

Within the soil profile, a texture interface (abrupt change in actual pore space) creates a boundary line that affects the movement of water, air infiltration, and root growth. Water and air are very slow to cross a texture interface.

When a clayey and/or compacted soil layer (primarily small pore space) is on top of a sandy soil layer (primarily large pore space) water accumulates just above the change. Water is slow to leave the small pore space of the clayey soil due to the water properties of cohesion (water molecules binding to water molecules).

Likewise, when water moving down through a sandy soil layer (primarily large pore space) hits a clayey and/or compacted soil layer (primarily small pore space) water accumulates in the soil just above the interface. This back up is due to the slow rate that water can move into the small pore space of the clayey soil. It is like a four-lane freeway suddenly changing into a country lane; traffic backs up on the freeway.

This why the research on root washing or bare rooting both B&B and containerized woody plants has been undertaken and why it has been determined that amending individual planting holes is no longer a recommended practice.

GG, although I understand the concept, not sure how that situation applies to a new planting regarding top and bottom layers.

As long as your native soil is well drained you just have to be more aware of your watering practices. Typical potted plant in sandy soil gets a medium watering. Potted plant in clay soil gets a quick watering. Clay ball plant in sandy soil needs a long deep watering.

I've typically did more barerooting when I was gardening in clay soil.