First of all let me explain that there are many answers and factors involved in this question . But first and for most in my opinion and very important it is for the health of the tree. Why do we re-pot and when is yet another question that often is ask of me and then again the answers are varied so let's get right into it and see if I can possibly answer some of your questions with the proper answers.
It is of my opinion after creating and working with many types of bonsai trees over the years that one of the most critical things we as bonsai artists need to learn and do with our bonsai are first watering properly and second re-potting when needed for the health of the tree. Your main job as a bonsai artist is of course healthy tress and you can not attain that buy sitting on the side lines wondering what to do. So let's get on with it and see some of what is involved.
First of all we may be re-potting because we only wish to change the values of the tree by that I mean perhaps we want a different pot for a different overall look and or feel or perhaps we want a different color of pot or we wish to re-position the way the tree sit's in the pot and we may want to change some of the styling which in turn often affects the pot chosen for the tree. Or as stated above perhaps we are re-potting because the tree needs it for the total health of that tree. Which I might add is most often the reason we do re-pot our trees and that is to keep them healthy and thriving for many years in pots.
So when and how often do you re-pot you may ask and again I would answer there are many factors that we would take into the scope of it all. The type of tree or shrub and the health of that tree or shrub and other reasons are many but is your tree healthy and growing vigorous and strong? If so then why re-pot I ask?
But on the other hand is it in need of re-potting because it is root bound or not growing any more and just kind of sitting around on the bench not doing much, do you wish possibly to re-pot it because you want or need a different pot and or shape style and or color. Is it the proper time of the year to re-pot the tree and is it healthy enough to re-pot.
Once you are more experienced then you will learn when and how, and it will be a task nearly every year for your deciduous and of course longer for conifers simply because conifers grow at a much slower pace than do deciduous trees.
Although at this point in this article I will endeavor to give you my own personal insight here. The teachings in many of the better quality bonsai books on the subject will try to tell you or point out to you the age old wisdom taught by the Chinese and or Japanese that the rule of thumb pardon that pun that for conifer it should be every three to five years and for deciduous every other year. I personally find this to be rubbish.
I have been raising and growing bonsai trees and shrubs since the young age of 9 and I'm not nearly 80 and I have trees in my collection that are truly as healthy as can be for any bonsai and some have not been re-potted on that time line or any other time scale.
I pot or re-pot when it is as explained above for most for the health of the tree but why as the old saying goes take a hammer and fix what is not broken. Simply put as I can it is a matter of your choice and the way you may or may not have been taught.
You as a bonsai grower or caretaker must learn about your trees and there needs and if I might say the wants of every tree as they by species are all different other than a huge class they might belong too.
Some need little attention and can grow on healthy and fine for many years with out being totally fussed over or touched at all other than to water and fertilize. While yet others will need that so called time table and need attended to year after year by re-potting and root pruning and so forth. So I would tell you if your going to grow bonsai for your own personal enjoyment or for resale learn the needs of each species of tree and or shrub and the class it resides in and what it requires to grow vigorous and healthy.
To put it as simply as I can do your home work. The internet is full of information on nearly any species of plant and shrubs. So if you do not do your due diligence you've no one to blame but your self if your tree parishes. Study its needs like a drill instructor in the service. No all there is to know about any given species, and you will be off to a very good running start.
There are so many yet other total factors that I could touch on here in this article but I fear for the sake of bonsai in general you would after all become totally bored so I'm trying only to hit on the real reasons.
It would be fair to say here that most all deciduous trees should be re-potted in the very early spring or when you as the owner can first see signs of buds begging to swell and close to opening on into leaves.
So when we see that swelling of the buds it is a good time to re-pot if the tree needs it and is healthy enough to with stand the shock of re-potting and it most defiantly is a shock.
In point of fact please kind of consider re-potting to that of major surgery on your self it is a critical thing and must be carried out in a good clean manor and in satisfactory time, and by that I mean you should be prepared and have at least some knowledge of what to do, you should not be fumbling around looking for a tool that you should have had at hands reach right from the start or you should not be letting the exposed roots dry out because you do not have a spray bottle with water at hand to keep them misted and wet while working.
Of course there are many other things that are involved and I will try to explain them as best as I can but if your indeed a beginner or in question of what to do it is always best to attain as much information to prepare yourself in advance or simply take a class from someone that is accomplished and can instruct you how to do it, there is truly no substitute for hands on information.
Now Conifers can and will wait until further into the spring to re-pot. So my rule is to re-pot my deciduous first and conifers second unless totally needed sooner for the health of the tree.
We as the surgeons must be prepared and ready in advance, we need to have all necessary tools ready cleaned and a new pot selected and prepared if your indeed going to use a different pot. If your going to use the same pot the tree was already in then it is slightly done a little different but still all tools and materials should be prepared in advance. You would not take a patient into the operating room and not be prepared.
