Dalmatian Black Pine #1

Vance Wood

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It seems over the last several years you have taken on a preference for slab pots. How often do you have to deal with the roots? I can't imagine pulling the tree off the slab so I would be curious as to how you renew the soil and roots?
 

Walter Pall

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It seems over the last several years you have taken on a preference for slab pots. How often do you have to deal with the roots? I can't imagine pulling the tree off the slab so I would be curious as to how you renew the soil and roots?

never, only after 20 or more years.
 

DirkvanDreven

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What a great tree this is! It looks so old, can hardly believe it is a nursery-tree. Would say it is at least 50 or 60 years old?
 

Forsoothe!

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Ok, I understand. Because here in the States, the nurseries use a very water-holding organic mix, and it's important to get the plant out of that substrate as soon as possible. Sometimes the mixture will have more pine bark in it, but there's no nursery substrate here that can be shaken out that I've ever seen. Sounds like the nurseries in Europe are a little more forward-thinking than here. Thanks for your comments.
If the Nurseries have grown the plant in something long enough to grow it to market size, why the hurry, or even at all must we observe, "the nurseries use a very water-holding organic mix, and it's important to get the plant out of that substrate as soon as possible." ?

Maybe that's what works on a commercial scale where they water acres grossly with overhead sprinklers, while bonsai people who water with dainty little cans constitute a minuscule portion of people growing plants and are the ones doing it wrong. If an outsider with no skin in the game heard both sides of the story and assigned some weight to each side of the question; "Hmmm... a few thousand people say grow in rocks and thousands of commercial growers say grow in wood chips..." Where would he put his money?

I understand that I'm too stupid to grasp the issue, but outside of acknowledging that and your superior record, got a list of facts, factoids, scientific principles, etc. to present in favor of rocks in much smaller pots? Like, for instance, field capacity of one verses the other?
 

BobbyLane

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If the Nurseries have grown the plant in something long enough to grow it to market size, why the hurry, or even at all must we observe, "the nurseries use a very water-holding organic mix, and it's important to get the plant out of that substrate as soon as possible." ?

Maybe that's what works on a commercial scale where they water acres grossly with overhead sprinklers, while bonsai people who water with dainty little cans constitute a minuscule portion of people growing plants and are the ones doing it wrong. If an outsider with no skin in the game heard both sides of the story and assigned some weight to each side of the question; "Hmmm... a few thousand people say grow in rocks and thousands of commercial growers say grow in wood chips..." Where would he put his money?

I understand that I'm too stupid to grasp the issue, but outside of acknowledging that and your superior record, got a list of facts, factoids, scientific principles, etc. to present in favor of rocks in much smaller pots? Like, for instance, field capacity of one verses the other?

there's no hurry really, its a bit of a misconception. you just water the tree less until you can repot at a suitable time for the tree. more often than not, the tree was growing perfectly fine in the nursery mix and usually has a pot full of roots to prove it.
 

Vance Wood

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never, only after 20 or more years.
OK I think I understand your reply, but what do you do when the tree gets to a point where you have to refresh the soil and make room for new roots? I am not asking this to be snarky I just want to know and you are the only artist that is doing this all of the time, even taking established masterpieces and making the transformation.
 

Walter Pall

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OK I think I understand your reply, but what do you do when the tree gets to a point where you have to refresh the soil and make room for new roots? I am not asking this to be snarky I just want to know and you are the only artist that is doing this all of the time, even taking established masterpieces and making the transformation.

Well you pull the tree off the stone as you would in nature in the mountains. Shake out substrate, posibley cut some roots and plant it again.
 
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OK I think I understand your reply, but what do you do when the tree gets to a point where you have to refresh the soil and make room for new roots? I am not asking this to be snarky I just want to know and you are the only artist that is doing this all of the time, even taking established masterpieces and making the transformation.
I don't see how it would be any different than repotting a tree that is in pot.
 

Vance Wood

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Well you pull the tree off the stone as you would in nature in the mountains. Shake out substrate, posibley cut some roots and plant it again.
Thank You, process is almost as important as ingredients.
 

Drew

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I guessing you would repot this more often if it was in a pot as the roots are restricted due to the walls of the pot? why would the tree not need to be re potted as often on the slab? does the root ball grown in size over the years? if so, by how much?
 

Vance Wood

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Old conifders do NOT need to be repotted very often whether in a pot or on a slab.
That is my understanding as well. The only question I find my self having here is how old is an old Conifer?
 

Lazylightningny

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If the Nurseries have grown the plant in something long enough to grow it to market size, why the hurry, or even at all must we observe, "the nurseries use a very water-holding organic mix, and it's important to get the plant out of that substrate as soon as possible." ?

Maybe that's what works on a commercial scale where they water acres grossly with overhead sprinklers, while bonsai people who water with dainty little cans constitute a minuscule portion of people growing plants and are the ones doing it wrong. If an outsider with no skin in the game heard both sides of the story and assigned some weight to each side of the question; "Hmmm... a few thousand people say grow in rocks and thousands of commercial growers say grow in wood chips..." Where would he put his money?

I understand that I'm too stupid to grasp the issue, but outside of acknowledging that and your superior record, got a list of facts, factoids, scientific principles, etc. to present in favor of rocks in much smaller pots? Like, for instance, field capacity of one verses the other?
I've killed more trees than a typhoon by working a tree while it's still in nursery soil. What I do now is cut off the bottom off the pot and place it on the ground to help absorb excess water. Plus, I'm sure I was over watering.
 

Lynn E

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Ah Walter,
Lovely to see this wonderful tree again.
You do know we miss you at Natures Way--hope to see you soon?
Lynn
 
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