Root gels

KevinS

KevinS

Branched out member
Location
ontario
When you remove soil and expose roots on a site for a while I know there are gels that can cover roots to protect them.

Any advise on brand, can they be mixed in a tank and spray on, etc.
Any help would be great thanks
 
Are you concerned about dessication during the process of removing soil around the tree, or after?

We do a lot of air knife work, but only in the spring or fall, for fear of damaging roots in the heat of the summer.

I'm interested in what kind of application of root gels you are thinking you might need.

SZ
 
I think he is referring to making a slurry with hydrogel crystals. We use this to store bare root trees by dipping the roots into a horse trough full of the stuff. For exposed roots you could soak burlap in the slurry and spread it over them. Terra-sorb is the most common commercially available brand that I have found. It's not expensive at all.

-Tom
 
Sorry guys I should have gave more details. We have a client with a building downtown in the city with a few mature nice size trees on it. However this building is almost the size of a city block and under ground they have an even bigger basement (a couple stories) below ground and and that under ground building is coming up on needing its sub subterrain roof worked on. A section of this roof is covered in soil, lawn, yews and 1/3rd of a mature norway maples root zone. The tree is about 2' dbh 50' tall and at least that wide of crown. It gets regular pruning but the crown is smaller since I removed a section of it due to storm damage.

We thought of using an air knife/ spade for this job but we're removing at least 2' of soil over a big area and don't want to be on this job for a month. So the decision to get a hydro-vac truck (big vaccum truck) in to suck the soil out. The boss has seen this done before and it works good but on this job we want to preserve the roots and the tree and we have not done this.

I hope this makes my question more understandable. I know there are gels out there but which are good and can they be mixed in say our fertilizer tank with water or ... and sprayed on liberally with a hose and gun?

Thanks guys I just re read that and I feel bad for the vaugeness.
 
tomthetreeman said:
I think he is referring to making a slurry with hydrogel crystals. We use this to store bare root trees by dipping the roots into a horse trough full of the stuff. For exposed roots you could soak burlap in the slurry and spread it over them. Terra-sorb is the most common commercially available brand that I have found. It's not expensive at all.

-Tom
Click to expand...
yes, the burlap/tarp is probably more important than the gel but using both is best.

whats the biggest root that got cut? pics?
 
If anyone even knows any websites with good info that would help I'm looking but hey google is pretty big
 
We use a product called "root-dip" made by Amereq. http://www.amereq.com

We bought a 50lb box for $250 ish. The crystals absorb an insane amount of water so you really only need small amounts of the product. It's pretty cheap.

We use it for transplanting bare root trees from our pea gravel storage bed, dipping the roots in a slurry. I've never tried the gel in a tank but i think you'd likely have problems. Maybe if you had a roller pump and no screens or filters?

Vince
 
Thanks I wasn't sure how that kind of system would handle a gel. We usually only put water soluble fertilizer through our system.

Using your root dip how would you cover an area of roots in the ground if you can't lift it into a bucket?
 
I make a lovely root dip with bleu cheese for carrots, turnips, radishes, and rutabagas. I've never tried it on a maple, but I have used maple syrup in a whiskey drink.

Hope that helps?
 
The_Archdruid said:
I make a lovely root dip with bleu cheese for carrots, turnips, radishes, and rutabagas. I've never tried it on a maple, but I have used maple syrup in a whiskey drink.

Hope that helps?
Click to expand...
A traditionalist. My kind of man.

I find the "blue"cheese dips offered by your run of the mill hosts are horrible, not fit for mongrels. A true root dip compliments even the rutabagas.

SZ
 
Archdruid that didn't help and the obvious reason it didn't help is because you forgot to have pancakes with your maple syrup and whiskey. It just would have made it better imo
 
Kevin, you would get some protection by spreading the crystals evenly over the roots and then applying water. Would be more of a gel blanket than a root dip. I've never done that but it could work. It takes about 20 mins for the crystals to absorb water.

The gel can get pretty thick so if you are using it to cover a large amount of roots temporarily then replacing it with soil, you will have to remove much of the gel. That may be a messy situation.

v
 
Thanks nuthin thats the best idea so far. Do you use a brand of crystals or just an idea?

Would you pressure wash or air spade to clean the roots after?
 
See above post for the brand we use.

You could probably sweep the gel off the roots and whatever is left can just be incorporated into the new soil. Added water retention? I'm just guessing. Pretty easy to get some and test out some techniques before starting the project.

V
 
Pacino as Scarface: Say Hello to my leetle frand...The X-HFA Air/Water Knife

High Volume Air Knife Model

The “big” gun. Not recommended for diagnostic work, but good for larger excavation jobs, radial trenching and soil replacement. Gets the job done up to five times faster than the lighter tools. It will dig deeper and up to five times faster than the X-LT.
 
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guymayor said:
Pacino as Scarface: Say Hello to my leetle frand...The X-HFA Air/Water Knife

High Volume Air Knife Model

The “big” gun. Not recommended for diagnostic work, but good for larger excavation jobs, radial trenching and soil replacement. Gets the job done up to five times faster than the lighter tools. It will dig deeper and up to five times faster than the X-LT.
Click to expand...
Now that's what I'm talking about.

SZ
 
Since that didn't work I was thinking air knife out a trench root prune there then let the excavate beyond that line, any thoughts?

Also when re surfacing do you add extra soil fert or micro ryhsi to help the roots make a come back?
 
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