What are the tools needed for the task at hand?
Now at this point bear in mind that this is my way of doing it and could be done different by others and I would be the first to tell you that this is only my method and not always excepted by others and that opinions are like clothes most everyone has some and or wears them but opinions of how they dress in them can truly differ. So it is up to you to decide. If you like my method use it if not find another's way of showing you or doing it.
First off let me explain my method when using a new pot. I will always have my pot prepared in advance and ready to accept the tree. The pot could be of any of many different styles and shapes but it should always have at least one main drain hole and possibly more and some smaller and other tiny holes for inserting wire tie downs. I would interject here that the hardest pots to use are ones with only one main drain hole and they are very plentiful so you will always see a lot of them around in Nursery's I personally try to avoid them if there are other choices as the process for making and tying in screening and tie down wires is somewhat different for this type of pot.
But if your out and about pot shopping then try to attain a pot with more than one drain hole and at least two if not more smaller holes to insert wire tie downs into the pot. Now let us assume that you have selected a new pot with these characteristics and are ready to prepare that pot.
First step is to cover the drain hole from the inside of the pot with some drain screening so that bugs and other incest's most often can not attain entrance into your pot from the underside. Turn your pot upside down on your working surface and measure across the drain hole from left to right or right to left does not matter the width of the drain screen your going to use and it should by pass on either side of the drain hole at least ample enough to completely cover the hole and have some material left over all the way around that area.
Then cut a piece of wire from at least a size 1 or 1.5 or possibly 2 or 2.5 of at least three times the length of the size of your drain hole. Now it is of note to make here that there are many different types of ties for the drain screen but in this lesson I only use one and that is of the U shape simply attained buy bending and shaping the cut piece of wire in the shape of a U equal lengths on either side. So if you were for instance to hold up your thumb and little finger straight up and tuck the rest of your fingers into your palm you would form like a U looking shape and that is what you want with the wire tie for the main drain screen in your pot. I guess here it could be easiest explained that the shape would indeed look like a staple.
Also for the purpose of this demonstration I'm going to use a pot that does indeed have only one main drain hole and some other holes for tie down wires. Now in the picture below you see the bottom of the pot and it could be any style of pot as long as it complements the tree and of course that is a different lesson and time.
So then indeed below you can view a picture of the pot I selected and the tools I use to re-pot with but remember like I said this is only my selection and may vary from person to person.
So then here are my choices from left to right first the pot with one main large drain hole and five much smaller holes that are used for wire tie downs and that I will discuss in a moment but first the rest of the tools in the picture, next is my curved blade used to help loosen the soil around the edges of the pot if you are indeed re-potting a plant that is already in a pot. This will be yet another lesson in part two of this series of re-potting in the next session I will go into more detail of the actual re-potting of a tree that indeed is going to go right back into the same pot and more showing you how to trim the roots and make it ready to go back into the existing pot. But in this lesson I'm not showing the trimming of roots and all the other factors only the way I prepare a pot and make it ready to plant a tree assuming of course that the tree has all ready been prepared for the pot and ready to plant.
Next you will see my wire cutters, then there are my are my pliers, next are my chop sticks, and finally my Scissors. Then you will see one piece of screen that I have already cut for my drain hole.
All the above are what I use to re-pot and to make ready my pot. Wire is the only thing not shown in this first example and a spray bottle for keeping roots wet wile the process is taking place. Wire of course depends on the tree its self and the size and how large or small the tree may be. For obvious reasons a little bigger wire for tie downs if the tress is indeed larger and needs it and smaller of course for smaller trees that is your choice as to what size you use and if it be copper or aluminum and again this is a matter of preference.
Next then I would take the piece of screen that I cut to size and turn my pot over and position the screen in the pot as close to center of the main drain hole as possible then I would take my precut U shaped wire and run the wire through the precut screening just at the very edges of the main drain hole on either side as to make a rather good snug fit then hold in place with your thumb or other fingers while you turn the pot back over and then press the wire emerging out of the bottom drain hole into place on the bottom of the pot firmly with your other thumb to hold the drain screen snugly in the pot.
In point of fact please kind of consider re-potting to that of major surgery on your self it is a critical thing and must be carried out in a good clean manor and in satisfactory time, and by that I mean you should be prepared and have at least some knowledge of what to do, you should not be fumbling around looking for a tool that you should have had at hands reach right from the start or you should not be letting the exposed roots dry out because you do not have a spray bottle with water at hand to keep them misted and wet while working.
