Repotting Japanese pines in summer???

[Lorax7]

So, I was watching YouTube and a new BonsaiQ video popped up on my feed. A little over halfway through the video, the guy says that he repots Japanese pines in the middle of summer when it’s hot. Kinda blew my mind to hear that. Has anyone here tried doing that as their regular practice? If so, what results have you had?

 

[leatherback]

Well.. I happened to have repotted a mugo pine yesterday..
It is just over peak heat here. The tree had plenty of growing roottips, which for me is a sign that timing was really nice. It does depend on humidity levels I think though. Many places in Japan have humid summers and drier winters, if I recall correctly which means that some actions do not translate to local conditions.
But yes. I do late-summer / early fall repots of pine too. But mind you.. Untill a handfull of years ago I was killing pines without effort.

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

Our Mugos are routinely repotted in summer too, but have also been repotted in spring. None of the others (JBP,JWP, JRP, Limber, Bristlecone) are repotted in summer as a routine.

I’m sure with the right conditions, equipment and a well trained practitioner this could be pulled off.

What do you think would be the advantage in doing this? Most folks rationalize a spring repot give greatest time for the tree to recover. Also summer is usually believed to be the time of greatest root growth…?

cheers
DSD sends

 

[Yamabudoudanshi]

Lot's of people repot white pines towards the end of August here. Most of my books recommend it for pines that have been a while between repots or have slowed down in vigor over the growing season.
I have a medium sized white pine that wasn't draining the year I got it. I repotted in in August and it came back with a vengence the following spring.
If you've been watching Q's videos, you've probably noticed that the "rules" that are often considered quite firm in the west, are more like loose guidlines for Japanese growers. Much of that comes from experience I reckon, but the climate also plays a role.
Another example is repotting of deciduous trees. I often see people here say, "when the buds begin to swell", but most people here start repotting their maples in January, and will often continue to do so right into April when they've leafed out without much worry. That being said, much of Japan has much more mild winters than many of you in North America do, so we can get away with more.

 

[leatherback]

like loose guidlines for Japanese growers.

Agreed. I am under the impression that particularly the USA has a big focus on these rules. I do not recall discussions on rules here.

most people here start repotting their maples in January, and will often continue to do so right into April

Yes, this is what I do too

Japan has much more mild winters than many of you in North America do, so we can get away with more.

Three points in a row!
I find our winters in general are kind on the trees. Except for the odd spike-down in April when all is happily growing ruining my plans.

 

[hemmy]

It is worth noting that using the closed captioning, he says his “predecessor” and other gardens repot in the summer. But then the possible translation on cc states ‘that it won’t be possible to manage this in the home bonsai garden where it will be difficult to check the dryness and water. So it is safer to repot in the Spring.’

 

[Paradox]

Prefer to repot all my pines in the late winter/early spring

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

Agreed. I am under the impression that particularly the USA has a big focus on these rules. I do not recall discussions on rules here.

Hmm… Seriously doubt that… maybe for rookies, yet things are breaking out in the PacNW area.

QUOTE="leatherback, post: 1069061,
I find our winters in general are kind on the trees. Except for the odd spike-down in April when all is happily growing ruining my plans.
[/QUOTE]

Gosh the winters here have changed in the past for the worst episodically followed by the new unpredictable harsh summer heat spells. Maybe your folks have shipped your weather to us!

Pretty sure there is no way most reasoning folks out here would bust a healthy tree out of its pot during the middle of a growing season and chop its roots off just to face a spell in the high 90’s.

Am I right or am I left? BFG

Cheers
DSD sends

 

[Maiden69]

the guy says that he repots Japanese pines in the middle of summer when it’s hot.

Kanta (the guy on the video) has been doing this for a while, and he goes to explain in other videos (as Ryan has done in the past) that it is possible to do in Japan because it is the start of the Monsoon season, which helps the trees recover. Ryan does not recommend doing that in the US unless you can provide the same conditions as Monsoon weather in Japan.

Brent do advocate for fall repot of JBP, no summer as far as I know.

Mugo is known to be repotted in the summer, not the same pine as a JBP or JWP.

 

[Maiden69]

This one was posted 3 days ago, repotting a JBP neagari. What called my attention was that unlike most of his trees, this one was planted in 100% kanuma.

 

[B-Trees]

Jonas has a story about someone (I think Taiga Urushibata) chiding him, saying, "you can do any work any time of year with the right aftercare" and Jonas, cheekily, tested that by decandling and repotting a JBP at the same time, in July. "It worked great, the tree didn't miss a beat. I would recommend that to no one."

 

[Potawatomi13]

Any rules discussed here somewhere. However as already said rules=guidelines for most thinking people. However would be wise to consider Ryans advice as best practice.