First bonsai trees

[Thegamejr]

Hi all.got my first little bonsai tree a few days ago, been looking for a few years and excited to start! Had some supplies come in and figured I would practice pruning and wiring on a juniper I had picked up, and got the little guy into some new soil.

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

Welcome aboard to BNut land!

It looks like you jumped right into the fray!

cheers
DSD sends

 

[Thegamejr]

Welcome aboard to BNut land!

It looks like you jumped right into the fray!

cheers
DSD sends

Thank you, and oh yeah! Really eager to learn all I can. I had to try some stuff out so I can get a baseline feel and see what others are talking about ha.

 

[BonsaiDTLA]

Welcome, this site is a great resource--a lot of very experienced and kind folks!

 

[leatherback]

Welcome.

Now let these poor plants recover!

For next time.. Work juniper from the ouside inwards. Right now, you started cleaning the inside, leaving green on the outside. However, the green inside is also needed for future development. Juniper does not reliably backbud, so if you have green on the inside, conserve a few key branches: Reduce from the outside inwards, leaving what you need toward the future.

 

[Thegamejr]

Welcome.

Now let these poor plants recover!

For next time.. Work juniper from the ouside inwards. Right now, you started cleaning the inside, leaving green on the outside. However, the green inside is also needed for future development. Juniper does not reliably backbud, so if you have green on the inside, conserve a few key branches: Reduce from the outside inwards, leaving what you need toward the future.

Thank you for the advice, and most definitely. I won't be bothering any aside from basic care. With the Chinese elm I didn't do a full repot, I left some of the old soil around the root ball and filled the rest in with the more free draining soil. Should I have changed it all or is that fine? Thank you

 

[leatherback]

I left some of the old soil around the root ball and filled the rest in with the more free draining soil.

this is tricky: Water tends to follow the route of least resistance. So over summer you might find the core of the rootball drying out and only the outside getting water. I prefer to replace the core too during first repot, rather than slip-potting into a very different mixture.

 

[Thegamejr]

this is tricky: Water tends to follow the route of least resistance. So over summer you might find the core of the rootball drying out and only the outside getting water. I prefer to replace the core too during first repot, rather than slip-potting into a very different mixture.

When I water I make sure that the pot is completely overflowing for a few sec before allowing to drain. Would that be adequate enough? I didn't want to mess with its roots too much, shook the bulk out but at the base and top of roots it stayed.

 

[sorce]

Welcome to Crazy!

Sorce

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

When I water I make sure that the pot is completely overflowing for a few sec before allowing to drain. Would that be adequate enough? I didn't want to mess with its roots too much, shook the bulk out but at the base and top of roots it stayed.

In this case you might be better to water a bit, wait and water more… and maybe water a bit more. Ensuring that the core root ball is getting enough water can be tricky.

That’s especially so if the core contains Peat, as many nursery mixes do, and the outer slip pot material is coarser free flowing media. If the Peat gets dry it becomes hydrophobic and requires a plunge into water until it once again soaks up water… taking 10 or minutes.


Yet…If it were me I’d pull the tree out of the pot right off and get the job done right. When I clean roots in this situation I actually wash the roots clear of all material using a water wand and a chopstick, alternating.

cheers
DSD sends
PS Please double click your icon and enter your approximate location. It helps in situations like this for folks trying to give you advice.

 

[Thegamejr]

In this case you might be better to water a bit, wait and water more… and maybe water a bit more. Ensuring that the core root ball is getting enough water can be tricky.

That’s especially so if the core contains Peat, as many nursery mixes do, and the outer slip pot material is coarser free flowing media. If the Peat gets dry it becomes hydrophobic and requires a plunge into water until it once again soaks up water… taking 10 or minutes.


Yet…If it were me I’d pull the tree out of the pot right off and get the job done right. When I clean roots in this situation I actually wash the roots clear of all material using a water wand and a chopstick, alternating.

cheers
DSD sends
PS Please double click your icon and enter your approximate location. It helps in situations like this for folks trying to give you advice.

