What should be done with undersized root balls?

What should be done with undersized root balls?

• A. Plant anyway
• B. Use extra fertilizer
• C. Reject the plant—industry root ball size standards exist
• D. Dig deeper

Answer: (C)

Root ball size matters for successful transplanting. If the root ball is undersized, there isn’t enough root mass and soil to support water uptake, stability, and establishment after planting. That’s why you should reject the plant when it doesn’t meet industry root ball size standards—the standards are in place to prevent installing plants that are unlikely to survive or thrive. Planting it anyway risks transplant shock and poor performance because the root system isn’t adequate to support the top growth. Simply adding fertilizer won’t fix the underlying problem of insufficient roots to access water and nutrients. Digging deeper wouldn’t fix the root-ball size issue either and could damage roots or the trunk. Therefore, selecting plants that meet the required root ball standards is the best practice.

Root ball size matters for successful transplanting. If the root ball is undersized, there isn’t enough root mass and soil to support water uptake, stability, and establishment after planting. That’s why you should reject the plant when it doesn’t meet industry root ball size standards—the standards are in place to prevent installing plants that are unlikely to survive or thrive.

Planting it anyway risks transplant shock and poor performance because the root system isn’t adequate to support the top growth. Simply adding fertilizer won’t fix the underlying problem of insufficient roots to access water and nutrients. Digging deeper wouldn’t fix the root-ball size issue either and could damage roots or the trunk. Therefore, selecting plants that meet the required root ball standards is the best practice.