Rootbound Ginkgo?

I just went to plant a new ginkgo (yeah I don't have enough of 'em yet) and was saddened to see the condition of the roots. It's a Ginkgo biloba 'elmwood upright' and about 3 feet tall in a 1 gallon pot. I knew it was large for the container size but bought it anyway. When I plucked it out of the container I saw that the roots were a solid brick. I couldn't budge a bit of them. So......I just dug a hole and "plugged" it in. So what do the experts say about this? Any chance of it adjusting and growing normally?

I have a regular Ginkgo biloba that was 4' in a 1 gallon for many years. I planted it and it was fine. I did let it sit in a bucket of water for a few hours so the soil in the centre of the root mass got moist. It's done well all summer. I'm sure your tree will be fine - they're so tough.

Thanks growin....I hope it survives...It has the most amazing fall color.

I guess it really all depends on what those roots were doing in the pot. If they were circling, and you didn't cut them, you'll probably have problems 10 years down the road, depending on how fast it grows. Root strangling is not a made up phenomenon.

Hi Todd,
I would dig the plant up and take a large knife (I purchased a large, old knife at a garage sale for a quarter for this purpose) and make 4 or 5 slices down the outside edges of the root ball. Then pull on the roots to remove those that were severed by the cutting. This may seem extreme, but it is for the health of the tree.

Where did you find the 'Elmwood'? Rich's?
Thanks,
Mike

Ok Mike, I'm going to follow your advice. I did get it at Rich's and the more I think about it's unusual leave color, I am starting to assume it's because the tree has not been getting enough air, nutrients, etc. All summer it was a pale celery green which was really nice....and now it has turned a transparent butter white. I think that's not good. So I figure I will give him a little "root bypass". I'll let you know in spring if anything happens.


Todd

dybbuk.....they do have a beautiful fall color.

Usually. But not this year for the one at our Town Hall.

Last weekend it was still green:

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/fp.php?pid=4142711

This morning it looked like this:

The flower beds and lawn at the Town Hall are covered with ginkgo leaves and ginkgo seedlings:

Still some fruit on the ginkgo but most has dropped....Town hall was closed today so it was a good day for collecting:

Great shots of the old tree, David. None of the female ginkgoes produced any fruit this year due to the cold snap we had this spring. Actually, very few trees had any seeds this year due to the cold weather this spring.

I wish I had a ginkgo that large in my yard. You can see a chi-chi growing on one of the branches, on that tree, in the last picture.
Thanks,
Mike

treelover3....Had to look that up. "Chi-chi" refers to aerial roots? The town hall was built around 1935 so I assume the tree was planted not long after. A close up:

David,
Yes, sort of. Chi-chi actually refers to "breasts" and there is a ginkgo cultivar with this name due to the protuberances that grow on its bark. I guess someone figured that these growths looked like breasts on the tree and so gave it that name. Many old ginkgoes produce these growths, but some more than others.

Years ago, there was a Mexican restaurant in the Twin Cites that was called Chi Chi's. The Hispanic community here thought that was a hoot since when translated, the restaurant's name was: "Boobs" or T*ts. (:o)

Thanks for the great pictures.
Mike