Time to repot this plum?

Josh88 · Jan 25, 2018

This was a tiny seedling from beneath a thundercloud plum I have been growing out the last few years. One of the first trees I ever started working with. It didn’t grow well last year and had terrible drainage. I just noticed that it has its first ever flower buds swelling. I have no experience with repotting anything flowering and want to make the right move at the right time. It’s been a very mild winter and spring seems to be coming early. That said, I have a greenhouse to protect it if temps drop. Is this the go to time for getting this into better soil?
Thanks for any input.
Josh

0soyoung · Jan 25, 2018

My opinion is that it is better to repot BEFORE it flowers than after. So, if it were mine, I would be doing that soon. Be careful, as the buds can be easily knocked off.

The worry is a sudden hard freeze occurring afterward (i.e., more, possibly fatal, root damage) - keep an eye on the forecasts and give it some shelter from a hard freeze.

Josh88 · Jan 25, 2018

0soyoung said:
My opinion is that it is better to repot BEFORE it flowers than after. So, if it were mine, I would be doing that soon. Be careful, as the buds can be easily knocked off.

The worry is a sudden hard freeze occurring afterward (i.e., more, possibly fatal, root damage) - keep an eye on the forecasts and give it some shelter from a hard freeze.

Thanks Oso!

808bonsaiSF · Jan 25, 2018

Yup, repot now, I would play with the planting angle too unless your going for the semi. Is the ground an option or a box? that thing needs to fatten up

Josh88 · Jan 25, 2018

808bonsaiSF said:
Yup, repot now, I would play with the planting angle too unless your going for the semi. Is the ground an option or a box? that thing needs to fatten up

I have always envisioned a semi cascade for this, but it does need a change of angle as well as some years of good growth and trying to make up for less than marvelous beginner choices. I don’t have a place to ground grow but I have plenty of big pots and grow boxes to give it some room.

808bonsaiSF · Jan 25, 2018

I have the same issue with no ground as well. I need to save $ and stop buying trees so I can get a down payment on a place with decent earth. I do boxes because they are flatter and look cool or even the large bonsai training pots but either way, they take up too much space for such a small tree in limited space.

Brian Van Fleet · Jan 26, 2018

I repot my ume along with my other deciduous trees, well after flowering. Here that is usually mid-March. It is in bloom now, will be dormant for the next 2 months, and then will be one of the last trees to leaf out. I would not advise repotting now, but if you do, I suggest you don’t (m)any roots, don’t let it dry out during flowering, and don’t let it freeze.

Giga · Jan 26, 2018

I repot my fruit/flowering tree's after they flower, which is is anywhere between February - April. I wouldn't repot now and wait till you start to see vegetative buds move. You can now but you need to watch it super carefully , don't let it freeze and don't remove any roots

Josh88 · Jan 26, 2018

Brian Van Fleet said:
I repot my ume along with my other deciduous trees, well after flowering. Here that is usually mid-March. It is in bloom now, will be dormant for the next 2 months, and then will be one of the last trees to leaf out. I would not advise repotting now, but if you do, I suggest you don’t (m)any roots, don’t let it dry out during flowering, and don’t let it freeze.

Thank you Brian. Beautiful work on your ume by the way! Just a spectacular tree.

Giga said:
I repot my fruit/flowering tree's after they flower, which is is anywhere between February - April. I wouldn't repot now and wait till you start to see vegetative buds move. You can now but you need to watch it super carefully , don't let it freeze and don't remove any roots

Thanks Giga. It's good to see your collected ume coming along nicely!

clive bennett · Jan 26, 2018

Your sacrificial branch is in the perfect spot to give you some great taper in a year or so, great start

Cadillactaste · Jan 26, 2018

I heard many have a rule of thumb...if it blooms before leafing out. Repot after flowers. If it blooms after leaf...then repot at bud break.

I don't have an Ume...but I repot my crabapple after bloom. Since it blooms before leaf for the most part.

Josh88 · Jan 30, 2018

So here I am, waiting til after this tree flowers to repot, and it’s pushing leaves all of a sudden with the flower buds still unopened! Thoughts?
@Brian Van Fleet @Giga

Josh88 · Jan 30, 2018

This is the direction I am heading with this one alongside a John Cannon pot I think will suit it very nicely. Please pardon the filthy work station.

Velodog2 · Jan 31, 2018

This will be lovely when it blooms! I look forward to pics. I think the styling of this tree can go in several directions yet, including semi cascade or slant or even informal upright possibly. It is getting decent taper but it needs more character in its trunkline. The position you show in the last photo only seems to highlight the lack of curves! It has lots of little branchlets that I would let grow to see what opportunities present themselves for compacting a little and adding interest by cutting back to and letting grow again. That said, I haven’t grown any kind of plumps don’t know any specifics for how to develop these.

Josh88 · Jan 31, 2018

Velodog2 said:
This will be lovely when it blooms! I look forward to pics. I think the styling of this tree can go in several directions yet, including semi cascade or slant or even informal upright possibly. It is getting decent taper but it needs more character in its trunkline. The position you show in the last photo only seems to highlight the lack of curves! It has lots of little branchlets that I would let grow to see what opportunities present themselves for compacting a little and adding interest by cutting back to and letting grow again. That said, I haven’t grown any kind of plumps don’t know any specifics for how to develop these.

There is a lot more movement and depth front to back than what comes across in the picture, but I agree with you that this viewing angle seems to align the movement too much. Just a little rotation to the left would make that movement a lot more apparent, and I am right there with you on having lots of options for where it can go, but keeping it a cascade would give me good reason for buying one of your stands

Thank you for your input and for taking the time to share your thoughts.

Velodog2 · Jan 31, 2018

Lol, yeah don’t get me wrong I love cascades (and cascade stands).

Brian Van Fleet · Feb 1, 2018

Yikes. If you can keep it from freezing, I’d probably repot it now since it’s starting to grow.

Josh88 · Feb 1, 2018

Brian Van Fleet said:
Yikes. If you can keep it from freezing, I’d probably repot it now since it’s starting to grow.

Thanks Brian. I’ll get right on it.

Josh88 · Feb 16, 2018

Repot went smoothly, going into good soil in a pot with enough room to keep growing the trunk out while adjusting the angle for my intended design. Looking forward to adding some more movement to the branches once this flush hardens off, but now I get to see the flowers for the first time.

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