Brian Van Fleet
Pretty Fly for a Bonsai Guy
Night shot...
Keep it or Cut it?
- Thread starter Brian Van Fleet
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Any particular reason you left the roots quite long?
Obviously nice and fibrous, not long and thick, but seems like you could have shortened radially by a few inches, to give it more root to produce more in the pot?
Awesome base and nebari, really lovely. Ill create that one day...
Brian Van Fleet
Pretty Fly for a Bonsai Guy
To what advantage? I have some specific reasons for the way I did it, but am curious about the question.
Ah, everyone loves a good question as an answer to a question
, holding the info hostage till your demands are met!For further ramification of roots. More ramification, more growth, wider base.
Paradox
Imperial Masterpiece
Some call it a teaching moment... lolAh, everyone loves a good question as an answer to a question
leatherback
The Treedeemer
Yup. The best teaching happens when the teacher asks a question and shuts up.
Never had international students more frustrated than when good teaching was going on!
Brian Van Fleet
Pretty Fly for a Bonsai Guy
1. In 2014, I took this tree to a Kathy Shaner workshop, and we repotted it, aggressively reducing the roots. The result was this:
https://nebaribonsai.wordpress.com/2014/04/05/its-always-the-little-things/. It taught me how far I can safely push this tree.
2. The tree is repotted annually (except 2020), so I have a reasonable expectation of what kind of root growth to expect in a year. The tree has plenty of room to grow.
3. Since I skipped last year, and the top struggled (for this reason, or from wiring every branch that winter), I wanted the roots to have access to as much soil moisture as possible to keep it strong. If you leave 2” of space between the edge of the roots and the pot wall, the roots cannot access the water in that area of soil, and you’re stuck babysitting it for a few weeks while the roots grow. But with akadama soil, roots have plenty of space to expand, even if they start almost to the edge of the pot.
4. Regardless of what is visible, I still removed easily over 50% of the roots; especially anything not in that shallow plane. A few of the roots close to the nebari need to thicken to expand the nebari, like you mentioned. Leaving those roots a bit longer will allow them to continue thickening (think sacrifice branch). They can be cut short later, and still continue to ramify. More photos of the repot are here:
Repotting a Japanese Maple
I didn’t get around to repotting this one last year, and it was the first time I skipped a year repotting it in probably 15 years, so I wasn’t looking forward to wrestling it free, and …
nebaribonsai.wordpress.com
5. Finally, aggressive root pruning can lead to coarse growth, below and above the soil level. At this stage, it doesn’t need coarse growth, it needs even and balanced growth throughout.
parhamr
Omono
Good explanation! Thanks for taking the time to write it up.1. In 2014, I took this tree to a Kathy Shaner workshop, and we repotted it, aggressively reducing the roots. The result was this:
https://nebaribonsai.wordpress.com/2014/04/05/its-always-the-little-things/. It taught me how far I can safely push this tree.
2. The tree is repotted annually (except 2020), so I have a reasonable expectation of what kind of root growth to expect in a year. The tree has plenty of room to grow.
3. Since I skipped last year, and the top struggled (for this reason, or from wiring every branch that winter), I wanted the roots to have access to as much soil moisture as possible to keep it strong. If you leave 2” of space between the edge of the roots and the pot wall, the roots cannot access the water in that area of soil, and you’re stuck babysitting it for a few weeks while the roots grow. But with akadama soil, roots have plenty of space to expand, even if they start almost to the edge of the pot.
4. Regardless of what is visible, I still removed easily over 50% of the roots; especially anything not in that shallow plane. A few of the roots close to the nebari need to thicken to expand the nebari, like you mentioned. Leaving those roots a bit longer will allow them to continue thickening (think sacrifice branch). They can be cut short later, and still continue to ramify. More photos of the repot are here:
Repotting a Japanese Maple
I didn’t get around to repotting this one last year, and it was the first time I skipped a year repotting it in probably 15 years, so I wasn’t looking forward to wrestling it free, and …
5. Finally, aggressive root pruning can lead to coarse growth, below and above the soil level. At this stage, it doesn’t need coarse growth, it needs even and balanced growth throughout.
Wulfskaar
Omono
Sorry I'm late to the show... you kept the branch! It looks great 11 years later!
Brian Van Fleet
Pretty Fly for a Bonsai Guy
Strong growth this spring. Soon, it will need to be unwired and thinned out. It will be partly-defoliated in a month or so.
Brian Van Fleet
Pretty Fly for a Bonsai Guy
Fall color. Left a couple long branches in the back for some thread-grafts next spring.
Brian Van Fleet
Pretty Fly for a Bonsai Guy
Thread-grafts completed last month.
Brian Van Fleet
Pretty Fly for a Bonsai Guy
Repotted today. Cut it loose:
Considering using the cream Suishoen this year, it’s the same size as the Yamaaki:
Remove all the crossing roots running along the bottom:
Comb out and clean up the fine roots, keep everything radiating outward from the trunk.
Soil worked in, watered, and top-dressed with sphagnum moss:
Considering using the cream Suishoen this year, it’s the same size as the Yamaaki:
Remove all the crossing roots running along the bottom:
Comb out and clean up the fine roots, keep everything radiating outward from the trunk.
Soil worked in, watered, and top-dressed with sphagnum moss:
Brian Van Fleet
Pretty Fly for a Bonsai Guy
Good spring reds. I was hoping the accent pot and blooming Ajuga would pop a little more, may try again in a couple days.
LanceMac10
Imperial Masterpiece
...could you please post it via a thumbnail?
Brian Van Fleet
Pretty Fly for a Bonsai Guy
Davidlpf
Chumono
Nice evolution, thanks for sharing.
Getting better with the age, like the good wine
Cheers!
Getting better with the age, like the good wine
Cheers!
Shogun610
Masterpiece
I keep thinking your profile picture is Count DraculaNice evolution, thanks for sharing.
View attachment 429159
Getting better with the age, like the good wine
Cheers!
Brian Van Fleet
Pretty Fly for a Bonsai Guy
Night shot.
Mikecheck123
Omono
Feels like cheating to jump straight to the end of an 18 page progression.
