Protuding Roots

Do I need to prune off those protruding root if I repot ? If not, how should I make them more sightly ?






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Hi

If you'll excuse me for saying so, those roots don't look that great.

Most likely you can't simply cut them off. You'll have to plant it deeper, get new feeder roots on the top part of the root system (the part above ground) and get rid of the lower part of the root system.

*****ALL****** dependent on the species of the trees.

I'm guessing most of the more knowledgeable people around here will suggest a ground layer.

It looks to me like you have already taken a good number of those roots away. your first two pics in the round pot show a really intense root system while the next two in the rectangular pot seems like a lot of that tangly mass is missing. Or am I mistaken? At this point an air layer might work for you it would also give you a chance to shorten that tall trunk to a more proportional height. But I gotta admit I kinda liked all those crazy roots in the first pics. Gave it a washed away root look like a tree desperately trying to survive periodic flooding, I have a Ficus nerifolia that has a spaghetti dinner plate worth of large roots at its base and, though not truly conforming to the rules of bonsai, are the feature that draws the most comments when others see the tree.

Both are wrightia religiosa.

Yes, I have cut off some thick roots from the one the rectangular pot, which I have regretted. I will get a deeper pot to plant it bury it more to ground layer the roots.

Regarding the air-layering to shorten the height, I would love to do it. But I am holding it back becos both plants are passed over to me from my father-in-law and will not probably not do it now.

Hi Ong
It's ok for Wrightia Religiosa to cut off some of the top and bottom roots. As long as there is sufficient feeder roots (say 50% left) the tree will certainly survive.
I got a Wrightia looked almost similar like yours initially. I cut off almost all the aerial roots and some bottom roots and also the whole trunk leaving only about 9 ins above ground. Almost 8 months now it is growing well and turn out to be quite expected. Wrightia is a tough species it will survive as long as there is plenty of water and sun shine.
Here is a photo of my tree. It will be left to grow for another year before further shaping.