UPpot crabapple ????

Mike Corazzi

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Hate the pot now. It was big when I put the tree in but now looks way too small.
Since it doesn't much follow any traditional bonsai shape, I am thinking of up-potting it. Make it into a potted outdoor plant. ??

Pull, ....plop, ......fill in space.

Can wait til spring but wondering if it will be pissed off if I do it now?

pot2big.jpg


🤔
 

Deep Sea Diver

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Likely not.

Yet Crabs aren’t normally “traditionally styled and can take some serious cut backs, love to backbud. More then likely you could make something decent out of it, especially if you whacked it way back to the lowest branches or further and grew out from there.

I routinely whack back all my crabs to get them to grow out to some really awesome shapes. I’ve a forest full of crabs I got as seedlings home grown by @Mike Hennigan a couple years back. These suckers have been cut back or heavily pruned at least 3 times a year to give them weird trunk shapes and they readily push back.

Like a Timex watch, the take a licking and keep on ticking.

If I recall correctly Brent at Evergreen Gardenworks gave me the idea in one of his write ups…. See it Here.

cheers
DSD sends
 

Shibui

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There is no problem slip potting any tree at any time of year. You can transfer your crab to a larger pot now if you want to.
It is likely to have lots roots circling around the outside of the root ball. It will pay to tease out some of those or make a couple of cuts through the outer roots so some new roots will grow out into the new soil.
 

penumbra

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I think you have still to settle on a styling plan. Its not solely the pot.
 

sorce

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It's in a cascade pot.....

Cascade it.

Cascade.....the word sounds stupid now.

Cascade.

Cask-Ade.....

Beer.

Sorce
 

Mike Corazzi

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I think you have still to settle on a styling plan. Its not solely the pot.
Oh, I agree. It's a rescued air layer that the guy I got it from layered too far out.
It'a a bit ikebana-ish in bloom so I have kept it.

crab1.jpg

It was FREE on a club bus trip.
As was the pot in a drawing. Pot guy said he paid $150 for it.
I've never found a use for it.
And I don't like cask-aids. 🤬
 
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rodeolthr

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I find that to keep my apples healthy, they need to be root pruned every year, and they STILL fill the pot with roots over the course of the growing season. Up- pot to your heart's desire.....it won't skip a beat. I've done root work (reduction) on apples during summer and they just send out more roots. As you know, the apples like a deeper pot, so I find no issue with the one you're using.
 

Mike Corazzi

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I find that to keep my apples healthy, they need to be root pruned every year, and they STILL fill the pot with roots over the course of the growing season. Up- pot to your heart's desire.....it won't skip a beat. I've done root work (reduction) on apples during summer and they just send out more roots. As you know, the apples like a deeper pot, so I find no issue with the one you're using.
It's only been 3 months since the last root butchering. I went to ultra free draining stuff this year and all the trees are performing better than ever.
BUT....this apple is already pooling at the top. I have to be sure to water the right side of the soil as that's the side that actually lets the water in.
Thanks for info.
 

Mike Corazzi

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There is no problem slip potting any tree at any time of year. You can transfer your crab to a larger pot now if you want to.
It is likely to have lots roots circling around the outside of the root ball. It will pay to tease out some of those or make a couple of cuts through the outer roots so some new roots will grow out into the new soil.
Deed is done!
I too expected a profusion of roots. Circling ones . Nope... Not many. But I sure gave em a shitpot of room to fill now. 😁

It's sitting in bright shade now. Probably seething with hatred for being disturbed.
Pix when it hasn't died in a bit. 🤬
 

rodeolthr

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I personally have better results using a heavier soil with apples and plums since they both seem to be such water hogs. Can’t imagine that your tree(s) will take any notice of slip-potting
 

Mike Corazzi

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I find that to keep my apples healthy, they need to be root pruned every year, and they STILL fill the pot with roots over the course of the growing season. Up- pot to your heart's desire.....it won't skip a beat. I've done root work (reduction) on apples during summer and they just send out more roots. As you know, the apples like a deeper pot, so I find no issue with the one you're using.
Appears to be the case. Only 2 days though. Crabby is staying in the shade for another week or so and then he will be back on the bench. 🙂
 
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