Critique my JM repotting method

[The Warm Canuck]

I'm looking for some critique on my current JM repotting process.

This tree was bought from a nursery last fall. It had a nice healthy root ball, but obviously as this was it's first time having root work done, there wasn't much left once I was done.

I screwed a 2" x 2" x 2" block to the bottom of the tree, lightly stapled a few of the roots (to guide their direction), then screwed the block to the bottom of the box. (this saves me from having to wire the tree to the pot, which for some reason I don't like doing). The block also keeps the roots off the bottom of the pot. (which has been a problem for me with this style of box, having a complete mesh bottom, roots get attached to them). The pot is pressure treated lumbar with hardware wire covering the bottom 8"x 8"x 3.5".
The substrate is 50% perlite and 50% Pro-Mix HP (peat moss 65-75%, perlite, limestone, wetting agent, mycorrhizae): https://www.pthorticulture.com/en/products/pro-mix-hp-mycorrhizae/#tab:product-specification. Furthermore, I've added bonsai soil to the top just in order to stop the perlite from blowing away.

Hit me with it!

 

[leatherback]

I would have sworn you have a thread on this already?

 

[The Warm Canuck]

I would have sworn you have a thread on this already?

Different questions lol. I try to ask one question per post.

 

[leatherback]

Different questions lol. I try to ask one question per post.

I typically find it helpfull to pool things on the same tree in one thread. This way you build history and people can better follow what has been done prior.

 

[RoadManDenDron]

Is that a commercial blend potting soil you're top dressing with or have you mixed it yourself? I like the look of it

 

[Shibui]

Agree with Leatherback. I find it easier to answer when all the info is in a single thread.

I have no problem with the process.
Definitely no problem with the amount of roots. I have often gone a little harder with no problem.
I get similar results without the wood block but I accept it is trendy so I have no problem as it doesn't seem to do any harm.
The one thing I have found is to be careful how much soil is over the roots. Not clear from the photos but when existing roots are buried deep I often get new roots emerging above the chosen nebari. Those new roots can rapidly cause inverse taper or slow development of the roots below. 1cm/1/2" cover at most.

 

[leatherback]

I accept it is trendy so I have no problem as it doesn't seem to do any harm.

 

[The Warm Canuck]

Is that a commercial blend potting soil you're top dressing with or have you mixed it yourself? I like the look of it

Yes, it's PRO-MIX HP, blended 50/50 with perlite.

 

[The Warm Canuck]

Agree with Leatherback. I find it easier to answer when all the info is in a single thread.

I have no problem with the process.
Definitely no problem with the amount of roots. I have often gone a little harder with no problem.
I get similar results without the wood block but I accept it is trendy so I have no problem as it doesn't seem to do any harm.
The one thing I have found is to be careful how much soil is over the roots. Not clear from the photos but when existing roots are buried deep I often get new roots emerging above the chosen nebari. Those new roots can rapidly cause inverse taper or slow development of the roots below. 1cm/1/2" cover at most.

Yes, the roots are about 1-1/2" deep. I was paranoid as to how much roots I removed. I'll be sure to keep a look out for higher roots growing. Maybe I'll remove some soil later on in the season.

 

[The Warm Canuck]

Agree with Leatherback. I find it easier to answer when all the info is in a single thread.

I have no problem with the process.
Definitely no problem with the amount of roots. I have often gone a little harder with no problem.
I get similar results without the wood block but I accept it is trendy so I have no problem as it doesn't seem to do any harm.
The one thing I have found is to be careful how much soil is over the roots. Not clear from the photos but when existing roots are buried deep I often get new roots emerging above the chosen nebari. Those new roots can rapidly cause inverse taper or slow development of the roots below. 1cm/1/2" cover at most.

Furthermore, in the past @leatherback gave me some advise on covering the nebari well during development, however, maybe he doesn't mean as much as I have.

 

[leatherback]

Furthermore, in the past @leatherback gave me some advise on covering the nebari well during development, however, maybe he doesn't mean as much as I have.

I plant deep too. Certainly in these early stages.

 

[The Warm Canuck]

I wanted to see how it's roots looked so I unscrewed it out of its pot. The root ball came out like a carpet mat! So I up potted it. I'm using pea gravel to hold down the perlite heavy substrate, I'm hoping it will also keep the chickmunks out as I hate having to protect with chicken wire.

 

[Jrmcmich]

Just wondering if it will be more difficult to know when to water with the pea gravel? Although I have some things in development with perlite and coco coir and definitely harder to tell it’s saturated compared to some I have in pumice.

 

[leatherback]

I wanted to see how it's roots looked

WHy?
Do you have problems with the health of the tree?

So I up potted it

With or without working the roots?
Key is that every time that you have the tree out of the pot, work on the rootbase.
Uppotting wihtout rootwork will in the long run give you a headache with an inner circle of roots.

 

[The Warm Canuck]

Just wondering if it will be more difficult to know when to water with the pea gravel? Although I have some things in development with perlite and coco coir and definitely harder to tell it’s saturated compared to some I have in pumice.

Yes, this was also something I thought about, I use the chopstick method, so it shouldn't really matter.

 

[The Warm Canuck]

Is that this maple?

Thread 'Critique my JM repotting method'

Mar 15, 2024

I'm looking for some critique on my current JM repotting process.

This tree was bought from a nursery last fall. It had a nice healthy root ball, but obviously as this was it's first time having root work done, there wasn't much left once I was done.

I screwed a 2" x 2" x 2" block to the bottom of the tree, lightly stapled a few of the roots (to guide their direction), then screwed the block to the bottom of the box. (this saves me from having to wire the tree to the pot, which for some reason I don't like doing). The block also keeps the roots off the bottom of the pot. (which has...

• The Warm Canuck
• Replies: 18
• Forum: General Discussion

If so, maybe it’s because it has almost no roots, they’re stapled down and buried too deep.

Yes, it had some leaf issues, that Brian Van Fleet commented that it was how I potted it.

WHy?
Do you have problems with the health of the tree?


With or without working the roots?
Key is that every time that you have the tree out of the pot, work on the rootbase.
Uppotting wihtout rootwork will in the long run give you a headache with an inner circle of roots.

No, I didn't want to disturb the root ball, since the roots where worked so hard in the spring and it did have some leaf issues but I now think where water related, but either way I wanted to be safe. But, I'll keep that in mind next time, maybe I should have just cut the outer perimeter roots.

 

[leatherback]

, maybe I should have just cut the outer perimeter roots.

I would just have left the tree alone tbh

 

[The Warm Canuck]

I would just have left the tree alone tbh

Doesn't up potting it, give it more room for root extension and thus the ability for increased top growth?

 

[leatherback]

Doesn't up potting it, give it more room for root extension and thus the ability for increased top growth?

The tree seems to hardly have grown on top compared to when you potted it up. The pot certainly was not filled with roots; Give plants time to settle in.

Repotting like you did requires a year to rebuild a rootsystem, after which topgrowth can take off.
The pot it was in would have been plenty also for next year.