Repotting small Shishigashira

[ochong]

I picked up this little 8" grafted Shishigashira as a plant to practice growing out from a young age with two goals in mind:
1. Eventually plant it in the garden as a yard tree. I would layer it off the rootstock at some point to get rid of the graft.
2. Take some layers from it when it has grown out to an appropriate size for developing as pre-bonsai - i realize this is likely years away.



I'm not sure what's better, putting it straight in to the ground or growing it out for a bit in a pot, but i'm inclined to move it to a much bigger pot for a year or more to develop a healthy root system before putting it in the ground. Does that sound reasonable?

Also, if I do move it to a different growing container, is there value in moving to a pond basket or similar? If I understand what i've read correctly, I believe that this can help develop a good branching root structure.

And furthermore, if I do move to a pond basket with a substrate mix of DE, Perlite, and bark, is it safe to essentially bare root the tree in the process?

I have several other maples coming soon from Evergreen Garden Works that i have similar long term plans for.

 

[keri-wms]

If it was me and I just want a bigger tree ASAP I’d shake/stiff brush all the compost off, then put it in a pot just one size up in an organic-free mix. Then keep it somewhere as warm and humid as it’ll stand, possibly a poly tunnel or something. That way you can fertilize hard, you can slip-pot each year using the same mix, but you won’t have a soggy compost core which I find grubs love to hide in while eating maple root “bark”.

For now don’t prune the roots at all as it’ll slow it down, you can start new nebari later at your leisure, working on what will be a bigger tree.

 

[LittleDingus]

I picked up this little 8" grafted Shishigashira as a plant to practice growing out from a young age with two goals in mind:
1. Eventually plant it in the garden as a yard tree. I would layer it off the rootstock at some point to get rid of the graft.
2. Take some layers from it when it has grown out to an appropriate size for developing as pre-bonsai - i realize this is likely years away.

If you're going to plant it as a yard tree, you may want to keep the grafted rootstock. I had one in my yard in 5B and winter killed it. Actually, winter killed the shishiga top stock...the rootstock then suckered like crazy come spring but it wasn't shishiga

6A is a little warmer than 5B but still be aware that the rootstock is likely hardier than the shishiga.

 

[ochong]

If it was me and I just want a bigger tree ASAP I’d shake/stiff brush all the compost off, then put it in a pot just one size up in an organic-free mix. Then keep it somewhere as warm and humid as it’ll stand, possibly a poly tunnel or something. That way you can fertilize hard, you can slip-pot each year using the same mix, but you won’t have a soggy compost core which I find grubs love to hide in while eating maple root “bark”.

For now don’t prune the roots at all as it’ll slow it down, you can start new nebari later at your leisure, working on what will be a bigger tree.

Thanks @keri-wms! Sounds like a solid approach. Do you recommend waiting any length of time after the repot before starting to fertilize?

 

[ochong]

If you're going to plant it as a yard tree, you may want to keep the grafted rootstock. I had one in my yard in 5B and winter killed it. Actually, winter killed the shishiga top stock...the rootstock then suckered like crazy come spring but it wasn't shishiga

6A is a little warmer than 5B but still be aware that the rootstock is likely hardier than the shishiga.

Was it the first winter that you lost the shishigashira @LittleDingus or had it made it through prior winters? It should be hardy enough from what i've read, but I won't argue your experience. A good warning.

This little guy has a couple leaves coming out from the rootstock which look very much like the shishi's, but still too fresh to really tell. It would be interesting if for some reason it's not just a regular green Japanese maple... We'll see.

 

[LittleDingus]

Was it the first winter that you lost the shishigashira @LittleDingus or had it made it through prior winters? It should be hardy enough from what i've read, but I won't argue your experience. A good warning.

This little guy has a couple leaves coming out from the rootstock which look very much like the shishi's, but still too fresh to really tell. It would be interesting if for some reason it's not just a regular green Japanese maple... We'll see.

It made it through two winters fine. We had an ice storm the 3rd that is what I think did it in.

I'm not claiming yours will have issues...just offering a warning so you can objectively think through moving it off the rootstock. For landscape use, the graft isn't usually as much of an eyesore...though to knowledgeable people, it certainly can be! You could always layer off bonsai material to not have the graft...but bonsai are easier to shove in the garage for a day or three when that freak cold front moves in

Again, my intent was more to offer a consideration you might not have considered than to say anything you were planning was outright wrong.

I've been contemplating picking up a larger shishiga for bonsai material myself. I love the way they grow

 

[keri-wms]

I’d normally leave it a couple of weeks to fertilise maybe, mainly out of habit! Fur the future bear in mind that Shishigashira roots are a bit fleshier than basic Palmatum ones so I suspect they are more frost susceptible - just a feeling though. New air layer roots are for sure as an added factor!