Is there a distinction between "repotting" and simply "transferring to a larger pot?"

[Gravy Master]

Hello fellow small tree enthusiasts,

I have two indoor trees that I purchased a few months ago - one Chinese Elm and one Dwarf Jade. After getting them in August, I first did what I would consider an "official" repotting. Out of their plastic nursery pots and potting soil, roots trimmed, and into 6 inch plastic training pots with bonsai soil. Both trees are 7-8" in height.

I am now interested in getting them into larger training pots (9" pots) to try and thicken them up a bit. So my question is, can I simply move them into the larger pots with some more soil without causing any drastic shock or upset to them? I would do it without trimming the roots or being too rough with them. They are both extremely healthy right now and putting out lots of new buds and growth.

Or is repotting always repotting, and anytime you disrupt the tree from its environment regardless of how gentle you are, there is potential to harm the tree?

 

[penumbra]

Up-potting and re-potting are two different things and based upon how you have phrased your inquiry you are aware of that. Careful up-potting should do no harm even though its only been 4 months, but this is just the wrong time of the year to do it. The plants are resting now so you won't have new growth until spring with the elm (hopefully you are keeping it outside). On the mater of the jade, if you give it plenty of heat and light it shouldn't really matter, but spring is always better IMO.

 

[Gravy Master]

Up-potting and re-potting are two different things and based upon how you have phrased your inquiry you are aware of that. Careful up-potting should do no harm even though its only been 4 months, but this is just the wrong time of the year to do it. The plants are resting now so you won't have new growth until spring with the elm (hopefully you are keeping it outside). On the mater of the jade, if you give it plenty of heat and light it shouldn't really matter, but spring is always better IMO.

I don't think they're resting at the moment; they've been budding and growing beautifully lately. They are inside always - I don't have the ability unfortunately to keep them outside in my living situation. I give them a ton of artificial light (18-24 hours/day) and they've been getting fertilizer as well. Two weeks ago or so the Chinese Elm dropped some leaves, less than 1/4 total. I think it may have felt the cold onset of autumn kick in and got some chilly drafts and got a little stressed (I like to keep the windows open as much as I can.)

 

[Shibui]

Transfer to a larger pot without root pruning is known in horticulture as slip potting as the plant is slipped out of one pot and into a larger one. Some also talk about up potting as mentioned.

There are a couple of things to be aware of when slip potting:
If the root ball is tight the roots may not move out off the old soil and into the new part. That's why most gardeners talk about teasing some roots out when planting out or slip potting.
If the old and new soil are quite different roots may not move from the old to the new.
It can be difficult for water to move from fresh soil into older soil because of the different structure. With roots taking water out of the old section and new water having trouble entering a plant can dehydrate even though the new, outer soil is damp.
Small plants slip potted into very large pots can have problems. Best to only go up a few sizes each time to allow roots to colonize the new soil.

It is possible to keep Chinese elm indoors under excellent conditions but many have tried and failed after a few weeks or months. Fingers crossed that you have the right combinations of light, heat and good air circulation for long term success. keep a good eye out for pests and diseases which seem to thrive under indoor conditions.

I'm also not sure of the need to up pot so soon after a good repot. The roots should still be filling the new soil so the trees should be growing about as well as they can.
Your indoor conditions are likely to be giving your trees perpetual spring so I guess you could repot any time of year. I know Chinese elm growers in tropical regions can repot all year round as their trees never go dormant either.
Jade do not seem to have any problem with roots being constricted. I've seen jades that have been in the same pot for decades and still growing well.

My advice is also to leave them be for a while longer at least.

 

[sorce]

Bout to cook this first Thanksgiving Dinner at our house this year, I was looking up Gravy Recipes. I believe you have been sent here to help me accomplish this mission.

Maybe we should start a Gravy Recipe thread!

Welcome to Crazy!

Is there a gravy analogy here? Probably.

For me, the tree's gravy is the roots.

Slip or up or any kind of potting that doesn't seek to make useful roots near the core where they will be of most value to a bonsai, is wasteful. Like throwing out the drippings.

Every root outside the perimeter of the future bonsai pot is useful drippings of great flavor, just removed and tossed in the trash. Boo.

I like to keep things contained to within that perimeter by using airpruning devices which make for many excellent feeder roots within the future perimeter. Which makes for no waste.

Less Waste = More Gravy!

Sorce

 

[leatherback]

Uppotting is great, but does ot help you in your bonsai journey. When repotting, one normally trims the roots. This it NOT ONLY to create space so the roots an grow again. It is also a refinement moment. You remove roots that are getting too thick, leaving thinner roots longer and you spread out the roots in a pretty radial pattern around the trunk so that you create a nice nebari over time.

As you normally only repot every few years, every time you take the plant out of the pot, is a moment to work on the roots, no matter how much longer you are growing the stock out.