frist ever repots done!!

[maverickheath]

May be a little early but my elms, ficus,Sageretia are all growing so should be OK right ? Didn't really need to trim much because a lot of the roots come of trying to losen the mess that the roots was in the elms was really bad due to the 3 rocks that was glued in the pot taking all the room here's what they look like now





If they survive the repot they will hopefully be 100 times healther

Don't worry about that water in the drip trays I didn't leave it like that and I got rid of it

 

[JudyB]

Looks good, did you wire them into the pots? Be careful moving them around for a bit while they settle in and grow tender new roots. Keep out of wind as you can.

 

[eferguson1974]

Whats the right size wire for wiring the trees into their pots? I havnt done it like that, just guy wires improvised for each branch or trunk. Do you use a thick or thin wire for the job?

 

[maverickheath]

No I didn't wire them but they are pretty sterdy and won't get moved

 

[aml1014]

Whats the right size wire for wiring the trees into their pots? I havnt done it like that, just guy wires improvised for each branch or trunk. Do you use a thick or thin wire for the job?

I personally use a very thin wire, that way when I remove the wire it doesn't damage as many roots, and I've never seen damage of any sort.

Aaron

 

[sorce]

Excellent!
You know how happy I am!

They look great!

Watch that watering....
With growth and loose soil....
You'll Probly be watering more.

Please keep this thread updated...
Or make their individuals...
I want to watch these grow!

Sorce

 

[JudyB]

I use 2mm alum. wire, cause I have a lot of it. I jam it between the top roots and the next set down, or over the top roots in the back, so it won't show. You can use steel wire too.

 

[Anthony]

Maverick,

please be careful, having bought stuff imported from China, in the UK, our experience was that the plants were weak or sick, compared to
the root growth, we observe down here.
As Sorce asked, so do I. please let us know how it goes.
Best of growing.
Good Day
Anthony

 

[Adair M]

Always wire the tree into the pot. The least little bit of trunk movement gets transmitted down to the roots, and it can damage the growing tips.

A (within reason) thicker wire is better than thin because thin wire cuts in more sharply. It's also stronger. I wire my trees so firmly that you can pick the tree up by the trunk, and the pot picks up too.

 

[petegreg]

I use covered steel wires from garden shop. The thickness depends on the weight of the tree.

 

[maverickheath]

Excellent!
You know how happy I am!

They look great!

Watch that watering....
With growth and loose soil....
You'll Probly be watering more.

Please keep this thread updated...
Or make their individuals...
I want to watch these grow!

Sorce

Maverick,

please be careful, having bought stuff imported from China, in the UK, our experience was that the plants were weak or sick, compared to
the root growth, we observe down here.
As Sorce asked, so do I. please let us know how it goes.
Best of growing.
Good Day
Anthony

Yeah the roots wasn't In good shape and yeah I'll keep you and sorce updated

 

[Anthony]

Sifu [ Adair ]

just curious, do you bare root repot or cut around the soil mass sides and bottom, then rake a bit in.
We do the cut around mass bit and never have to tie anything into the pot. Just a week in bright light and than back to full sun.
Even with our heavy crop time breezes, never had a tree blow over in it's newly repotted soil state.
Good Day
Anthony

 

[Adair M]

Sifu [ Adair ]

just curious, do you bare root repot or cut around the soil mass sides and bottom, then rake a bit in.
We do the cut around mass bit and never have to tie anything into the pot. Just a week in bright light and than back to full sun.
Even with our heavy crop time breezes, never had a tree blow over in it's newly repotted soil state.
Good Day
Anthony

Depends on the species. And condition of the roots, root ball, and soil. Regardless, I always, always, always tie the tree in to the pot with aluminum wire.

Deciduous, often get bare rooted. Most deciduous trees look best in relatively shallow pots. There's probably not enough weight of soil to hold one in place if not wired in.

Conifers don't get bare rooted, the bottoms are cut flat, and the sides get trimmed back. The are times when a "half bare root" is necessary.

But the trees are wired in, solidly, regardless.

 

[Anthony]

Thank you very much Sifu.
Always educational.
Good Day
Anthony

 

[Adair M]

Thank you very much Sifu.
Always educational.
Good Day
Anthony

Wiring the trees into the pots is in virtually every bonsai book ever written. I thought you had several of the classic bonsai books.

It can get rather complicated. Some pots only have one hole, most have at least two, and it goes up from there. Modern pots are sometimes made with small wire holes in addition to the drain holes.

 

[Anthony]

Yes Sifu,

have read the wire bit many times, but have yet to see a tree fall out of a pot, and about a month ago
a ficus was set in pot of hand rolled clay balls [ 8 mm ] and then compost was sprinkled on.
Windy days and even though there wasn't a great deal of root, no problems.

Might be the weight of the mix ??????????
Good Day
Anthony

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Wiring the trees into the pots is in virtually every bonsai book ever written. I thought you had several of the classic bonsai books.

It can get rather complicated. Some pots only have one hole, most have at least two, and it goes up from there. Modern pots are sometimes made with small wire holes in addition to the drain holes.

I even wire trees that AREN'T in pots. If I collect a tree, it is getting wired - even if it is in a growing flat. I just don't want to lose a season of development because of a strong wind, or one of my dogs, or a big bird, or some other act of God causes my tree to shift and suddenly all that early root development... isn't. One of my favorite gardening poems that I apply to bonsai:

The first year they sleep
The second year they creep
The third year they leap

Downside of wiring your tree into a pot/container? None. Upside? Potentially a year of growth... or the life of your tree if you don't happen to be around and it tumbles out of the pot on a dry sunny day...

 

[Anthony]

Greg,

you hopefully leave enough slack for the roots to react to slight movement.
This is what encourages root growth as well - to stabilise the tree.
Good Day
Anthony