This past spring, as the deciduous bonsai in my garden began to leaf out, I noticed several dwarf flowering quince began to die back. Over the next two months, about half of these chojubai died. I found no evidence of insects or fungus, and a nearby lab couldn’t identify the culprit either. Our best guess […]
Repotting
Where do roots like to grow? A look inside the pot
For as important as roots are to healthy bonsai, we don’t often get a good look at how they grow in the pot. Few containers offer a view at what’s going on inside and we often disturb the roots with sickles or chop sticks when removing trees from their containers. I got a particularly good […]
Preventing air pockets under the trunk – repotting satsuki azalea
Air pockets in the rootball, we are often told, lead to dead roots which can cause further dieback on roots or branches. It stands to reason – roots exposed to the air will not fare well on varieties like satsuki. The most common place to find air pockets is below heavy roots or under the […]
Repotting bare-root satsuki azaleas
For most varieties of bonsai, there are many approaches to repotting. Soil mixes, timing, and the number and selection of roots to be cut can vary widely depending on who is doing the work. When it comes to azaleas, this isn’t the case. Satsuki bonsai care – at least the basics – is fairly conventionalized. […]
Signs that it’s time to repot
There are some obvious signs that indicate when it’s time to repot a tree – like when the water fails to percolate or when a pot breaks. Other signs are more subtle. When there’s a significant change in the amount of time it takes for a tree to dry out, for instance, it might be […]