Where do roots get their food? When asked this question, most people say that the roots get their food from the fertiliser and nutrients applied to the soil.
The truth is that roots get their food from the leaves.
The water and nutrients move to the leaves where photosynthesis occurs and then sugars are sent back down to the roots as food.
This means that the whole tree needs to be functioning to keep the roots alive. Active root hairs only live for about 14 days then new root growth is required.
Programs for root health
An holistic program is needed to keep the roots healthy. We need to consider a number of points.
- The environment around the roots must be able to hold water and nutrients (good cation exchange capacity, salt management and sufficient organic matter).
- The moisture must not be too great or too little (irrigation management must be right).
- A good balance of the right nutrients at the right time (good nutrition program).
- Control of pests and diseases.
- Stable temperatures (achieved by deeper roots).
- Constant observation and monitoring (using soil moisture probes, your eyes and a shovel).
What Stoller has to offer
Stoller has been developing programs for trees for more than 40 years.
Our expertise starts with nutrients and ensuring a feed of the required nutrients through the soil, leaves and woody tissue.
Stoller has also developed products such as RootFeed (containing stabilised nitrogen, calcium, magnesium and cofactors) designed to optimise root growth, increase root mass and enhance the brains of the plant.
Stoller also offers programs to balance soil nutrition and to move undesirable salts such as sodium chloride out of the root zone.
For more information, see Tree Fruit, October 2013
