Repotting

[Jcmmaple]

So due to the temperatures being 60-75 degrees the past 3 days, some trees are budding out. Is now the time to repot and root prune? And if so do you leave them alone for a season before fertilizer?

 

[Vance Wood]

These are the kind of events that can cause you to go crazy. You could repot but you may find yourself facing extreme late winter cold temperatures with compromised trees. This means you have to face the possibilities of that event, hope for the best or you bring the repotted plants in under cover till the weather warms again. You cannot stop them from growing once started all you can do is deal with it. Specifically what trees are you talking about?

 

[Jcmmaple]

Yeah it’s frustrating to see them budding now, I know I can’t stop the process but boy I wished I could. My Chinese elm is blooming, my maples are almost budding out, hornbeams are swelling. I have some maples in big nusrsery pots that were balled and burlaped that look like the buds are brown so hopefully they aren’t destroyed because I was going to cut half the rootball this spring. But luckily all the ones budding out or collected are in my unheated sunroom, just checking to see if I could go ahead and do the work now before it’s too late. Thanks

 

[BackyardBonsai]

I did a few trident this morning. Also try to experiment of growing them in shallow plastic dish. They have budded due to excessively warm last week. It was cold yesterday and today but will be back up to 70s by Monday.

 

[Dav4]

Yeah it’s frustrating to see them budding now, I know I can’t stop the process but boy I wished I could. My Chinese elm is blooming, my maples are almost budding out, hornbeams are swelling. I have some maples in big nusrsery pots that were balled and burlaped that look like the buds are brown so hopefully they aren’t destroyed because I was going to cut half the rootball this spring. But luckily all the ones budding out or collected are in my unheated sunroom, just checking to see if I could go ahead and do the work now before it’s too late. Thanks

Fwiw, I usually re-pot most of my deciduous trees in February, so you're not too early. Just prevent the root ball from freezing and you'll be ok.

 

[bonsaidave]

If you have a garage you can keep above freezing I would say do it. I have been repotting all week. Even with this weekends freezing temps, it must be done. I bring all my repotted trees in to the garage and have a heat lamp about 10 feet away from them. Just pointing up not directly at the trees. Don't want to cook the delicate leaves if they pop out.

So far my tridents and some of my elms have buds popping.

 

[Jcmmaple]

Well I got some seedlings repotted and my shindeshojo done today, I will do more next week. And thanks to @Mellow Mullet i bought some $1 oil pan training pots for some trees, it was perfect for the job and doesn’t look too bad either. Plan on buying a bald cypress this year and do what you did with it. Unfortunately there is no where around here to collect any so nursery finds is all I can do, oh well.

 

[Mellow Mullet]

Those oil drain pans are the perfect size, at least for me. And you are right, I think it looks good when you have all of your trees in similar containers.

 

[Jcmmaple]

Yes I’m glad I saw it on your site, I have been looking for the in between training pots and you nailed it. And the plus side they are a buck, sweet. By the way can I fertilize after root work or no?

 

[Mellow Mullet]

Yes I’m glad I saw it on your site, I have been looking for the in between training pots and you nailed it. And the plus side they are a buck, sweet. By the way can I fertilize after root work or no?

Yes, you can. It won't hurt them a bit.

 

[WesB]

Yep same situation here. I went ahead and started some, waiting on others and began collecting. Buds are opening and new feeder roots already have about an inch on them on all 6 conifers I have pulled. The 3 wild trees I have dug this week, 2 small pines and 1 large elm tell the same story. Protect from freeze and frost is mantra.

The 2019 Bonsai Season is on like Donkey Kong!

 

[Vance Wood]

Geeze----we will not be seeing repotting season for at least another 6 weeks.

 

[Orion_metalhead]

I am going to start mid march here in NJ... still way too cold and unpredictable. Time is right to gather the proper materials though. Need so buy soil and some decent training pots for the few trees I have.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

I put this off as long as I possibly can...most years it is early- to mid-March. I hate the “bonsai 2-step” for late freezes.

 

[coachspinks]

Brian, I had to start this week. Several small maples were in full leaf. Now a crab apple is doing it. A seiju elm will be fully leafed out in a few days but luckily it doesn't have to be repotted.

 

[Jcmmaple]

Same here apparently my maples thought it was spring from the recent warm weather, some of my collected hornbeams are now showing some life so that’s a relief. Although I know I’m not touching the collected trees for a couple of years, I’ve read enough on here to know not to do anything to them. It’s exciting and scary to see some color on the naked trees.

 

[Vance Wood]

Same here apparently my maples thought it was spring from the recent warm weather, some of my collected hornbeams are now showing some life so that’s a relief. Although I know I’m not touching the collected trees for a couple of years, I’ve read enough on here to know not to do anything to them. It’s exciting and scary to see some color on the naked trees.

I have told people countless times how important it is to keep your trees in a winter state where they do not warm up but stay cold as possible for as long as possible so they do not wake early.

 

[Orion_metalhead]

I put my trees in the fridge temporarily (they are small enough) when we had those 3 days of 40-60 degree temps. Back outside now.

 

[Dav4]

FWIW, I have landscape tridents and ume with swelling vegetative buds. The brief winter freeze followed by record warmth here in the southeast last week has primed many trees to break dormancy, both potted or otherwise.

 

[Jcmmaple]

@Vance Wood, I would love to hear your suggestion on what you do or how I could prevent this from happening again. I don’t have a place outside to keep them, I didn’t want them to freeze and kill them. I know trees need to stay dormant as long as they can but sunroom isn’t heated so it stays fairly cold in the winter, but like I said it was 60-75 degrees for like 3-4 days.