Swollen bud sweet spot

[Nybonsai12]

Repot when buds swell, that's what they say. Bonsai is all about doing things at the right time to get the best possible result. So here are some buds that are starting to move off two JM and two tridents. From seeing these would you think it's ok to repot? Wait a little longer? Pretend we are past freezing temps and no risk of any potential weather related damage. I have my opinion but want to hear what others think? Thanks in advance, happy Friday!

Edit: sorry if pics are blurry.

 

[GrimLore]

Mine are at that stage as well. If they needed it I would repot at this time. Even if we get another frost it will be brief and Maples in general will handle it.

Grimmy

 

[whfarro]

I just repotted a few maples at this stage this
week. We still have risk of hard frost for another month. I am hoping for the best, but will keep a close eye on the weather channel. If I need to protect these I'll run them into the garage for the night.

 

[MACH5]

All my maples are very late this year due to unrelenting cold temps. Have not repotted a single one yet. Every year, for years, I have been repotting when buds begin to swell. Never have had a problem doing so. However... just recently it came to my attention that Mr. Fujikawa and Bjorn at Kouka-en, say is best when the leaves are coming out of their outer casing. According to their experience, this is to be the optimal time to repot. This is only in reference to Japanese maples and does not apply to Tridents which can be done earlier.

I will experiment with this a bit and report back.

 

[coh]

Might find this recent article of interest:

https://www.bonsai-nbf.org/valavanis-bonsai-hints-part-1-spring-transplanting/

 

[Paradox]

Mine are at the same stage NY. I am starting my bonsai school classes tomorrow and we are doing repotting. I am bringing a trident for that. You can repot them now and I would.
Ive also pulled out a couple of my deciduous that are pushing and pruned them already.

If we have nights below 35 or frost threat, put them in the garage for the night. That is what I do with mine. They will be fine.

 

[Dav4]

I think you can wait a while more. I repotted a bunch of maples 3 weeks ago just as the buds started to swell. Most are growing well but have needed to be moved several times due to freezing temps. I also repotted a large maple 3 days ago that had 2 to 3 sets of leaves identifiable on some of the shoots. I would have done it a week earlier (hadn't been done for at least 2 years and needed it) but a family emergency pulled me out of state. Any way, the tree didn't skip a beat despite an almost complete bare root.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

I'd say the repotting window is just now opening...especially if your forecast is to remain above freezing.

 

[lieuz]

I'd say the repotting window is just now opening...especially if your forecast is to remain above freezing.

I agree, here in VA we can still get freezes all the way to late april unfortunately. So I will probably have to wait until I start see some green.

 

[lieuz]

Might find this recent article of interest:

https://www.bonsai-nbf.org/valavanis-bonsai-hints-part-1-spring-transplanting/

Wow, this is awesome! Thank you for posting this awesome link!

 

[sorce]

I repotted my Amur Maple 2 days ago. The buds were a day or so more swollen then that.

The elm I repotted early has seen 25 degrees. It is doing fine.

I'd do it within 4 days.

Sorce

 

[gjantzer]

If I want to up pot a new young plant from a one gallon container into a grow box, can it be done after a fairly substantial numbers of leaves have opened up? Does repotting need to be done during the budding stage or can I continue to repot later in the spring when some of my stock has already opened up? So much to do, so little time.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Probably too late, but you didn't tell us what kind of tree or show any pix, so it's just a guess.

 

[0soyoung]

For future reference, you can repot anytime during winter dormancy, upto the point that shoots are starting to extend. BUT your tree is vulnerable to dessication and it's roots are extremely vulnerable to frost damage. The shorter this gap, the better if your climate is likely to present some challenging conditions. 'Buds swelling' is just a way of identifying that the tree is beginning to exit dormancy - chilling requirements have been met and air temperatures are rising above 40F-ish. Once the buds have cracked and the leafs are emergent (limp leafy suff hanging out of the bud, maybe even some flower clusters, if you know how to recognize them), you must move with alacrity or forget about repotting until late summer or fall or, to be safe, next spring.

Further, identifying your location as 'Southern Oregon' is no help to anybody, regardless of whether they are trying to help or harm you and your trees. Your USDA zone would be of use, if you don't want people knowing what township you are in or near to.

