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 […]
Repotting
Bare-rooting a trident maple
The first thing I want to do when I acquire a new tree is get a look at the soil. Based on what I found when I started repotting the trident maple below, I decided to bare-root the tree. Trident maple After removing the soil The tree had been well-cared for but was growing in […]
Coast redwood – repotting follow-up
Three months ago I pruned and repotted a coast redwood. Coast redwood After cutback After root work Repotting complete The tree responded well and produced new foliage. New growth three months later Foliage detail This is the response I’m used to from redwoods. I repotted a second tree that same day, however, and it’s recovery […]
Repotting exposed root satsuki azalea bonsai
Here’s an example of an exposed root azalea that has been bare-rooted. Exposed root ‘Korin’ satsuki azalea – 19″ from top to bottom These trees can be tricky to repot as they lack a solid rootball to tie down. Exposed roots One of the best ways to secure trees with good roots but no rootball […]
Working soil into the roots below the trunk – repotting field-grown satsuki
Satsuki bonsai are commonly bare-rooted when they are dug from the field. These trees can have lots of fine roots under the trunk that can make repotting difficult. Bare root satsuki azalea ‘Hanabin’ Lots of roots under the trunk Simply setting the tree into a mound of soil can lead to air pockets in which […]