Hawthorn budding

[colley614]

Hello,

I have a hawthorn in a pot and the buds are starting to burst. I wanted to plant it closer to spring but unfortunately its decided its ready to wake up.

Is it ok to repot now?

 

[Rivian]

No, repotting is for before the buds burst. Your next window is August-September

 

[colley614]

No, repotting is for before the buds burst. Your next window is August-September

Just to clarify, the buds are swollen and the start of the leaves are nearly visible. Is this too late?

 

[TomB]

It's absolutely fine to repot now, 'starting to burst' is probably ideal timing. Just make sure you are able to protect the tree if we get another cold snap.
This article https://www.kaizenbonsai.com/blog/2019/01/when-to-re-pot-bonsai/ is worth a read, look at the hawthorn image in it.

 

[leatherback]

yeah, fine to repot. BUUUUUT look at the weather forecast for next week. If yuo get what we are about to get, wait another week or two. The tree will not move more next week (Unless you have it in a greenhouse, perhaps)

Maybe show what you mean with starting to move?

Most people repot too early, and think they have missed the window, when they are spot-on perfect. Then again, some people -like me- do not think exact timing is all that important. Roots often do not restart untill weeks after the buds wake up, and trees are not killing by repotting earlier either.

 

[colley614]

It's absolutely fine to repot now, 'starting to burst' is probably ideal timing. Just make sure you are able to protect the tree if we get another cold snap.
This article https://www.kaizenbonsai.com/blog/2019/01/when-to-re-pot-bonsai/ is worth a read, look at the hawthorn image in it.

Looking at that picture. I would say I can leave it a little longer. Although, I'm tempted to just plant it in the ground

 

[colley614]

yeah, fine to repot. BUUUUUT look at the weather forecast for next week. If yuo get what we are about to get, wait another week or two. The tree will not move more next week (Unless you have it in a greenhouse, perhaps)

Maybe show what you mean with starting to move?

Most people repot too early, and think they have missed the window, when they are spot-on perfect. Then again, some people -like me- do not think exact timing is all that important. Roots often do not restart untill weeks after the buds wake up, and trees are not killing by repotting earlier either.

By the look over the above article I can wait a little longer which is good as we have a cold spell coming

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Keep It in the shade and as cool as possible without freezing, and you may be able to slow it down until repotting time. If leaves begin to open, you'll probably need to go ahead and repot, and then protect from freezing.


I do not subscribe to any of this; I repot mine as leaves are opening, and never in the summer:

No, repotting is for before the buds burst. Your next window is August-September

 

[colley614]

Keep It in the shade and as cool as possible without freezing, and you may be able to slow it down until repotting time. If leaves begin to open, you'll probably need to go ahead and repot, and then protect from freezing.


I do not subscribe to any of this; I repot mine as leaves are opening, and never in the summer:

I've seen a lot of the big wigs in the community pot their trees up with leaves already opening which initially surprised me.

Whats the best method to protect are repotted tree after the procedure?

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

I've seen a lot of the big wigs in the community pot their trees up with leaves already opening which initially surprised me.

Whats the best method to protect are repotted tree after the procedure?

Ideally I won’t move a freshly-repotted tree around as it is getting reestablished, but if my temps are falling below freezing, I just bring it inside for the night and right back out first thing in the AM.

Here is a photo of how my hawthorn looked last year when I repotted it, leaves just starting to open:

Collected Hawthorn History

A tree with a lot of flair...

www.bonsainut.com

 

[colley614]

Ideally I won’t move a freshly-repotted tree around as it is getting reestablished, but if my temps are falling below freezing, I just bring it inside for the night and right back out first thing in the AM.

Here is a photo of how my hawthorn looked last year when I repotted it, leaves just starting to open:

Collected Hawthorn History

A tree with a lot of flair...

www.bonsainut.com

That's slightly ahead of where my tree is at

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

That's slightly ahead of where my tree is at

Then I would wait, and try to keep it as cool as possible, out of the sun, for the next few weeks. This should slow it down enough to get you into the proper repotting season. For me, that’s the first half of March, give or take.

 

[colley614]

Then I would wait, and try to keep it as cool as possible, out of the sun, for the next few weeks. This should slow it down enough to get you into the proper repotting season. For me, that’s the first half of March, give or take.

What about if I plant it in the ground?

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

What about if I plant it in the ground?

Same issue, you need to be able to protect from hard freezes. In the ground, you can't just move it indoors. So you need to wait before planting in the ground until all danger of hard freeze (below -2 C) has passed.

 

[Shibui]

I don't think @colley614 has 'hard freezes' in the sense you northern US guys mean. UK and close to the ocean means relatively mild temps. A few degrees below freezing is vastly different to the sort of cold northern US experiences. -2C has never hurt any trees after root pruning here either in pots or in the ground.

Buds swelling is no problem for repotting. Even tiny green leaves just starting to open is no problem but I would hesitate to root prune when the leaves are more than half way out.

 

[colley614]

I don't think @colley614 has 'hard freezes' in the sense you northern US guys mean. UK and close to the ocean means relatively mild temps. A few degrees below freezing is vastly different to the sort of cold northern US experiences. -2C has never hurt any trees after root pruning here either in pots or in the ground.

Buds swelling is no problem for repotting. Even tiny green leaves just starting to open is no problem but I would hesitate to root prune when the leaves are more than half way out.

Were I live we hardly get hard freezes. At most we usually get a freeze overnight which has thawed by midday.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Well if you’re just sticking it in the ground, go ahead and do it.

 

[HorseloverFat]

Mulch around it well.... juuuust in case.

 

[Lazylightningny]

I'm hearing from my British colleagues, especially in the south, that everything is opening way early this year. Whether you repot or not, as Brian said your main concern will be to protect them from freezing temperatures. A greenhouse, poly tunnel, or cold frame works best, but if not, putting something over it like a bucket or sheet of plastic will protect it from wind and the worst of the freeze. Even an overnight freeze can kill off tender shoots, and then your tree will have to expend what energy it has left to send out new foliage, possibly setting your tree back. Best of luck.