AusBonsai

So far I got about 10 bonsai in my collection as starters and pre bonsai. I would like to know whether a bonsai starter is suitable in a large pot that is 5x the size I originally purchased.
Eg Nursery Starter pots are no bigger than 6cm x 6cm as a cube pot and repot it in a 20cm round pot.
Please help me out

trees will develop faster with the larger pot but be careful what you re-pot at this time of year.
I like to re-pot natives and figs in late spring or early summer. Pines and deciduous trees in late winter.

Gerard wrote:trees will develop faster with the larger pot but be careful what you re-pot at this time of year.
I like to re-pot natives and figs in late spring or early summer. Pines and deciduous trees in late winter.

I have about 5 new bonsai that I purchased couple of days ago and they are pre/starters which are Flowering Cherry, Hinoki Cypress, Shimpaku Juni, Cotoneaster, Kyoto Serissa.
The seller said its ideal to repot them around April-May period, but I also bough Blood and Bone from Bunnings and don't know if I should apply it to both pre/starters.
I have couple of pots that are 10cm round pots which I hope to place the starters in and let it develop but I also have a 20cm pot for pre.

If the tree develops faster in larger pots from starters.....20cm round pot, will the roots become so compacted that the tree won't develop thicker trunk and taller?

The problem just sticking small tree into very large pot is that the soil around the roots will not stay moist due to it wicking away. The tree will grow as hard as it can when the roots are able to fill the pot and get all the moisture and nutrients when it needs. If it has to search then it will slow down.
only when the pots become rootbound will they slow down.
I like to increase pot size gradually to better able to give the trees more room to grow but even better is to control the growth of the nebari. If you just let a tree go mad and put on 5 years of trunk growth, there will only be a few really large roots which will be useless in the final design. you woud then spend years trying to fix them if you can.

Better to get it right from the start.

The roots will become compacted only if you allow it to become pot bound. Regular repotting and root pruning will allow them to develop well.
Trunk growth will come by allowing the top of the tree to develop and grow as well. Sacrifice branches will allow the girth to increase under control and allow you to develop the trunk as the tree grows.

I fertilise all my trees the same and for a tree under growth, fert heavily will give best results. ( use the instructions on the packet.

Ken

A good read and should answer your questions...
http://www.bonsai4me.com/Basics/Basics% ... otting.htm


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kcpoole wrote:The problem just sticking small tree into very large pot is that the soil around the roots will not stay moist due to it wicking away. The tree will grow as hard as it can when the roots are able to fill the pot and get all the moisture and nutrients when it needs. If it has to search then it will slow down.
only when the pots become rootbound will they slow down.
I like to increase pot size gradually to better able to give the trees more room to grow but even better is to control the growth of the nebari. If you just let a tree go mad and put on 5 years of trunk growth, there will only be a few really large roots which will be useless in the final design. you woud then spend years trying to fix them if you can.

Better to get it right from the start.

The roots will become compacted only if you allow it to become pot bound. Regular repotting and root pruning will allow them to develop well.
Trunk growth will come by allowing the top of the tree to develop and grow as well. Sacrifice branches will allow the girth to increase under control and allow you to develop the trunk as the tree grows.

I fertilise all my trees the same and for a tree under growth, fert heavily will give best results. ( use the instructions on the packet.

Ken

So in other words, its better to move to different pot sizes from a 6cm round pot, maybe 10cm round, 15cm etc.....while reducing thick root and trimming some for it to develop further. I am really questioning myself since I added a starter Prostrata Juniper into a 20cm round pot

Isitangus wrote:A good read and should answer your questions...
http://www.bonsai4me.com/Basics/Basics% ... otting.htm


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In a way I did overpot after reading overpotting for beginners.

RevoEvoS wrote:
So in other words, its better to move to different pot sizes from a 6cm round pot, maybe 10cm round, 15cm etc.....while reducing thick root and trimming some for it to develop further.

Yep that is correct. I much prefer to increase pot size slowly as the tree grows.
Might be a liitle slower but in the long run should give a better result.

