Repotting dilemma with a Cotoneaster

[szelelaci]

Hello Nuts,
As a novice enthusiast I read a lot about bonsai and bonsai care, but couldn't find a proper answer / step-by-step guide how to repot a Cotoneaster. The vast majority of the articles or forum posts say do not fully bare root a cotoneaster. I have a C. microphyllus from a garden center in usual garden potting soil, which I want to change to inorganic.

If I would change only half of the soil to inorganic, and do the other half next year, how would I water it? Inorganic stuff needs more regular watering, so the potting soil would be constantly too wet. When I would do the other half next year the granulous mix would fall out during raking the rest of the loam, resulting in a bare rooted plant.

I have another C. which I bought last year and repotted a week ago. (this one is a quite developed mame, not a nursery stock) It seemed it is in pure akadama, but when I started to rake out I noticed the center of the rootball was still in the old compacted potting soil. Looked horrible.

I don't want to loose this plant, it could be a very cool little mame in few years.
Am I thinking and worrying to much, bare root it and see what will happen? The plant is healthy, put lots of growth on last year.

Thanks in advance for your replies!
Laszlo

 

[eryk2kartman]

I have a Cotoneaster and a lot of cuttings taken from it, i always bare root it, never had any issues and im going to repot this year and do the same thing.
Do you have any photos? how big is it?

If that was my tree I would bare root it, but another thing is how much roots you going to cut, i think here might be more problems.
Inorganic substrates usually are much better for roots development, so if you give it good aftercare it will survive.

 

[cheap_walmart_art]

I've got a cotoneaster that I want to repot this year as well. Gonna watch this thread.

 

[szelelaci]

Nice, good to hear that!
Don't know exactly what I'll do. First I want to see the roots. I'm affraid it's a mess and if so I'll ground layer it to start a new nebari. If they are OK, then I'm going to remove the big branches leaving 1 cm stumps and remove quite a lot of roots too. When the new shoots are strong enough (hopefully next year) I'll cut back the stumps and heal the wounds.
Hard to take good photos. I marked the trunk because it's quite hidden. I tapers well, but the branches to remove are a bit thick, I worry about will the wounds heal or not...

 

[0soyoung]

IMHO, cotoneasters are an ideal plant for beginners - very resilient. I have specimens that I dug from my landscape and others that were ordinary garden center stock. Large and small.

They can be bare rooted in spring 'as buds swell' as well as in summer (i.e., after the summer solstice or around August in the northern hemisphere). Put them directly back into full sun.

 

[szelelaci]

IMHO, cotoneasters are an ideal plant for beginners - very resilient. I have specimens that I dug from my landscape and others that were ordinary garden center stock. Large and small.

They can be bare rooted in spring 'as buds swell' as well as in summer (i.e., after the summer solstice or around August in the northern hemisphere). Put them directly back into full sun.

Thank you for the advice! They heal wounds slow, is that right?

 

[Potawatomi13]

Use Knob cutter for branch stump removal. Scars heal neatest this way.

 

[Shibui]

Also no problem with bare root cotoneaster microphylla down here.
Wounds do heal. How long will depend on how much the tree is allowed to grow over the next couple of years. New buds usually sprout around cuts. Some of those may help speed up healing a bit. Sealed cuts definitely heal over quicker than those left untreated.

 

[szelelaci]

Also no problem with bare root cotoneaster microphylla down here.
Wounds do heal. How long will depend on how much the tree is allowed to grow over the next couple of years. New buds usually sprout around cuts. Some of those may help speed up healing a bit. Sealed cuts definitely heal over quicker than those left untreated.

I see, thanks!

 

[szelelaci]

Use Knob cutter for branch stump removal. Scars heal neatest this way.

Will do, cheers!