Newly purchased from nursery had to repot

Messages
121
Reaction score
56
Location
Roseville, CA
USDA Zone
9b
I picked up a couple of small junipers already in glazed pots. They both had large decorative rocks in the pot with them. When I got them home, I moved one of the rocks and the tree moved with it. When I had finally forced the rock from the pot, I found that the tree had soil for perhaps a third of its roots; the rest was taken up by the rock that it was leaned against. I repotted it into a larger plastic pot, gently cleaned and trimmed the roots, and put it into the pot with good soil in it. The second one was similar. I don't really expect them to make it, but I tried.
 

Shibui

Imperial Masterpiece
Messages
7,542
Reaction score
15,202
Location
Yackandandah, Australia
USDA Zone
9?
Gentle transplant without much root pruning should not be a problem even in summer. Smaller plants transplant much better than older ones. Junipers transplant quite happily later in spring, even if they are actively growing. I understand that other growers do major transplants in late summer.
I would fully expect both your little trees to live and even thrive now.
 

Wires_Guy_wires

Imperial Masterpiece
Messages
6,407
Reaction score
10,629
Location
Netherlands
I don't understand the root trimming when it's being transplanted to a bigger pot.
In emergency repots, I keep everything intact. The goal is to save the plant, not risk the health even more. Otherwise, it's not that much of an emergency.
 
Messages
121
Reaction score
56
Location
Roseville, CA
USDA Zone
9b
Gentle transplant without much root pruning should not be a problem even in summer. Smaller plants transplant much better than older ones. Junipers transplant quite happily later in spring, even if they are actively growing. I understand that other growers do major transplants in late summer.
I would fully expect both your little trees to live and even thrive now.
That's good to hear. Thanks for the encouragement.
 
Messages
121
Reaction score
56
Location
Roseville, CA
USDA Zone
9b
I don't understand the root trimming when it's being transplanted to a bigger pot.
In emergency repots, I keep everything intact. The goal is to save the plant, not risk the health even more. Otherwise, it's not that much of an emergency.
I don't really know much about what I'm doing here, just doing what the situation seemed to call for. I was gentle in trimming the roots a bit, but then maybe I should have left the alone.
 

Wires_Guy_wires

Imperial Masterpiece
Messages
6,407
Reaction score
10,629
Location
Netherlands
I don't really know much about what I'm doing here, just doing what the situation seemed to call for. I was gentle in trimming the roots a bit, but then maybe I should have left the alone.
No worries man! I just like thinking about motives and argumentation.
One aspect of bonsai is patience and I don't have any myself - No really, I don't. So I try to justify my actions and try to come up with good excuses.
But sometimes, I just can't.. Those are the moments I should just sit back and relax. Which to me is the hardest part of the hobby.

I see it as a good exercise to ask others the same questions I asked myself and questions people asked me in the past. Maybe you can come up with better arguments than I could.

Welcome to the hobby!
 
Top Bottom