I just messaged Boon, and he agreed a HBR video would be good. He'll try to make one.
bare rooting
- Thread starter barrosinc
- Start date
barrosinc
Masterpiece
I will gladly watch it
barrosinc
Masterpiece
These are the trees:
http://www.bonsainut.com/threads/future-picea-forrest.22882/
http://www.bonsainut.com/threads/future-picea-forrest.22882/
Vin
Imperial Masterpiece
Looking forward to it myself.
If you want to get over your repotting fear.. if you don't have a veggie garden start one. Start York plants in doors . Then replant those little babes out in your garden. .
After a 100 or so onions, tomatos, squash and green peppers you will get over it really fast. When you have to repot somthing that has less root on it then fingers on one of your hands you larn fast.
After a 100 or so onions, tomatos, squash and green peppers you will get over it really fast. When you have to repot somthing that has less root on it then fingers on one of your hands you larn fast.
GrimLore
Bonsai Nut alumnus... we miss you
What you just said there makes sense and can be "fixed" easily
When you think Conifers, Azaleas, and plants other then Deciduous Trees think different Substrate. If you think guys like @johng grow those delicious looking Azalea in a mix the same as their Deciduous trees you are mistaken.What I am going to say will bother "some" but it is common practice for many including myself to leave non-deciduous in a Nursery type organic mix for years and some forever. They do good in it and rarely require a repot anyways. When you do repot you don't work Pines and Junipers anyways so just leave them be and work them, a few years before even thinking about it. When you get to a year where you are not working them just do a partial root reduction and gradually cut down the pot size over a couple of repots... easy on you and the plants, just takes time and patience. The most I ever do and will do to any Juniper, Cedar, Spruce, Juniper and a few others is slip pot them into larger the first Spring - it works...
Grimmy
wireme
Masterpiece
This one was about 2/3rds barerooted in 2013. Cleaned out the other side this year. So far so good. 
Grimmy, if that's working for you, and you're happy with the results, then keep doing what you're doing.What you just said there makes sense and can be "fixed" easily
What I am going to say will bother "some" but it is common practice for many including myself to leave non-deciduous in a Nursery type organic mix for years and some forever. They do good in it and rarely require a repot anyways. When you do repot you don't work Pines and Junipers anyways so just leave them be and work them, a few years before even thinking about it. When you get to a year where you are not working them just do a partial root reduction and gradually cut down the pot size over a couple of repots... easy on you and the plants, just takes time and patience. The most I ever do and will do to any Juniper, Cedar, Spruce, Juniper and a few others is slip pot them into larger the first Spring - it works...
Grimmy
For myself, I will continue to do for myself and advocate to others to do is what the guys who have The best juniper bonsai I have ever seen do: use an inorganic, open, well draining mix. It takes a couple years to transition out of the organic nursery mix, but once done, they don't need repotting but every 5 years or so. And I never "slip pot".
GrimLore
Bonsai Nut alumnus... we miss you
I agree with you as well. What I am referring to is the first several years after purchase while a pre-bonsai is being worked on. Once it is at an advanced stage one should do as you said but many will never make it there and the method I suggested is far easier on the plant during those years...
Grimmy
Well...
Let me offer this: when a tree is in the early stages of development, we need fairly rapid growth. Grow and cut back. Grow and cut back.
A coarse, open soil promotes rapid root growth. Rapid root growth, in turn, promotes rapid top growth. Which is what is needed to develop the design, and promote back budding.
Also, it's never too early to begin development of the nebari. As purchased nursery rarely has good nebari. There's crossing roots, circling roots, it was likely potted deep every time it was up potted by the nursery.
In my opinion, working the roots, getting the tree into proper bonsai soil is the MOST important thing to be done to new material. It's a shame to work on getting a beautiful image for several years only to find the roots are badly one sided, and the design needs to be completely reworked.
And, if the old soil is poor, the tree may not survive the training to begin with.
Quite frankly, proper REPOTTING, and root work is THE key to success with bonsai. I say this with 40 years of experience in bonsai. Only in the past 5 years have I really learned this lesson.
The key technique for transitioning new bonsai stock into good soil is the Half Bare Root repot for conifers. Most deciduous can be barerooted. Of course, proper timing is also critical.
In the later stages of bonsai development, we usually don't want rapid growth, we want controlled growth. So, a less open soil may be more appropriate. Root growth slows down. One way to provide a less open soil mix is by using akadama in the soil mix. Yes, akadama breaks down over time. It's open at first, then as it breaks down, the air spaces close up. When fresh, the soil promotes rapid, coarse, root growth. As it ages, root growth slows.
So, when a tree is in early stages of development, if the tree isn't growing rapidly enough, it might be time for a repot to provide fresh soil. Older, mature trees should be reported less often as we are looking to maintain and refine rather than "grow".
Vin
Imperial Masterpiece
Timing... Is there any reason not to half bare root a non-worked juniper this time of year?
thumblessprimate1
Masterpiece
GrimLore
Bonsai Nut alumnus... we miss you
I did not say @Adair M is wrong... I am referring to people starting and "learning" on Nursery stock, mainly Junipers and other Conifers. What he and you are saying does apply hands down but at a "way down the road" on real stock. I offered my suggestion as many starting chop/bend/twist/ upon receipt... What happens to those Junipers, Pines, and Spruce if they do that at the same time? Well, they die...
My method lets new people get their hands dirty and learn the plants while saving many. I also stated many of those plants will never become Bonsai anyways. That is not because of the substrate but because when new people buy plants often that will never become good Bonsai and it is a common mistake when starting.
I am going to stop my comments and just say "my target audience" is far less advanced then @Adair M. When people begin and plants live it gives them the confidence to up the game down the road...
Grimmy
thumblessprimate1
Masterpiece
No offense, Grimmy. I wasn't trying to refute you or anything. Just showing my result. I began wiring mine last year. This year I was pretty aggressive I think in cutting away more than half the nursery pot it was in along with roots. Then I bare rooted half and replaced with pumice.
GrimLore
Bonsai Nut alumnus... we miss you
None taken!
As I said, he is right but for new people growing plants in pots it is entirely different. Just keeping them alive at first is quite an accomplishment... Hell, I am always buying different species and learning to grow them. After a successful couple of years they are to go into landscape either here or at the farm - at that point if I like the species enough I seek better material. To me that right there just makes sense... Grimmy
barrosinc
Masterpiece
So I did a Half bare repot on a cedar. It seemed quite healthy and young so it might have not needed it.
Hope it works. Maybe the second half bare repot might be harder when the good soil falls off the roots.
Hope it works. Maybe the second half bare repot might be harder when the good soil falls off the roots.
