I'm new to Bonsai and recently received an inexpensive Fukien Tea from Walmart as a gift. I'm wondering how long I should wait to repot it and if there's a good time of year to do so? It was purchased buried in a 1.5 qt pot (see photos) with lots of soil and I'm worried the roots will stay too moist as I learn how frequently it likes to be watered. I live in Eastern North Carolina and plan on keeping it outdoors until it gets colder. Thanks!
Repot?
- Thread starter revjpb
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coltranem
Chumono
The frequency of watering is a function of the soil. If the soil holds more water you water less.
Bonsai Nut
Nuttier than your average Nut
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Fukiens like a lot of sun, and a lot of humidity. The reason people usually overwater them is because the air is too dry - ie they are keeping them indoors over the winter, the air inside the house is too dry, and they overcompensate by watering too much. Outside in the summer in NC, let it bask in the humidity.
The best time to repot would typically be in the spring, but with tropicals there are usually two windows - spring and fall. They push growth in the spring, go into a summer dormancy when the weather gets warmer and drier, and then push a second round of growth when cooler / wetter weather comes in the fall. You want to avoid the times when they are dormant; late spring - late summer, and late fall - late winter.
[EDIT] I completely agree with what @coltranem said above... but it is a little difficult to know what watering "enough" is. You want the soil to be porous enough so that when you water the water flows through the soil and out the bottom of the pot, leaving wet (but not saturated) soil behind. If you water and the water slowly seeps through the soil, that isn't great. If you water and the water sits on top of the soil until it is slowly absorbed like a sponge, that is even worse. That is how to judge when a tree needs to be repotted - when the soil isn't porous. Root rot is usually caused by the soil becoming compacted so that it holds water like a swamp... and the roots die from lack of oxygen, or through the action of anaerobic bacteria that grow in low oxygen environments. Air = no root rot.[/EDIT]
Fukiens like a lot of sun, and a lot of humidity. The reason people usually overwater them is because the air is too dry - ie they are keeping them indoors over the winter, the air inside the house is too dry, and they overcompensate by watering too much. Outside in the summer in NC, let it bask in the humidity.
The best time to repot would typically be in the spring, but with tropicals there are usually two windows - spring and fall. They push growth in the spring, go into a summer dormancy when the weather gets warmer and drier, and then push a second round of growth when cooler / wetter weather comes in the fall. You want to avoid the times when they are dormant; late spring - late summer, and late fall - late winter.
[EDIT] I completely agree with what @coltranem said above... but it is a little difficult to know what watering "enough" is. You want the soil to be porous enough so that when you water the water flows through the soil and out the bottom of the pot, leaving wet (but not saturated) soil behind. If you water and the water slowly seeps through the soil, that isn't great. If you water and the water sits on top of the soil until it is slowly absorbed like a sponge, that is even worse. That is how to judge when a tree needs to be repotted - when the soil isn't porous. Root rot is usually caused by the soil becoming compacted so that it holds water like a swamp... and the roots die from lack of oxygen, or through the action of anaerobic bacteria that grow in low oxygen environments. Air = no root rot.[/EDIT]
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Leo in N E Illinois
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When water pools on top of the soil. When the soil has broken down enough that it no longer drains well. That is the only time you must repot. You may repot to put it in a more attractive container, or to have an opportunity to work on the roots. Once every two to give years is frequent enough. More frequent than 2 years and you severely slow growth.
Leo in N E Illinois
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I meant to say some trees I don't repot for 10 to 15 years at a time. (Junipers & Pines) For deciduous trees once every 5 years is a good time, unless you need to prune & shape roots then every 2 years. More than every 2 years and you will slow the growth of the tree significantly. Sometimes slowing a tree down is needed, but rare.
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