Repotting Bay Topiary with Root Pruning

 The multi-tiered topiary in the middle of this photo is a Bay Leaf tree that I've been training for maybe 10 years now.  It is currently potted in a large Airpot which makes pruning its roots easy.  

The black abstract container is really a single sheet of plastic with holes punctured to keep the roots from circling.  The holes are at the end of each cone.  As the tree roots grow outward and reach the end of each cone, the air prunes the root.  This allows for a much better distribution of feeder roots in a branched pattern.

Two bolts hole the rectangular sheet in a cylinder shape.  Soil and rootball keep the whole thing together.  When ready to pruned the roots, usually once every couple of years, unscrew the bolt and swing off from the root ball.  Notice no circling roots.

Tilting the rootball and plant horizontally on the ground, I cut off the bottom 2-3 inches of root mass that has accumulated since my last root pruning.  

With the root tool, I tease out the roots downward and outward.  Removing as much soil that freely falls off and cutting any large root that are looping or heading upwards.   Now the rootball is about 3 inches shorter and the diameter is 4-5 inches smaller. 

I use a paving circle as the bottom to prevent the roots from finding the ground soil. Place about 4 inches of fresh potting soil with a small amount of all-purpose fertilizer on top of the circle.  Place root ball on top of soil and wrap the Airpot back around the rootball and secure bolts in place.  Add fresh soil into void between Airpot and rootball.