Of course there are many other things that are involved and I will try to explain them as best as I can but if your indeed a beginner or in question of what to do it is always best to attain as much information to prepare yourself in advance or simply take a class from someone that is accomplished and can instruct you how to do it, there is truly no substitute for hands on information.
Now Conifers can and will wait until further into the spring to re-pot. So my rule is to re-pot my deciduous first and conifers second unless totally needed sooner for the health of the tree.
We as the surgeons must be prepared and ready in advance, we need to have all necessary tools ready cleaned and a new pot selected and prepared if your indeed going to use a different pot. If your going to use the same pot the tree was already in then it is slightly done a little different but still all tools and materials should be prepared in advance. You would not take a patient into the operating room and not be prepared.
What are the tools needed for the task at hand?
Now at this point bear in mind that this is my way of doing it and could be done different by others and I would be the first to tell you that this is only my method and not always excepted by others and that opinions are like clothes most everyone has some and or wears them but opinions of how they dress in them can truly differ. So it is up to you to decide. If you like my method use it if not find another's way of showing you or doing it.
First off let me explain my method when using a new pot. I will always have my pot prepared in advance and ready to accept the tree. The pot could be of any of many different styles and shapes but it should always have at least one main drain hole and possibly more and some smaller and other tiny holes for inserting wire tie downs. I would interject here that the hardest pots to use are ones with only one main drain hole and they are very plentiful so you will always see a lot of them around in Nursery's I personally try to avoid them if there are other choices as the process for making and tying in screening and tie down wires is somewhat different for this type of pot.
But if your out and about pot shopping then try to attain a pot with more than one drain hole and at least two if not more smaller holes to insert wire tie downs into the pot. Now let us assume that you have selected a new pot with these characteristics and are ready to prepare that pot.
First step is to cover the drain hole from the inside of the pot with some drain screening so that bugs and other incest's most often can not attain entrance into your pot from the underside. Turn your pot upside down on your working surface and measure across the drain hole from left to right or right to left does not matter the width of the drain screen your going to use and it should by pass on either side of the drain hole at least ample enough to completely cover the hole and have some material left over all the way around that area.
Then cut a piece of wire from at least a size 1 or 1.5 or possibly 2 or 2.5 of at least three times the length of the size of your drain hole. Now it is of note to make here that there are many different types of ties for the drain screen but in this lesson I only use one and that is of the U shape simply attained buy bending and shaping the cut piece of wire in the shape of a U equal lengths on either side. So if you were for instance to hold up your thumb and little finger straight up and tuck the rest of your fingers into your palm you would form like a U looking shape and that is what you want with the wire tie for the main drain screen in your pot. I guess here it could be easiest explained that the shape would indeed look like a staple.
Also for the purpose of this demonstration I'm going to use a pot that does indeed have only one main drain hole and some other holes for tie down wires. Now in the picture below you see the bottom of the pot and it could be any style of pot as long as it complements the tree and of course that is a different lesson and time.
So then indeed below you can view a picture of the pot I selected and the tools I use to re-pot with but remember like I said this is only my selection and may vary from person to person.
So then here are my choices from left to right first the pot with one main large drain hole and five much smaller holes that are used for wire tie downs and that I will discuss in a moment but first the rest of the tools in the picture, next is my curved blade used to help loosen the soil around the edges of the pot if you are indeed re-potting a plant that is already in a pot. This will be yet another lesson in part two of this series of re-potting in the next session I will go into more detail of the actual re-potting of a tree that indeed is going to go right back into the same pot and more showing you how to trim the roots and make it ready to go back into the existing pot. But in this lesson I'm not showing the trimming of roots and all the other factors only the way I prepare a pot and make it ready to plant a tree assuming of course that the tree has all ready been prepared for the pot and ready to plant.
Next you will see my wire cutters, then there are my are my pliers, next are my chop sticks, and finally my Scissors. Then you will see one piece of screen that I have already cut for my drain hole.
All the above are what I use to re-pot and to make ready my pot. Wire is the only thing not shown in this first example and a spray bottle for keeping roots wet wile the process is taking place. Wire of course depends on the tree its self and the size and how large or small the tree may be. For obvious reasons a little bigger wire for tie downs if the tress is indeed larger and needs it and smaller of course for smaller trees that is your choice as to what size you use and if it be copper or aluminum and again this is a matter of preference.
Next then I would take the piece of screen that I cut to size and turn my pot over and position the screen in the pot as close to center of the main drain hole as possible then I would take my precut U shaped wire and run the wire through the precut screening just at the very edges of the main drain hole on either side as to make a rather good snug fit then hold in place with your thumb or other fingers while you turn the pot back over and then press the wire emerging out of the bottom drain hole into place on the bottom of the pot firmly with your other thumb to hold the drain screen snugly in the pot.