I am in northern Washington (ignore that stuff below my avitar). I repotted all of my deciduous trees in late March and early February. My amur maple and acer palmatums 'Orange Dream' had hardened leafs before the end of March. Other cultivars and species are just now breaking bud. But, that's northern Washington for ya . Of course, I'm in USDA zone 8b - my winters are like those in Mobile, AL or Grants Pass, OR. Winters are quite a bit colder and longer lasting for southern OR in the Cascades and eastward to Nevada.

 

[Eric Group]

If I want to up pot a new young plant from a one gallon container into a grow box, can it be done after a fairly substantial numbers of leaves have opened up? Does repotting need to be done during the budding stage or can I continue to repot later in the spring when some of my stock has already opened up? So much to do, so little time.

If you look at the link provided above- the Trident Bill is repotting has already opened about half of it's leaves it looks like. If you are just bumping it up from a one gallon to a grow box with no/minimal root work. You can do that at any time without hurting your tree, almost irregardless of species. You should be fine... If you are doing a full on root pruning repot of an established Bonsai, and you are pretty new to the game, then you probably don't want to do it much later than the tree Bill is showing images of- which is JUST after the first leaves broke out of the buds... Pine, Juniper, maybe even Boxwoods and Azalea can be done a little later...

Keep in mind- all of us- that it even says in the Bill's article... That someone can repot a tree ANY time of year, if proper after care is given. That has always been my biggest thing about timing of a repot. It doesn't matter that much what tree you are repotting when, it is important you care for it properly after it has been stressed. IOW- Protect it from frost, don't want to stick it right out in full sun (though full sun may be Ok in early Spring with a deciduous tree that doesn't have leaves yet.. If you keep it watered), and keep it moist... Maybe do some chopped sphagnum or other moss over the soil... Don't fertilize heavily with chemical ferts until you see active new growth pushing. That is pretty much what keeps them alive after a repot. There are more considerations to take into account when repotting "out of season", and it gets more complicated for some species, that is why Spring repots are most commonly recommended! But, if you feel confident in your ability to care for a species and provide sufficient after care, the exact timing of when you do the work is not terribly important.

I can trace almost every tree I have had die soon after being repotted back to a specific error I MADE- didn't protect from sun long enough, let it dry out, frost got it, I used crappy soil or over did it on the roots.... Something I did caused it, it has never been "well I repotted it a week too late so the tree croaked on me!"

 

[gjantzer]

Eric - thank you much. That was informative and what I was looking for. I am washing away a little soil to soften the roots on the edges and remove any clay like material I find, but I am otherwise trying to save as many roots as possible when I up pot.

 

[gjantzer]

Further, identifying your location as 'Southern Oregon' is no help to anybody, regardless of whether they are trying to help or harm you and your trees. Your USDA zone would be of use, if you don't want people knowing what township you are in or near to.

My USDA zone is in my profile. That is where it is for everyone. I don't think I have seen one person with the usda zone below their avatar.

 

[0soyoung]

My USDA zone is in my profile. That is where it is for everyone. I don't think I have seen one person with the usda zone below their avatar.

Right you are. My apologies.
I seem to have been rather confused and pompous yesterday.

I repotted all of my deciduous trees in late MarchFebruary and early FebruaryMarch.

I'd swear zone info was displayed below the avitar once upon a time in BNut 2.0 (did the number of messages get substituted for zone?). I did notice that it wasn't there yesterday but I didn't find it in your profile either. Evidently, ...

... I let my mind wander and it didn't come back

 

[aframe]

NYBONSAI: My maples never have buds that swell evenly; probably because none of them are near 'finished'. I notice the tops of the tree and bottom branch terminals look like pic #4 (bottom rt.) when I repot. I aim to have the JMs, hazels and elms repotted before the buds burst as in pic #4.

If I want to up pot a new young plant from a one gallon container into a grow box, can it be done after a fairly substantial numbers of leaves have opened up? Does repotting need to be done during the budding stage or can I continue to repot later in the spring when some of my stock has already opened up? So much to do, so little time.

If you're not going to disturb the root ball much; absolutely no worries. Handling a 1 gal root ball into a grow box should be easy, just use your head. Different story if your trying to move a 15 gal into a grow box; it would be nearly impossible not to break fine roots.

 

[cmeg1]

I always pot and root prune when buds are plump and just about to show leaf tips.Ideally the leaf tips appear the very next day after repotting.