reading roots

[Joe Dupre']

What can you tell about the health and growth of a bonsai by the position of the roots in the pot. Example: If most of the roots are crowded into the very bottom of the pot where they circle around the root ball, could this mean that maybe you're not watering enough, the soil doesn't contain enough water retentive material, or maybe that the particle size is too big?

I see vidoes the show bonsai at repotting time that have roots in every square inch of the pot. Mine don't quite look like that. I use 50/50 pine bark and Napa 8822. The 8822 runs fairly small, but my pine bark sieves out to a max size a bit bigger than 3/8". Most of the bark is well bellow that size, though. I do seive out the fines in both materials.

 

[aml1014]

Working in the nursery business I've found what you said to be correct. Not enough noisture means roots down at the bottom. I use straight 8822 or 50/50 8822 and pumice for my conifers. I always have a pot full of roots.

Aaron

 

[sorce]

Do you know what the roots looked like before?

It could be that it was already set up to grow at the bottom, and just didn't send closer roots.

Or were they there in the middle, and then died?

__

I have found that 8822 mixed with pine fines dries faster....and eventually the pine finds it way to the top.

Straighty822 now!

Sorce

 

[Joe Dupre']

I live in South Louisiana and it gets HOT for many months in a row. It's early Feb. and many of the trees are starting to bud out while still carrying some of last years leaves. Short winters here.

I'll try maybe a 60/40 mix of pine bark to 8822 this repotting season.

Aaron and Sorce, you must have to really pay attention to fertilizing with little to no organic material in the mix.

Sorce , I don't think any roots die, just form closer to the bottom of the pot. I'm just a couple of years into bonsai, so I don't have a ton of experience on root behavior.

Thanks for the replies.

Joe

 

[aml1014]

I live in South Louisiana and it gets HOT for many months in a row. It's early Feb. and many of the trees are starting to bud out while still carrying some of last years leaves. Short winters here.

I'll try maybe a 60/40 mix of pine bark to 8822 this repotting season.

Aaron and Sorce, you must have to really pay attention to fertilizing with little to no organic material in the mix.

Sorce , I don't think any roots die, just form closer to the bottom of the pot. I'm just a couple of years into bonsai, so I don't have a ton of experience on root behavior.

Thanks for the replies.

Joe

I feed weekly in the growing season. Here in NM we can be pretty damn hot to, just without the humidity so it's worse. I generally need to water twice a day in summer otherwise the surface drys to much and I lose feeder roots in the top of the pot. Keeping the soil constantly moist isn't an issue as there is plenty of air for the roots in modern substrates so don't worry to much about root rot.

Aaron

 

[sorce]

fertilizing

I rocked chems and fish last year..
This year...
Fish and Organic.
Only...and a lot!

experience

I must have pulled a thousand or more seedlings out of the ground just to understand roots.

I can never take pictures with dirty hands...but root pics are excellent.

Take a lot of notes and examine the roots of everything that dies!

Ah.. Yes...you very well can read roots.

Part of what I love about this is that very reading, of the entire tree.

It's amazing!

Sorce

 

[Anthony]

Well you know our soil mix and at the end of the year, every square cm is root locked, even if some have
made the circle bit.
AGED Compost, it's what feeds the magic ------------ had to say that for the Sorce.
Drive by comments again.
Good Day
Anthony

 

[my nellie]

Good choice Sorce.

... ...This year... Fish and Organic.
Only...and a lot!

This is almost the same to what I use and I am completely content with the results. No worries for chemical burning of roots. Slow release pellets (guano or other) monthly and liquid fish or kelp/seaweed emulsion weekly is my routine.