You will then most likely have a little extra wire and it can be cut so that it is not overly in the way at the bottom on your pot that is to say just snip it to say around less than a quarter inch or less on either side. It should still be snug and not move around at all. If in doubt then test to ensure you did it right.
All right then now we come to the tie down wires they are to of course added into the pot from the bottom and then brought to the top and also in the shape of the former U. They are used to tie the tree into the pot anchoring it in place. There are couple of main reasons, one so that the tree is sung and stable in the pot and the roots are not moving all around in the pot every time the wind wiggles the tree and to insure that it is not blown out of the pot in foul weather and of course to prevent your not so bonsai friendly friends from picking up your tree by the trunk and in so doing actually yanked it free removing it from the pot because it was not wired into the container. On my gosh did I really say that... Yes in my early years before I learned to wire them it actually happened just that way.
All right then let's make ready our tie down wires and insert them into the pot. I take enough wire to measure at least three quarters around the pots circumference and one slightly smaller buy perhaps and inch or so at best then I bend these wires also into a u shape and then insert them into the smaller tie down holes most often at the outer edges of the better well made pots and you will indeed learn what are good pots as you progress and what are bad ones for sure. Now pull these wires on through and place them as close to the edges of the pot as you can and actually place them over the rim or edge of the pot out of your way.
Now your ready to plant and make ready your chosen tree. Next I would place a layer of medium to large pumice into the bottom of the pot for drainage. Then I would place at least one scoop of my favorite potting soil into the pot in the position I want the tree to sit. I will work the scoop of soil into a upwards mound and then carefully position the tree over that mound and gently push down on the mound while twisting the tree from side to side slightly to insure some of that soil works its way into the center mass of the root ball on the tree.
Now then I'm ready to tie my tree into the pot into the desired position. I will bring the wires together over the mass of root ball as gently as possible and then twist them together a few times to ensure they have made a grip and then I will take my pliers and gently pull upwards taking out some of the slack in the wire and then with the pliers make a couple of twists too the wire and release then repeat till you feel that you have indeed secured the plant into the pot. Now your ready to begin adding more soil and working the plant into its desired container.
Once again here I will add that you should use if possible two sets of tie down wire and if not one will often suffice. But again more is better and once again a matter of choice and preferences. This way with more tie downs you can work from one side or the pot to the other and make even a more secure tie down overall. As most people that have been doing bonsai for any time will tell you the wire ties are also now acting as the anchor for the tree because in a lot of cases you have removed larger roost and even the main tap root of the given tree to insure that it fit in the pop you selected in the first place.
Now here below you can see a proper prepared pot with drain hole screen in place and cut to proper size at edges so not to have excess wire on the bottom of the pot which could make the pot shaky or wobble around on it sitting surface. Some do have legs while yet others do not so they are not raised up so that the wire does not interfere with the pot wobbling around. Of course it is best to find a pot slightly raised above its intended surface some what either with legs or some other way slightly above the surface or you might need to raise your pot up by placing something under it.
Also another good use for chop sticks if your just starting out with bonsai and want to really learn when your plant needs to be watered then take a pair and break them in half making now four pieces and place one of them into your potted tree all the way to the bottom and then every day pull it up and take a look at it and you will be able to see the water line on almost all wooden chops sticks as they will absorb water and then when drying out the water line will continue to works it way up the chops stick. the closer to the top the dampness is the sooner you should water again. Simple enough right.
Anyway off the beaten path here so back to it, now I will take my scoop and add more soil all around the pot and gently tap the sides of the pot to settle as much of the new soil as I can then starting at the edge of the pot I will work the chop stick all the way to the bottom and gently wiggle back and forth and with my for finger pushing soil on down into the hole the wiggling has made and then repeat all the way around the pot at the edges until it is firm and once in a while I will tap the sides of the pot yet again to see if more soil will indeed settle if not then I will insert the chop stick at about a 45 degree angle pushing towards the center of the pot and work the same way causing new soils to settle in the center root mass closer to the center of the potted tree. Work the soil until you feel that no more will fall into the small holes you have made by the wiggling of the chop sticks back and forth.
Now like I stated and will once more this is my method but you must learn what truly works best for you and if you take lessons from some one and they clearly have been doing this for a few years and have proof to show you then you should by all means do what they tell you or show you because it should be clear to anyone that if they have planted trees in bonsai pots in there garden and they are healthy then they must know and have some knowledge of what they are doing.
Bare in mind this is part one of re-potting and I will show you the other parts of my ways to re-pot in yet another installment in part two so be looking for that and as always happy bonsai to you and hope you return for more of my ramblings..
By: Harold Yearout ©Copyright 2016 Harold Yearout All Rights Reserved for more information feel free to contact me: h.yearout@gmail.com
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