Bare rooting junipers

[WNC Bonsai]

OK, I know not to comlpetely bare root a juniper like my procumbens nana when repotting. So when I did move it from its long term home in a nursery pot I only removed the nursery mix (mostly bark and compost) from about 1/2 of the roots. When I next repot it I am wondering how to go about removing the other half of the nursery mix withut disturbing the half growing in a very well drained bonsai mix. Won’t all the pumice and stalite just fall out of the roots as I remove the nursery mix or should I expect so many fine roots in the mix that this is not a concern? I’d also like to cut back on the root ball at the same time as it is now in a fairly large pot dictated by the original 3 gal nursery pot. I did whack off about 1/3 of the roots a couple years ago but more needs to go. Would it be too much injury to remove another 1/3 of the roots while replacing the nursery mix with bonsai mix?

 

[JRDillWFM]

I've been taught to do half at a time. It would be OK to do it a year later, you would just have to replace the good bonsai soil you put in. A lot of it won't come out because it will break down, especially if it has akadama in it. If has been a couple of years then I don't see why it would be a problem removing some more of the root system.

 

[just.wing.it]

I did whack off

Bwahaha!
You said it!

Seriously though, I have one juni that I barerooted this year, didn't want to, but there was no water getting into the rootball, and the center was full of dry dusty dirt and dead roots, it fell right off...
So I hosed it down and went all the way with it, into lava and pumice, all good so far! ?

 

[Vance Wood]

Bwahaha!
You said it!

Seriously though, I have one juni that I barerooted this year, didn't want to, but there was no water getting into the rootball, and the center was full of dry dusty dirt and dead roots, it fell right off...
So I hosed it down and went all the way with it, into lava and pumice, all good so far! ?

If you are not whacking off good roots and the whakie roots are dry and dead and full of dust than I would whack away.

 

[sorce]

Since I found summer repotting and that good old waning moon I can't fail at a juniper repot.

Leaving at least 75% of the foliage.

Stright from nursery to bonsai pots.

Maybe its the humidity. Like 400%.

Water more.

Sorce

 

[Johnathan]

Since I found summer repotting and that good old waning moon I can't fail at a juniper repot.

Leaving at least 75% of the foliage.

Stright from nursery to bonsai pots.

Maybe its the humidity. Like 400%.

Water more.

Sorce

Monday is the next waning moon.... think it's to late in summer to repot a few?

 

[WNC Bonsai]

Well I was planning on waiting until next spring since the last root work was only back in the spring.

 

[Vin]

Okay, the way I have been instructed (if I'm wrong I'm sure someone will let me know) is that Junipers will have a dormant period in the Summer. A vigorous plant can survive a repot during this time. Sorry @sorce , I don't think a Juniper would give two shits about a waning moon as far as surviving a repot goes. However, all that being said, Spring is still the preferred time for repotting. I'm ready for my punishment.

 

[just.wing.it]

I'm

Assume the position...

 

[thomas22]

These 6 junipers were all bare rooted on March 2 this year and they all are thriving now. I would note that if I had a collected tree in native soil or a real expensive tree then I would probably half bare root to be safe.

 

[WNC Bonsai]

Nice lineup. I always thought the reasoning behind not comlpetely barerooting them was to peserve the mycorrhizae in at least half the root ball, then do the other half the following year when the mycorrhizae had become established in the new soil.

 

[M. Frary]

I bare root junipers late spring/early summer.
Hose them off and stick them in D.E. and lava.

 

[Cable]

I had always heard you never bareroot junipers. I mentioned that to our company prez once (50+ years in the nursery business) and he said that was a myth and you could bareroot junipers just fine.

Someone hacked the bejeesus out of a pro nanas roots my last workshop in April and it is still doing just fine,

 

[0soyoung]

Never, schmever.

 

[Johnathan]

These 6 junipers were all bare rooted on March 2 this year and they all are thriving now. I would note that if I had a collected tree in native soil or a real expensive tree then I would probably half bare root to be safe.

View attachment 203666

Just curious, are they in bowls of water? Fancy drain bowls?

 

[Vance Wood]

The source of much of my bonsai knowledge came by way of Yuji Yoshimura and his book from 1957. He claims that you can do Junipers any time of year except when frozen in the middle of winter. I have never had a problem following that advise, advise I have followed for many years.

 

[thomas22]

Just curious, are they in bowls of water? Fancy drain bowls?

Those are the training pots they were potted into. I took the photo just before I repotted them. I potted the switch back trunk Prostrata into the only real pot you see there.

 

[KiwiPlantGuy]

Hi

Nice lineup. I always thought the reasoning behind not comlpetely barerooting them was to peserve the mycorrhizae in at least half the root ball, then do the other half the following year when the mycorrhizae had become established in the new soil.

Hi Cofga,
So as far as I know and have observed, mycorrhiza is a good thing in Pines and Oaks, but not present in Junipers. So the bare root and hose off thing is fine by my thinking.
Charles

 

[sorce]

next waning moon

This moon is waning until the New one on the tenth....
I'd get repots done before Sunday for this one....8/5

Start next round 8/24ish..the last week pf August.

That's going to be my last for this year.

Completely fuckrooting 4 Blue Rugs, one blue chip, one gold Coast, one co spruce, and one Alberta...one Mugo.. The Waning moon of June July amd August....
All are fine.

@Vin the "horse before the cart" of sorts....

*Healthy shit grows All the time.

But there is still an energy gathering/using rythym underlying it...

This rythym makes roots grow at this time, the root growth that happens no matter what is done to the plant..

*An unhealthy plant....in this instance...is very calculating in its growth.... Depending on energy stored....wont grow many roots.

But a healthy plant.....
Mad roots....mad "backbudding"..

So much so that more root can be removed..
More top can be left...

And that those roots are growing at thay moment.....recovery is faster.

Where....if the top is left to survive on only what you left..for 2 weeks...*...before it begins growing roots again...it will die.

Some folks call it aftercare....
Always preventing...
I call it timing...

Aftercare?

More water!

Ooooooo......water water water!
(Smoke calls ot mindless and easy!.it is)


Sorce

 

[Paulpash]

Umm I did this to 2 junipers and they are fine. Both had all traces of ground soil washed out with a hose.