Time to repot or too late

Rob_phillips

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I have a new pot for my Japanese white pine on a black pine root stock
The pot has only just arrived and I was wondering if maybe @Adair M or other people with a lot of experience in pines could give me some advice on timing to repot the tree as I don't want to risk the tree and I have not needed to repot the tree until now after 4 years of owning the tree.
The buds have swollen and they are starting to extend now I dont have any pics of the buds right now but will get them tomorrow.
The new pot is made by thor holvila it's a lovely grey rectangle and it matches the bark perfectly.
I know it looks a tad big in some of the pics but that is just camera wizardry lol and the fact that it is in front of the tree or closer to the camera it's hard to get proper perspective in size from a 2d pic so sorry about that here Is a pic of the new pot in front of the old pot and the tree.
And one with the new pots dimensions marked out in chopsticks as I was working things out
20200408_132110.jpg20200407_114529.jpg20200407_114546.jpg20200408_121928.jpg20200407_114503.jpg
 
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Rob_phillips

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There is so many conflicting articles and posts and blogs and videos out there its left me confused I'm experienced enough to repot everything else in my collection just never needed to with this tree as it was reported the day I brought it by the nursery.
 

Paradox

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Awesome tree.

If the buds are just swelling, its a great time to repot
 

Adair M

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Yes, repot now! It’s actually better to repot too early rather than too late. But, I don’t think you’re too late. But in another week, you might be too late!
 

Walter Pall

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Yes, repot now! It’s actually better to repot too early rather than too late. But, I don’t think you’re too late. But in another week, you might be too late!

Exactly the opposite is true. It is far better too late than too early. This is state ot the art on Agricultureal Colleges.
You still have at least three weeks time to do it. I repot pines around the beginning of May. In a more southern climate this may be two weeks earler. Still plenty of time.
Thisis for spring repotting. With late summer repotting the opposite applies: Too early is much better than too late. Starting by middle of August. Fall repotting (afer middle fo September) sould be totally avoided in areas where the trees can get frost.

This advice is not just guesswork. A group of people repots tens of thousands of bonsai every year with this scheme successfully. Nurseries for forest trees repot millions every year.
 
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Brian Van Fleet

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If those photos are current, I’d agree, perfect timing to repot now just as buds are swelling. Nice little trunk on that tree.
 

Shibui

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Down here late spring seems to be fine for most pines. I generally repot pines after all the deciduous have leaves and don't seem to experience problems.

Timing has a lot to do with how much root you intend to remove. i'm guessing from the tone of the question, the look of the current soil and the size of the new pot you will be taking off as little as possible. That allows a whole extra range of timing outside what may be desirable for a repot removing much of the roots.
I also like the tree - even though it is a white pine with black pine bark. Graft is well disguised among the lower branches. Or is the entire trunk black with branches grafted all along?
 

Rob_phillips

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Down here late spring seems to be fine for most pines. I generally repot pines after all the deciduous have leaves and don't seem to experience problems.

Timing has a lot to do with how much root you intend to remove. i'm guessing from the tone of the question, the look of the current soil and the size of the new pot you will be taking off as little as possible. That allows a whole extra range of timing outside what may be desirable for a repot removing much of the roots.
I also like the tree - even though it is a white pine with black pine bark. Graft is well disguised among the lower branches. Or is the entire trunk black with branches grafted all along?
The graft has been hidden buy the branches but it is a really good graft
 

Rob_phillips

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Exactly the opposite is true. It is far better too late than too early. This is state ot the art on Agricultureal Colleges.
You still have at least three weeks time to do it. I repot pines around the beginning of May. In a more southern climate this may be two weeks earler. Still plenty of time.
Thisis for spring repotting. With late summer repotting the opposite applies: Too early is much better than too late. Starting by middle of August. Fall repotting (afer middle fo September) sould be totally avoided in areas where the trees can get frost.

This advice is not just guesswork. A group of people repots tens of thousands of bonsai every year with this scheme successfully. Nurseries for forest trees repot millions every year.
Thank you for your reply much appreciated
 

Driftwood

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I have a new pot for my Japanese white pine on a black pine root stock
The pot has only just arrived and I was wondering if maybe @Adair M or other people with a lot of experience in pines could give me some advice on timing to repot the tree as I don't want to risk the tree and I have not needed to repot the tree until now after 4 years of owning the tree.
The buds have swollen and they are starting to extend now I dont have any pics of the buds right now but will get them tomorrow.
The new pot is made by thor holvila it's a lovely grey rectangle and it matches the bark perfectly.
I know it looks a tad big in some of the pics but that is just camera wizardry lol and the fact that it is in front of the tree or closer to the camera it's hard to get proper perspective in size from a 2d pic so sorry about that here Is a pic of the new pot in front of the old pot and the tree.
And one with the new pots dimensions marked out in chopsticks as I was working things out

Hi Rob, any updates? how did your repot went? Very nice tree, may I ask where did you get it from?
 

Rob_phillips

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Hi Rob, any updates? how did your repot went? Very nice tree, may I ask where did you get it from?
Hi mate yeah I repotted and had no ill effects to so im happy.
The only issue was that I could not get it exactly where I wanted it into the new pot it needs rotating a bit more but there was a heavy root hidden in the back that prevented rotation to the new front.
But i have cut back that root now to a junction further back on that root.
i had to do this slowly as not to remove too much root at once and risk loosing brances.
There is a root even further back so in a few years I will cut it back to that junction then it will rotate into the correct position easily.
I just wasn't confident in doing it all at once so I took the slow road.
Excuse the poor pic its the only one I have lol
20200414_153253.jpg
It only need to be slightly more rotated.
I originally purchased the tree from greenwood bonsainin Nottingham its corrin tomlinsons nursery.
It has been wired and styled in the past 18 months by harry Harrington
 
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penumbra

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Hi mate yeah I repotted and had no ill effects to so im happy.
The only issue was that I could not get it exactly where I wanted it into the new pot it needs rotating a bit more but there was a heavy root hidden in the back that prevented rotation to the new front.
But i have cut back that root now to a junction further back on that root.
i had to do this slowly as not to remove too much root at once and risk loosing brances.
There is a root even further back so in a few years I will cut it back to that junction then it will rotate into the correct position easily.
I just wasn't confident in doing it all at once so I took the slow road.
I would love to see it in its new pot.
 
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