1-year-old Acer Palmatum seedlings repot?

[Fonz]

I got about a dozen of these Japanese Maple seedlings that I started last year. Since it was in my pre-bonsai period (like the Jura age and such) they grew their first year in regular potting soil. Now my question is if I should repot them in akadama/DE and do a little root work or just leave them in the potting soil for another year. I'd appreciate your input on this.

 

[Victorim]

I vote for changing to good soil.

 

[RobertB]

repot

 

[SuperMarioZZZ]

I am in the same sittuation, bad soil mix for 6 months old seedlings. Is it fine to change the soil to a modern mix with great drainage and aeration?

 

[aml1014]

I got about a dozen of these Japanese Maple seedlings that I started last year. Since it was in my pre-bonsai period (like the Jura age and such) they grew their first year in regular potting soil. Now my question is if I should repot them in akadama/DE and do a little root work or just leave them in the potting soil for another year. I'd appreciate your input on this.

View attachment 179238

There's a cute little juniper in there too! Lol
I'd wait until the buds swell, than do a repot. I'd bareroot and snip the taproot back to where you have roots emerging in all directions from the trunk. Than get it into your soilmix.

Aaron

 

[JosephCooper]

Usually you don't mess with seedlings until the third year, but you can remove the tap root now.

Better soil in spring, try to get a radial root base in an early stage.

 

[RobertB]

I got about a dozen of these Japanese Maple seedlings that I started last year. Since it was in my pre-bonsai period (like the Jura age and such) they grew their first year in regular potting soil. Now my question is if I should repot them in akadama/DE and do a little root work or just leave them in the potting soil for another year. I'd appreciate your input on this.

View attachment 179238

What did you end up doing and how are they?

 

[Fonz]

What did you end up doing and how are they?

I repotted them all in cat litter/lava/zeolyte, well not all, 2 of them in pumice/akadama, cut the tap root + long roots. Will post some pics tomorrow ( 11 pm right now). 10 of them look very healthy.

 

[Fonz]

As promised...

Pic 1: a seedling that I pruned back to about 5" and put some movement in the trunk last fall (picture taken 2.5 months ago)
Pic 2: that same seedling today
Pic 3: one that I didn't prune (about 18" high)
Pic 4: Poor effort of photographing my 11 1 year old Acer P seedlings

As promised:

 

[RobertB]

nice. looking good.