Repot or hack first?

[WadeNasty]

Hey guys I'm new. I picked up a burning bush to make into a bonsai. The guy I got it from said it had been in the same pot for about 4 years. So my question is should I repot it in the spring in turface mvp or can I hack it down to start the Bonsai transformation. I know I can't do both at the same time, or so I've been told.

 

[bonsailevel:master]

Don't know where you are located but I would chop and repot in the spring before bud break if you live somewhere with cold winters. Remove any big roots and trim them. They are indestructible. Don't prune new shoots next year. They only flush once.

 

[Eckhoffw]

From experience, I’d throw in an additional gritty soil component, such as pumice, or even perlite to go along with your turface.

Alone, Turface tends to clump into Hydro phobic regions within your pot, making watering very difficult. Even some course sand in the mix will help

 

[WadeNasty]

From experience, I’d throw in an additional gritty soil component, such as pumice, or even perlite to go along with your turface.

Alone, Turface tends to clump into Hydro phobic regions within your pot, making watering very difficult. Even some course sand in the mix will help

Thank you. Great to know.

 

[WadeNasty]

Don't know where you are located but I would chop and repot in the spring before bud break if you live somewhere with cold winters. Remove any big roots and trim them. They are indestructible. Don't prune new shoots next year. They only flush once.

I live in Boise Id. I am cutting it pretty far down. To just a few inches above the fork. So you think I can repot and hack in down at the same time? How big of a pot do you think? I am really new to this.

 

[Scorpius]

New trees to me I want to know where the health of the tree is at before doing anything drastic. I would repot and watch how it grows in 2024 and go from there.

 

[Orion_metalhead]

Agree with above sentiments. Add something to the turface to aid in drainage and water movement.

I would repot into a grow box. Id size the box based on the root spread of the current plant so, something double the width of the current nursery container and maybe 4 or 5 inches deep. Leave radial roots and fine roots. Cut roots that are overly thick, crossing, and growing straight down. Use the current foliage mass to regrow this year til mid summer then cut back leaving 2 or 3 leaflets. This will allow light into the tree to stimulate new inner buds.

Next year, in late winter, structurally prune if the tree grew well. Euonomys Elatus are vigorous growers but flush once as mentioned. They respond best to winter pruning. Wire as first flush is hardening.

Pretty typical care. They like water. Best fall color when in full sun.

 

[Shibui]

I have no problem with hard chop and hard root prune on most deciduous. Limited experience with Euonymus (assume this is alatus?) But I have transplanted Euonymus europea - European spindles with massive trunk chop and massive root reduction in one operation and all have survived and grown well after.
The real challenge I find is to create good ramification. With only one flush per year and tendency to long internodes it is frustrating and slow.

 

[Potawatomi13]

Be aware if repot done first presence of desirable surface roots should determine planting angle and determine how you may want to prune upper tree. Just a thought..

 

[leatherback]

I find these to be as robust to abuse as any species and I would not be worried about trimming to desired shape now, and come spring do a full repot.
Keep in mind that cut sites do not really heal well, so look for a design with minimal big cuts, and have those in the back of the tree wherever possible.

 

[WadeNasty]

Be aware if repot done first presence of desirable surface roots should determine planting angle and determine how you may want to prune upper tree. Just a thought..

I'm thinking a informal upright duel trunk design.

 

[milehigh_7]

Hey guys I'm new. I picked up a burning bush to make into a bonsai. The guy I got it from said it had been in the same pot for about 4 years. So my question is should I repot it in the spring in turface mvp or can I hack it down to start the Bonsai transformation. I know I can't do both at the same time, or so I've been told.

You have had good advice thus far. Burning bush is a single flush species and ditch the turface. It is in essence ceramic due to the high firing and is non-porous. Additionally, the shape tends to lend itself to its hydrophobic nature and you will have pockets that never get water. I would stick with a volcanic component (lava/scoria/pumice), some akadama (or calcined diatomaceous earth) maybe a little pine bark as well. These tend to make a very fibrous root system so you many not have many big roots to deal with anyway.

 

[Orion_metalhead]

A cheap base all purpose soil which I use is sifted saf-t-sorb (from tractor supply) mixed 1:1 with sifted perlite then add crushed pine bark as an additional 1/3 or 1/4 of the total. You can use sphagnum moss as well.

Soils are an entire massive topic to themselves. Just use something that drains well but holds enough water to supply the tree through the day. Expect to water twice (morning and evening) on the hottest summer days.

 

[Gaitano]

I have a few of the euonymus alatus that I’ve been working on for about ten years now. I repot every year as they fill the pot with a mass of fine roots. They get very thirsty and love water so make sure your soil mix is porous. Ditch that turface for pumice. Mine are in all akadama now and love it. You can trim now and they will back bud well. One flush per year for me also. When you start introducing a shallower pot they will get a thickening nebari.

 

[bonsailevel:master]

I have a few of the euonymus alatus that I’ve been working on for about ten years now. I repot every year as they fill the pot with a mass of fine roots. They get very thirsty and love water so make sure your soil mix is porous. Ditch that turface for pumice. Mine are in all akadama now and love it. You can trim now and they will back bud well. One flush per year for me also. When you start introducing a shallower pot they will get a thickening nebari.

Do you have any photos of them? Would love to see them.

 

[BonjourBonsai]

A cheap base all purpose soil which I use is sifted saf-t-sorb (from tractor supply) mixed 1:1 with sifted perlite then add crushed pine bark as an additional 1/3 or 1/4 of the total. You can use sphagnum moss as well.

Soils are an entire massive topic to themselves. Just use something that drains well but holds enough water to supply the tree through the day. Expect to water twice (morning and evening) on the hottest summer days.

Yup to all of this

 

[Shibui]

Be aware if repot done first presence of desirable surface roots should determine planting angle and determine how you may want to prune upper tree

This is important advice!
Shaping a tree without seeing where surface roots are can cause design problems later and roots are not visible in the original photos so hard to make good style decisions yet.

I once shaped a lovely little mini then discovered, at repot, the trunk went way down into the soil. That lovely little tree looked like a lollipop on a long stick.
Designing a leaning tree or cascade then discover all the roots are on the opposite side of the trunk so it is not possible to tilt the trunk that direction.

At least scrape away enough soil to see the first main roots before doing major trimming.

 

[WadeNasty]

This is important advice!
Shaping a tree without seeing where surface roots are can cause design problems later and roots are not visible in the original photos so hard to make good style decisions yet.

I once shaped a lovely little mini then discovered, at repot, the trunk went way down into the soil. That lovely little tree looked like a lollipop on a long stick.
Designing a leaning tree or cascade then discover all the roots are on the opposite side of the trunk so it is not possible to tilt the trunk that direction.

At least scrape away enough soil to see the first main roots before doing major trimming.

Thanks. I will do that.