Hello I have an Acer in a pot on my patio. The tree is doing well but has put roots out the bottom of the pot. What is the best way to crop the roots so I can move the plant.
Chop them off such that you can withdraw the plant. There should be a pot full of roots inside. Reduce the volume of roots by removing large anchor roots in favor of saving as many as possible hair-like feeder roots. Any large roots that circle the outside of the rootball and any others that trap or are strangling, or will in the future strangle another root should be re-directed or removed. Regardless of what potting soil mix you use, do not use a layer of pot shards, rocks, or anything else in the bottom for "drainage". As long as you have a hole in the bottom, that's enough.
