Unsteady tree

Zapflanagan

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I have been on vacation away from my trees for two weeks and have had a friend taking care of them for me. They all seem healthy, but one of them has slightly tilted off center in it's pot, and after further inspection it is very wobbly in the pot, to the point that when watering the tree shakes. I am only worried about this because I live in South Florida where there is very heavy rain and high winds. Does anybody have advice of what to do to secure the tree into the pot or how long it will take to become sturdy, it is already wired in.
 

MrWunderful

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Wire it around a branch or a “y” in the trunk or branches, and around the bottom of the pot- outside of the pot.

Protect the bark with some rubber or drainage screen if the bark is interesting or thin. Similar to this crassula (although I used some wire around the rim to attach to)

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Tieball

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Yup...what @Adair M said. It’s best to fix the problem and get it done right. If the tree won’t sit right in the pot....move it to a grow box and strap it in tight and resume growth until ready for a pot.
 

bwaynef

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I agree. Repot it and secure it properly. You may determine there's a reason its wobbly once you get it out of the pot. Otherwise, there's no better time than now to secure it in the pot ...unless you have a flux capacitor.
 

PABonsai

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Could he just wrap wire around and over the pot across the nebari? (Obviously only if the nebari rises above pot edge) Seems it would be less invasive than repotting. This is as much a question as a suggestion.
 

Wires_Guy_wires

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Could he just wrap wire around and over the pot across the nebari? (Obviously only if the nebari rises above pot edge) Seems it would be less invasive than repotting. This is as much a question as a suggestion.
I do that sometimes. Or an X wrap around the trunk using four anchor points. It's not pretty, but on stuff that I'm half-bare-rooting the next year it makes work easier.
 

Tieball

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I do that sometimes. Or an X wrap around the trunk using four anchor points. It's not pretty, but on stuff that I'm half-bare-rooting the next year it makes work easier.
I simplified the approach to tightening a tree down when needed....based on what I had on hand. Particularly handy when there’s not much root available. I used old bicycle tubes cut into long strips...picture a broken rubber band that is about an inch wide and over three feet long. Stretchy. I get about three bands out of one tube. With a couple of well placed smooth rocks, river rocks to me, on top of the soil surface, I wind the band around the container and over the rocks stretching as much as possible to tighten the hold. The stretch of the band secures it well without damage to the container...or roots if in contact and is less bite than a wire. The smooth rocks sit right next to the trunk as an anchor point preventing trunk sway. A simple knot holds it a long time. It’s not the most attractive...but does work.
 

LanceMac10

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Vacation FROM south Florida?
👎

Heheheeeee.......just teasing. Should be ok to repot, I guess, to fix it. Just what kind of tree is it?
 

Tieball

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I would not hesitate to repot. A temporary solution is not needed. Do it right. And check the stability before filling the container with substrate. The tree should be solid. I think some instability often happens because a tree is wired into a container and the tree won't even stand up steady by itself....wire doesn’t usually fix that problem. And, I know I’ve tried it.
 

PABonsai

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I believe this is re-potting season in S FL, soooooooooooooo...........

Everything other then re-potting with effective wiring into the pot is a half measure.
Why is wiring over the pot rather than into it a half measure? Both are meant to be temporary until the roots can hold it in. And in both cases wire is over the roots, just at different spots. I'm not trying to be disrespectful, I'm genuinely curious. Other than looks is there something bad about over the pot?
 

MrWunderful

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Isnt he away on vacation? His caretaker isnt going to do a repot for him.
 

Dav4

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Why is wiring over the pot rather than into it a half measure? Both are meant to be temporary until the roots can hold it in. And in both cases wire is over the roots, just at different spots. I'm not trying to be disrespectful, I'm genuinely curious. Other than looks is there something bad about over the pot?
Wiring the roots/root-ball to the pot... correctly... will always be more effective at keeping the root-ball fixed inside the pot/soil then attempting to wire the trunk to the pot. I also don't consider it's needed effectiveness to be temporary... you'll understand if you ever have an established tree get thrown/blown from your bench. It also looks a lot better.
 

PABonsai

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Wiring the roots/root-ball to the pot... correctly... will always be more effective at keeping the root-ball fixed inside the pot/soil then attempting to wire the trunk to the pot. I also don't consider it's needed effectiveness to be temporary... you'll understand if you ever have an established tree get thrown/blown from your bench. It also looks a lot better.
Thanks.
 
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