sphagnum for ailing bonsai

[newby]

I have a very nice little Dwarf Pagoda Japanese holly tree. It was looking very poorly over the winter/early spring so I followed a suggestion from Peter Chan and repotted it in pure shagnum moss. It has bounced back nicely with lots of new roots and new tiny leaves. How long should I leave in the sphagnum before moving it back into regular bonsai soil?

 

[berzerkules]

I wouldn't repot a tree from sphagnum now. If something is potted in just sphagnum it can be difficult to remove the sphagnum because it forms a mat with the roots. It's especially difficult if the sphagnum wasn't shredded. If it has just bounced back it probably has a bunch of fine feeder roots all through the mat and it would be near impossible to remove the sphagnum without damaging a lot of roots. Come spring the roots will be tougher and you're not as likely to break off as much cleaning it out.

 

[A. Gorilla]

I put some red maple seedlings in a shallow pot of pure sphagnum. Just to say I did.

Stays wet and grows algae Gross. Not sure how it works for Peter Chan.

 

[sorce]

t was looking very poorly over the winter/early spring

Twas it?

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Sorce

 

[Bonsai Nut]

So much advice is based on where you live and the environment you are keeping your tree in. For example, we are assuming you are keeping it outside, and leaving it outside over the winter?

Generally speaking, if your tree is doing well, I wouldn't mess with it in July. Japanese holly is very hardy... just don't drown the roots. If you have it in sphagnum moss, the moss will completely break down in about a year, so the best course may be to wait until the spring and repot it then.

 

[newby]

Thank you all- I am in Ontario, so zone 5. The holly is small (4-5") and was inside during the winter, cool room under a grow light and in a gravel tray for humidity. Our winter goes down to -20C (-5 F), and I didn't think it would be THAT hardy! It turned olive green instead of a nice healthy dark green, and dropped some leaves. It is on the screened veranda for the summer so slightly filtered sun all day. It is in pure sphagnum with a weekly dose of 1/4 strength 20-20-20 fertliser and is putting out lots of new little leaves, seems to be recovering nicely. I won't repot until spring, but I am concerned about next winter. I have an unheated greenhouse. I thought of putting the pot into a bigger one with potting mix to insulate the roots a bit.