I use a variety of containers in my garden, but over the years I’ve narrowed the types of containers I use at different stages of development. Here are some common options for our trees and some of the reasons why we might want to use them at a given stage of their development. Plastic containers […]
Repotting
Repotting satsuki azalea
Azaleas are well-known for having two repotting seasons – one at the end of winter before the spring growth emerges, and one after the flowers bloom in late spring. I think of repotting in spring as a good option if there isn’t a chance to repot in winter and the tree doesn’t need significant root-work. […]
Repotting a Japanese maple forest planting
Tips for removing old soil to improve the surface roots on a Japanese maple forest.
Summer repotting dwarf flowering quince
Chojubai, a variety of dwarf flowering quince, is one of the few bonsai I can repot in summer. Repotting chojubai in early spring also works, but by repotting now I can get a jump on the upcoming repotting season. Chojubai can be repotted with or without defoliating first, but I prefer to defoliate as most […]
Pruning and repotting an exposed root ficus
It’s been almost one year since I started caring for an exposed root Green Island ficus. I pruned the tree toward the end of summer last year and have been waiting until this year to repot it (see “Cutback and wiring” for photos of last year’s work). Ficus respond best to repotting when the weather […]