Beginner-- Buxus harlandii searching for help

Heitor Silva

Yamadori
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Hey! My name is Heitor, and I'm a Brazilian from São Paulo. Recently, I got a Buxus harlandii, so as to become a beginner at Bonsai. However, I still have some doubts which could be answered in such a fantastic forum:
1) What is the best soil rates for such bonsai? I couldn't help losing myself in a lot of sites which simply didn't have the answer. It seems to be really complicated to find Portuguese topics regarding boxwood trees. Btw, by "soil rate", I mean the average proportions of each substrate (akadama, pinus, clay etc.) used in the soil
2) As I ordered it online, I wasn't able to check the roots before buying it. The main problem here is that they are simply HUGE, given that they are already surpassing those "holes" under the ceramic vase. I think that it would be better if the plant was placed in a larger one, however, in Brazil, we are currently facing Summer and its blazing heat. Should I risk transplanting it right now, or should I wait some more 6 months, so as to reach Spring? Really, I am really insecure about this one.

Thanks, in advance. Heitor.
 

Shibui

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It is also summer here. 44C today which is hot in any language.
Your tree may not really have a problem with the roots. Roots will come out the drain holes real quick and the rest of the pot may not be too bad. It can depend so much on how it was grown. However it is also possible you are correct and it has been in the pot for too long. Press on the soil to check. If you can press a finger into the soil a little all is good. If you cannot compress the soil and it is very hard I guess the pot is full of roots and you will need to take extra care through summer.
I would defer real repotting until autumn or spring as I have not tried root pruning buxus in summer. If you are really worried or having trouble keeping the water up to your tree you could slip pot it into a larger container and some extra mix for the rest of summer. trees that are very root bound can be difficult to water. Water does not penetrate into the centre of the pot because it is choked with roots and there are not enough spaces for the water. Soak the pot in a tub of water for 10 min - 2hours each week to make sure the roots get properly wet. Sometimes a tray under the pot so it sits in water for a few hours each day will help.
All my trees grow in the same mix. Having special mix for each different species causes more trouble than it is worth. Buxus will grow in any good mix. I think it is far more important to learn to grow trees in the mix you have than to try adjusting the mix to what others find OK.

Slip Potting (in case you are not familiar with the term): slide the whole root ball out of the current pot with minimum root disturbance. Place some potting mix in the bottom of a slightly larger pot. Place the rootball into the new pot and add more mix around the edges. New mix allows more water to enter and will give the roots somewhere to grow until repotting time.
 

Heitor Silva

Yamadori
Messages
82
Reaction score
146
Location
São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
It is also summer here. 44C today which is hot in any language.
Your tree may not really have a problem with the roots. Roots will come out the drain holes real quick and the rest of the pot may not be too bad. It can depend so much on how it was grown. However it is also possible you are correct and it has been in the pot for too long. Press on the soil to check. If you can press a finger into the soil a little all is good. If you cannot compress the soil and it is very hard I guess the pot is full of roots and you will need to take extra care through summer.
I would defer real repotting until autumn or spring as I have not tried root pruning buxus in summer. If you are really worried or having trouble keeping the water up to your tree you could slip pot it into a larger container and some extra mix for the rest of summer. trees that are very root bound can be difficult to water. Water does not penetrate into the centre of the pot because it is choked with roots and there are not enough spaces for the water. Soak the pot in a tub of water for 10 min - 2hours each week to make sure the roots get properly wet. Sometimes a tray under the pot so it sits in water for a few hours each day will help.
All my trees grow in the same mix. Having special mix for each different species causes more trouble than it is worth. Buxus will grow in any good mix. I think it is far more important to learn to grow trees in the mix you have than to try adjusting the mix to what others find OK.

Slip Potting (in case you are not familiar with the term): slide the whole root ball out of the current pot with minimum root disturbance. Place some potting mix in the bottom of a slightly larger pot. Place the rootball into the new pot and add more mix around the edges. New mix allows more water to enter and will give the roots somewhere to grow until repotting time.
Thank you, Shibui! ! Guess I will try the slip potting technique, so as to keep my boxwood OK till Autumm. As for the soil, I will take your tip. Really, thank you very much :)
 
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