re-potting and root pruning

August44

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I just watch a video of a guy re-potting and root pruning a Japanese maple and a scotch pine. It looked like it was late winter/early spring. No buds on maple as yet. These trees were 10 years old and in grow pots. When re-potting he raked out the roots, washed the roots so the plant was now bare rooted, trimmed about 20-25% off of the roots, re-potted it and then did a little trimming off the top. I guess my question is about bare-rooting them and washing the roots off. I learned earlier on this forum not to ever do this when collecting trees...always leave some of the old soil in the area right under the trunk at least. Maybe it is different with collected trees and 10 year old stock? His trees had a good root system with lots of feeder roots and maybe that's the difference. But what about those micro organisms in the old soil that the tree needed? Maybe someone could enlighten me. Appreciate the help. Peter
 

0soyoung

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Scotch is whiskey made in Scotland by Scotsmen. Pinus sylvestris is also known scots pine.

Anyway, this is normal treatment of most deciduous trees. It is also what I do with most garden center nursery stock, especially if it is b&b. A good universal method for conifers is 'half bare rooting' (HBR) - clean out the soil on only one side of the trunk in a given season, replacing it with bonsai substrate.

Yamadori are typically trees that have been teetering on the brink between life and death for many years. Getting them healthy after collection is the top priority. So one keeps the mico and old soil and slowly replaces it as the collected tree gains vigor.
 

bonsaidave

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I do that with all my maples, elms, hackberry, and so on. They never skip a beat that I can tell.
 

August44

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I do know how to spell Scots...I have no idea why I keep spelling it that way so you can bombard me:). I don't think I will totally bare-root conifers...ever! I don't want to get yelled at again by the guys. Thanks for help, Peter
 

eryk2kartman

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I bare rooted Scots Pine, Larch, Spruce, they all grow well now.
In my opinion is the after care you give them, thats what matters.
I also use special mycorrhizae that you can get for conifers, works as a treat!
 

August44

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Could you send me a link for the mycorrhizae that you buy. Thanks, Peter
 

eryk2kartman

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Sure i can, but im in Ireland so not sure if its any good but anyway, i had to get a friend to help me order them :)
https://allegro.pl/oferta/mikoryza-...yZTQ1NDZjZjA1OGFhMDRkYjAyYzY5ZDEyM2JhMThjYWY=
https://allegro.pl/humobak-iglaki-t...xMjI0NjY1ZDJhZmMwZWJlNDkzNmNmMzZkMzE3MjFmZWM=

They work out around 3-5 euro each :) i know dead cheap, i used them in all my conifers and i still have half of the package. each new conifer get a bit mixed with soil with first repot.
I also use BioBizz Root Juice wich i found very good for roots development, using 1ml per 1l of water with every watering.
http://www.biobizz.com/product/root·juice/
 

August44

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Thanks! I did not notice where u lived. I'll check on that for US. Peter
 

August44

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Maybe someone from the States can recommend a mycorrhiza product here that I can use with my collected conifers. Thanks, Peter
 

Leo in N E Illinois

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I personally think the ''best'' mycorrhiza inoculant can be bought from Paul Stamets, Fungi Perfecti, https://fungi.com/
He has one with over 19 different species of mycorrhizal fungi and a good 10 or so beneficial bacteria. It is good stuff and no more expensive than similar products from other people. Fungi Perfecti is in Oregon, so he is more likely to have your local Oregon ecotypes of fungi in the mix. Check his website out. And for fun, look for Paul Stamets various You Tube interviews and lectures. He is a wild man, and probably a major influence on the writers for the movie Avatar. The product I use from Fungi Perfecti is Myco Grow Soluble https://fungi.com/collections/garden-gather/products/mycogrow_soluble

If you have a greenhouse, where the temperatures are set to mostly stay between 33 F and 40 F, you can repot trees almost any time over the winter. Once a tree is repotted, it is critical it is kept frost free, but cool for the time afterward. By the same token, if you have such a greenhouse, you can collect trees in middle of winter. Just have to protect them from frosts afterward. So the Japanese and other videos you see where they are repotting in winter, they have a frost free area to keep the trees afterwards. Or they live in Southern California, or Florida or some area where winters are very mild. The southern islands of Japan are quite mild, having very mild winters, in part due to heat from the ocean, and in part because they do extend that far south.
 

August44

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Again thanks Leo. I have an enclosed shed with windows that I could heat but am not sure what type of heater I would use to keep the temp at 33-40 degrees. I don't think my little space heaters go that low. What type of heater do you suggest? Thanks, Peter
 

Leo in N E Illinois

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I have not had to buy a space heater. I have the good fortune to live in a 100 year old house with an under ground well house that never freezes and stay at soil temperature at 3 to 4 feet deep. In other words, without added heat or cooling, it hovers between 32 F and 40 F.

There is a $250 thermostat that could be wired into a space heater that would accurately control temperatures that cool. I was told about it when researching building a refrigerated storage room for the blueberries. Inside the pole barn you build an insulated room, with 2 or so conventional air conditioners stuck in the wall. The room needs to be big enough to hold several days harvest, usually 6 or 12 pallets on the floor. You wire the air conditioners to this thermostat and you can chill a 12 x 18 foot room to 34 F without having to spend the money on commercial refrigeration units. I'll see if I can find the information. It may take a few days.
 

KiwiPlantGuy

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Hi Peter,
Just a thought. Do you use pine or fir bark chips in your potting mix? If so there should be plenty of good fungi there already ( white and fluffy). When I repot I transfer a decent handful of my old mix with the fungi into my new pot and tree.
Pines are the obvious ones for good fungi, and I have noted that oaks, beech (fagus), and hornbeam seem to need good fungi too.
I wouldn’t see any need to buy stuff? Or maybe I have missed the point?
Charles
 

August44

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Hello Charles and thank for the input. I do use fir bark chips in my mix. Do you mean that the mycorrhiza is just naturally in the bark? I already bought some from that place Leo suggested for not very much $. One adds it to a gallon of water and pours it on when potting or re-potting. A one time deal. Sounds easy to me. I'll probably have fungus growing on the pots.

Leo, I have this space heater thing figured out I think. You can buy a thermal cube from a hardware store. You plug it into a 110 outlet and then plug a heater into that. The one I bought comes on at 35 degrees and off at 45 degrees. Sounds like it might work very well. We will see. Peter
 
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