Pine Baby about to get 1st repot!

[shawtymama]

Have been lingering on repotting my baby for couple months now. Do I? Don't I? Well nature does as she always does, decided for me... Blew her off the table the other night and lost half her bed of soil
Money is almost non existent in my life so I'm choosy on what I buy but still limited to budget. 1ltr plastic pot, was the only thing I could buy in person that even remotely fitted my needs within a normal price range (it's beyond me how anyone can charge the prices they do in the UK). 2mm anodised aluminium training wire and 1ltr Kiryuzuna as Google's unhelpful searches haven't really given much in terms of pine needs and this SEEMED the best option.

Here is the 'help me please' parts....
Help #1 - As you can see I have put anchor holes and wires into the pot, however, based on her condition and size, I'm not sure what exactly I'll be anchoring? Or how?

Help #2 - I have thoroughly rinsed the Kiryuzuna and drying it out as a few sites have vaguely suggested. My biggest concern is, surely I don't JUST use this? Do I need additional soil components? It says I can use on its own but my brain just doesn't seem to think 'rocks' are enough, as such. Where's the organic matter? The brown/black 'stuff' that, aside from mossy things, all plants seem to grow from?

Help #3 - Wiring and pruning. Errrr... Wiring and pruning? Do I remove single needs along the trunk? Do/can I remove potential branches? To what extent? As you can see branches are producing baby branchy buds (sorry for terminology). Will these need tending to? And then wiring? After pruning?

Help #4 - What do I do with the now exposed root? Do/can I keep and if so what sort of maintenance and outcomes will it create?

I'm waiting for the Bonsai Master Series Pine book to be delivered as it seems to the most recognised pine related bonsai book.

I'm just SUPER reluctant to take her from her baby bed and put her in the grown up bed until my mind is satisfied I'm not going to harm her

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

#1 wire over parts of the roots after backfilling the bottom. So that the plant doesn't blow out of the pot. In this case, it doesn't have to be tight, it just has to serve a function.
#2 Yes. You use just this. If you have more money to spend, consider more components. But for now, this will do. Maybe check out perlite in the future as well.
#3 Don't do wiring and pruning now. Let it grow. Let it recover. There's plenty of time later.
#4 you bury all the roots. In a couple years you can expose them. Do spread them out during the repot though, so that you have a somewhat radial base.

 

[Paradox]

My biggest issue is the soil it's in now seems awfully wet. Other than that, the pot it's in is fine for now.

No you don't want to remove needles now, it needs them to grow bigger. It's just a baby tree.

You should use the wire to put some movement in the trunk. I can't provide a picture for that atm but there are threads here thr talk about it. However I agree with the above to wait because of the fall it took

 

[shawtymama]

#1 wire over parts of the roots after backfilling the bottom. So that the plant doesn't blow out of the pot. In this case, it doesn't have to be tight, it just has to serve a function.
#2 Yes. You use just this. If you have more money to spend, consider more components. But for now, this will do. Maybe check out perlite in the future as well.
#3 Don't do wiring and pruning now. Let it grow. Let it recover. There's plenty of time later.
#4 you bury all the roots. In a couple years you can expose them. Do spread them out during the repot though, so that you have a somewhat radial base.

Thank you, her root growth is actually quite alot in comparison to the photos I posted a couple months ago. I'll take a picture now and post to see if you can advise on the radial base if that is ok? You will see what I mean. Thank you so much for help. To the point. Perfect

 

[shawtymama]

My biggest issue is the soil it's in now seems awfully wet. Other than that, the pot it's in is fine for now.

No you don't want to remove needles now, it needs them to grow bigger. It's just a baby tree.

You should use the wire to put some movement in the trunk. I can't provide a picture for that atm but there are threads here thr talk about it. However I agree with the above to wait because of the fall it took

Yes she was watered this morning as I have been bed bound unwell since Thursday and we have had hot weather the entire time. Due to the lack of soil I just wanted to make sure roots weren't too dry/brittle etc before repotting her so gave her a quick rinse

 

[shawtymama]

Ok so I basically just posted the photos in the order I took them throughout the process. Did I do it all right?
Pic #6 is after a little root prune but if you notice 1 of the longer roots on the left in that particular image, there is a long root with a corner bend. When I was arranging the roots in the new pot this 1 I felt needed trimming back to fan out more nearer the root ball.
You can also see the root I considered exposing I actually used to anchor the tree as she seemed so much more stable that way.

Used all of the soil from her original pot as just felt it necessary for various obvious reasons

 

[Paradox]

I wouldn't have put the old soil in the new pot. It's soil that stays too wet and the transition between it and the open soil mix typically isn't a good thing. The reason we use an open soil is so the roots will grow into it seeking water, thereby growing a nice root mass in the pot which in turn promotes growth up too. With the potting soil, there is no reason for it to do that.

It will probably be fine as is until you repot it again in 2 or 3 years. Just leave it. Don't disturb the roots again until it's ready for another repot.

 

[shawtymama]

Just realised it hasn't displayed them in order though! Oops

 

[shawtymama]

I wouldn't have put the old soil in the new pot. It's soil that stays too wet and the transition between it and the open soil mix typically isn't a good thing. The reason we use an open soil is so the roots will grow into it seeking water, thereby growing a nice root mass in the pot which in turn promotes growth up too. With the potting soil, there is no reason for it to do that.

It will probably be fine as is until you repot it again in 2 or 3 years. Just leave it. Don't disturb the roots again until it's ready for another repot.

I did spread it thinly but to be honest the soil only holds water like that for about 18-24hrs before signs of visibly drying out. The main reason I chose to do this is because I vaguely remember reading about the Ectomycorrhizae fungi. As I was trimming and fiddling, due to the ironically dry soil and lack of, around 90% was lost all together and didn't want to risk that much good stuff. It may not look it but the amount that is there will probably be mostly washed through by next next year. Amount in weight, it was probably 20g potting soil, if that. I thought I was helping her, oops

 

[Paradox]

Now just leave it alone and water when it needs it. Resist the urge to keep playing with it

 

[shawtymama]

Now just leave it alone and water when it needs it. Resist the urge to keep playing with it

She back in her little spot in the garden now. I rinsed the Kiryuzuna (5x filled bag with water and agitated with my hand to remove most of the grainy dusty stuff and for the water to run mostly clear rather than the dark umber it began with) and when I came to use it, it wasn't dripping but still wet so I didn't bother to water. Glad i didn't as we just had an early summer shower, literal downpours every 30-60mins and she appears to be draining nicely from the holes, just checked

 

[Paradox]

The beauty of a more open soil is that it is pretty much impossible to overwater