Okay, I won't be so timid on the roots next time(not touching this one again). I do watch when I water and don't leave it until I feel the weight shift from the soil absorbing it. It's funny cause I was less timid handling my orchids.

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

Bonsai rules, your tree your choice we can only give advice from experience. The main thing is to get out there and do stuff, while the main learning we often get in our first years is from our mishaps.

That said Elms are extremely forgiving.

I’m excited to see you are in my neck of the woods and looking forward to seeing your future progress here at BNut!

Cheers
DSD sends

 

[Tieball]

this is tricky: Water tends to follow the route of least resistance. So over summer you might find the core of the rootball drying out and only the outside getting water. I prefer to replace the core too during first repot, rather than slip-potting into a very different mixture.

I did this once....and yes that’s exactly what happened. The water avoided the root ball and I thought I was watering so well.

@Thegamejr ....I fixed my situation by punching into the known root ball with a chopstick and wiggling it around to break up the ball while still in the container. At next root pruning, the following season, I did it right and removed all the old soil replacing it with an effective bark chip and substrate mix that was around the 1/8” to 3/16” diameter size. Sensitive to holding some moisture after watering....and letting all the roots get watered.

 

[Thegamejr]

Bonsai rules, your tree your choice we can only give advice from experience. The main thing is to get out there and do stuff, while the main learning we often get in our first years is from our mishaps.

That said Elms are extremely forgiving.

I’m excited to see you are in my neck of the woods and looking forward to seeing your future progress here at BNut!

Cheers
DSD sends

I'm not gonna ignore any advice, if I seem like I'm gonna do what I want not meaning too ha. I ask questions so I have more reasons as to why. You in PNW or WA?

 

[Thegamejr]

I did this once....and yes that’s exactly what happened. The water avoided the root ball and I thought I was watering so well.

@Thegamejr ....I fixed my situation by punching into the known root ball with a chopstick and wiggling it around to break up the ball while still in the container. At next root pruning, the following season, I did it right and removed all the old soil replacing it with an effective bark chip and substrate mix that was around the 1/8” to 3/16” diameter size. Sensitive to holding some moisture after watering....and letting all the roots get watered.

I did loosen up the ball and agitate what was there, just didn't remove all the way. Guess it's a learning experience and now that I have found an active forum there will be less mishaps. It's kinda difficult finding consistent information in the community at least from a beginners perspective.

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

I'm not gonna ignore any advice, if I seem like I'm gonna do what I want not meaning too ha. I ask questions so I have more reasons as to why. You in PNW or WA?

This is the place for getting advice. Lots of extremely knowledgeable talent folks here. They sure helped me a lot when I was first kicking off and keep doing it. You came to the right place!

Good you at least loosened up the rootball. That will help for a year, depending on its media type.

Northeast side of Lake Washington. btw Do you live in the area of the Puget Sound Bonsai Club? .

cheers
DSD sends

 

[Thegamejr]

This is the place for getting advice. Lots of extremely knowledgeable talent folks here. They sure helped me a lot when I was first kicking off and keep doing it. You came to the right place!

Good you at least loosened up the rootball. That will help for a year, depending on its media type.

Northeast side of Lake Washington. btw Do you live in the area of the Puget Sound Bonsai Club? .

cheers
DSD sends

I'm loving this group already, I live in Tacoma so it's a little trip there. The original soil was some bark and Peat moss, the stuff I added is pumice, black lava rock, calcined clay, and pine bark fines.

 

[LittleDingus]

It's funny cause I was less timid handling my orchids.

I know, right?!?

I'm still extra timid any time I pick up a "new to me" species...but after a few years, that wears off I do all kinds of crazy I shouldn't to plants I've become accustomed to!

 

[Thegamejr]

I know, right?!?

I'm still extra timid any time I pick up a "new to me" species...but after a few years, that wears off I do all kinds of crazy I shouldn't to plants I've become accustomed to!

Exactly ha, it's like " I know I shouldn't do this but. . . I know it's limits" . . . If I didn't have patients I would have messed up 10 trees by now

 

[Thegamejr]

Was looking lively today, maybe my hack job didn't kill it ha