Ken

I try to pot into flat trays rather than deep pots. For bonsai you want shallow flat roots, not roots going down. I figure the sooner you start doing this the better. I use large nursery trays with some mesh across the bottom. Allows room for the tree to grow but encourages the roots to grow flat. Either that or place a cd under the tree in a pot to encourage the roots to grow out. I don't see the point of growing a tree on then having to spend another year reducing the root ball to fit into a bonsai pot. Using shallow trays also improves nebari while the tree is growing. Just my

Josh.

Hi RevoEvoS,
You have been receiving some good information from other members. I grow all my trees in colanders. I have been doing this for over 25 years. The trees will stay in colanders until I think they are developed enough to be considered as a bonsai. You can have a look at some of what I do at Growing in Colanders

I really appreciate the link that Isitangus has posted. This has helped me understand some of the horticultural benefits when growing in colanders. This is a very good article.

Postby Isitangus
A good read and should answer your questions...
https://www.bonsai4me.com/Basics/Basics% ... otting.htm

Regards Ray

Ray M wrote:Hi RevoEvoS,
You have been receiving some good information from other members. I grow all my trees in colanders. I have been doing this for over 25 years. The trees will stay in colanders until I think they are developed enough to be considered as a bonsai. You can have a look at some of what I do at Growing in Colanders

I really appreciate the link that Isitangus has posted. This has helped me understand some of the horticultural benefits when growing in colanders. This is a very good article.

Postby Isitangus
A good read and should answer your questions...
https://www.bonsai4me.com/Basics/Basics% ... otting.htm

Regards Ray

Hi Ray,

With regards to colander planting and images that i saw from the link, is it a good idea to cut the roots when its ground out from the colander holes?
Would nursery soil be good, it has a mixture of sand like material , stones, bark and other material

As a newbie you can get caught up in soil blends etc. I would start simple, learnt the art of watering etc and when your comfortable with your potting medi then start to experiment. This had the benefit of giving you a "control sample" so you can then compare mixs and ratios. I would say the best possible potting mix you can afford-premium potting mix is only $29 a cubic metre from flower power.
http://www.bonsai4me.com/Basics/Basics_Soils.html


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Hi RevoEvoS,

With regards to colander planting and images that i saw from the link, is it a good idea to cut the roots when its ground out from the colander holes?
Would nursery soil be good, it has a mixture of sand like material , stones, bark and other material

I notice you live in Sydney. If you are able to go to Ray Nesci's Nursery, the soil he sells will give you an excellent start. His details are:
Address: 26 Sagars Road, Dural NSW 2158
Phone:(02) 9654 1893

If not the suggestion that Isitangus has given you should work quite well.

Yes, I cut the roots off that are outside the colander. and plant the tree back in the ground. Using this method doesn't disturb the root ball.

Regards Ray

Ray M wrote:Hi RevoEvoS,

With regards to colander planting and images that i saw from the link, is it a good idea to cut the roots when its ground out from the colander holes?
Would nursery soil be good, it has a mixture of sand like material , stones, bark and other material

I notice you live in Sydney. If you are able to go to Ray Nesci's Nursery, the soil he sells will give you an excellent start. His details are:
Address: 26 Sagars Road, Dural NSW 2158
Phone:(02) 9654 1893

If not the suggestion that Isitangus has given you should work quite well.

Yes, I cut the roots off that are outside the colander. and plant the tree back in the ground. Using this method doesn't disturb the root ball.

Regards Ray

Funny that I went to Ray Nesci yesterday morning for Bonsai Wire since the usual place I go to didn't bundles.
Guess I have to visit him sometime in March. Is it optional to plant the colander into the ground opposed to using it like a pot?

Hi RevoEvoS,

Funny that I went to Ray Nesci yesterday morning for Bonsai Wire since the usual place I go to didn't bundles.
Guess I have to visit him sometime in March. Is it optional to plant the colander into the ground opposed to using it like a pot?

Yes, I use colanders as my normal pots.
If I am working on increasing the girth of a tree, the colander and tree will go into the ground. When planting a colander in the ground, only plant it to under the rim.
Regards Ray