Repotting big maple

[Walter Pall]

Maybe you can help! It is still unclear to me whether Walter Pall recommends repotting all maples, if possible, in the late-summer instead of in the spring? (For trees that do not need heavy root work).

Thank you,
D

I recommend NOTHING. It is also for legal puoses. I only tell you what I do.

 

[Walter Pall]

do you repot all of your maples, if possible, in the late-summer instead of in the spring? (For trees that do not need heavy root work).

sure, because it is the best time here, also if a lot of root work necessary. My climate is like southern New England area.

 

[raydomz]

The tree seems alive to me, after the August repot. What do you think?

I have made the selfie yesterday with Walter.

This is the best. The facial expression says it all

 

[AlainK]

Quoting myself

Only fools never change their minds.

I've read a post from someone asking for John Naka's book on bonsaï.

It used to be the utmost reference for many people interested in bonsai in the 1980s-1990s. Now, no one uses the kind of soil mix he used in those days.

Yet, he remains a Master, a Sensei for his advice on styling trees (the Japanese way), and my favourite French forum is "Esprits de Goshin" - "Spirits of Goshin, see the logo. I'm pretty sure he changed his mind too about soil mixes.

 

[AlainK]

I recommend NOTHING. (...) I only tell you what I do.

... and like anyone who wants to learn, go further, higher, improve, we can all broaden our minds by watching what you've achieved and listening to you. Everyone at his/her own level.

Well at least I do.

 

[LanceMac10]

70 year old root pad don't hurt, either!

 

[Cadillactaste]

Lovely tree sir! Love to see myths being broken. Life has kept me away more than I like at the forum. What a great tree to come back and see!

 

[Deleted member 21616]

@Walter Pall I was shopping for substrates, and just realized that the particle size of the turface/pumice never came up, and I haven't been able to find it in your blogs either.

Would you care to share your preference?

Thank you!
Derek

 

[Walter Pall]

The exact particle size is not so important. it is much more important that the particle sizes are around the same for all particles so that no fine parts can diminish the free water and air flowing effect. I use mostly around 4mm particles.

 

[Deleted member 21616]

The exact particle size is not so important. it is much more important that the particle sizes are around the same for all particles so that no fine parts can diminish the free water and air flowing effect. I use mostly around 4mm particles.

Thank you so much for sharing!

 

[Bananaman]

I was wondering if there was a drop down box with a place to purchase the spoon that is needed for this thread?

 

[AlainK]

I was wondering if there was a drop down box with a place to purchase the spoon that is needed for this thread?

What for? To put it up your snout?

 

[drew33998]

My favorite tree of yours.

 

[WorkingOnPatience]

Would temporarily placing in ground and covering with straw or mulch be sufficient winter protection for this method? Sorry if this has already been answered!

 

[Walter Pall]

This depends on your local microclimate, of course. The tree must be protected from frost until April. covering with straw does not help. It is a common misunderstanding to think that a tree can be covered like a human and keep himself warm. it cannot because it has no warm blood.

 

[Sifu]

I like experimenting a lot. Thank you, mr. Walter for your inputs. I would like to add something, if you don't mind, what most is not putting attention on: it depends a lot of the size of the pot! It's a big difference if you repot to a super small pot or in a big, deep training pot. If you repot in a small pot i guess you need some frost protection, which is not the case, if you repot in a huge, deep, training pot. You cen repot in training pots even in the end of october/early november. So i would say, bigger the pot is, less you risk with summer/fall repoting and less likely you need any frost protection, even if winter temperatures drop below minus 15 degree celzius. Anyway, keep in mind, roots grow better in cool substrate/soil, that's why fall repoting/planting in horticulture is more popular then spring repoting. But that's not the case in bonsai art when small pots have beeing used.
Sorry for English ...

 

[cockroach]

This is one of the few trees I just want to hug. Awesome tree.

 

[Walter Pall]

I like experimenting a lot. Thank you, mr. Walter for your inputs. I would like to add something, if you don't mind, what most is not putting attention on: it depends a lot of the size of the pot! It's a big difference if you repot to a super small pot or in a big, deep training pot. If you repot in a small pot i guess you need some frost protection, which is not the case, if you repot in a huge, deep, training pot. You cen repot in training pots even in the end of october/early november. So i would say, bigger the pot is, less you risk with summer/fall repoting and less likely you need any frost protection, even if winter temperatures drop below minus 15 degree celzius. Anyway, keep in mind, roots grow better in cool substrate/soil, that's why fall repoting/planting in horticulture is more popular then spring repoting. But that's not the case in bonsai art when small pots have beeing used.
Sorry for English ...

State of the art is to use the smallest possible training container, be this a pot or a box or a plastic can. Trees grow BETTER in a smaller pot than in a larger. This is proved scientifically sufficiently.

 

[Walter Pall]

The big maple very much alive btw.

 

[AlainK]

covering with straw does not help. It is a common misunderstanding to think that a tree can be covered like a human and keep himself warm. it cannot because it has no warm blood.

Well, the danger is the frost. When roots freeze, it's bad news for the future of the tree.

Here, we rarely have temperatures below -5°, -6°C (23-21 F), and it doesn't last for weeks like in some regions. Most of the time, a layer of 10-15 cm of straw or dry leaves. I use the leaves of a big Zelkova I have in my garden, I've never seen any disease or pest on them. I put the pots on a layer of leaves, then cover the rpot with more leaves until the first branch or so. The leaves on the top don't decompose until spring.

I had three little pomegranate "nana": two died, the one I put under leaves survived. Of course statistics based on 3 trees don't mean much, but I also have small trees with only 1.5 cm soil, and all those I protected this way survived: no doubt theat if they hadn't been protected this way, they would have died...

So maybe it is not a solution south of Munich, but here, in the Loire valley, it's quite efficient.

This depends on your local microclimate, of course.

That's what I meant.