Horse Chestnut Tree Root Ripped

Question

I planted some conkers in a raised bed because I didn’t have enough pots, turns out the ones in the raised bed did the best. Ever since the leaves came up, our dogs have been after them so I was forced to take it out the ground, in doing so I accidentally ripped the root of it. It’s still got leaves (see pic which didn’t go through on last question), what do you reckon the odds of survival are? It still has a fair amount of white root (at least 7 inches I would say) I’ve since put it in a pot with soil. Also, there’s still one in the raised bed, what should I do with it if the dogs are attacking it and I’m not able to protect it?

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Answer 1

Chances for something to go wrong are extremely high due to the break, unfortunately.

You can increase the chances of survival by making sure that the area has a chance to dry out, slightly, between watering. This will decrease the chance that a pathogen gets established in the soil.

Other than proper care, and using beneficial microbes in the soil, there is little that you can do to help it recover. These articles will help:

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/soil-fertilizers/what-are-microbes-in-soil.htm

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/composting/basics/compost-bacteria-information.htm

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/soil-fertilizers/do-soil-microbes-affect-nutrients.htm

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/trees/horse-chestnut/how-to-grow-a-horse-chestnut-tree.htm