first spring dilemma

windblownhermit

Hi everybody,

and thanks in advance for anybody more experienced who takes the time to reply to my beginner's questions.

Well I got some nursery stock for my first attempt at bonsai and I've read a couple books and loads on the internet. Now I sort of dived right in and repotted them all in bigger (five gallon?) containers for growing out a bit and they seem to be doing okay so far in them.

After reading more about soils I am kind of worried about the soil I used. See I didn't realize about the particle size being a serious issue. I took pre-mixed potting soil, some mucky kind, mixed it with a lot of sand (small particles ) and some pine bark mulch, until it seemed to drain pretty freely. I know that if I sifted the mix I'd end up with only a tiny bit of it actually a suitable size. You take it between your fingers and it just feels like gritty clay

The other concern is that after reading about growing boxes I regret the five gallon pots and want to get them into boxes (with a much more appropriately sifted soil mix). But I keep looking at those growing buds...thinking it's too late.

So would such a measure be ill advised? Do I wait until next spring (I read you can repot junipers in autumn), hoping that my soil doesn't choke the poor guinea pigs?

If it seems like a good gamble to put them through this late repotting for the benefit of better soil and a more bonsai-able intermediate growing box for good roots, what would be the best way to ease the pain? Superthrive? Singing Lydian harmonies to them?

Oh yeah it might help to know that these trees are: one buxus microphylla japonica, one juniperus procumbens 'nana', one pinus mugo 'pumilio', and one 'picea abies 'nidiformis'

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TreeBay

Hi WBH,

I don't know where you are exactly or how deep into spring it might be where you are. The safest thing might be to wait until fall and do your repotting then. The interim large containers should increase the health of the trees and they will adapt better to the root pruning necessary to go into shallow boxes in a year or so.

You can actually grow pre-bonsai in most any soil, perhaps even garden soil ( and I've seen it) provided you are willing to adjust your watering pattern to the soil requirements. The guy with the garden soil was basically a slave to his plants.

But in 5 gallon containers, and larger, pretty much anything goes. I would not use field the soil I find here because it is basically clay. The mugo will be the first to complain if it stays too wet.

Regards,

Matt

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windblownhermit

Hi matt,

thanks for the advice...it's good to hear. I'm actually up here in Wisconsin, so we're not "deep" into spring until mid may, although the spruce buds are clearly opening up and differentiating into needles now, it's getting close. Around here, it's not suprising if we get snow and a freeze or two in early may right along with warm or even hot days-- the fruit trees hate that. so I'm going to play it safe and take care of them in the large containers, watching to see if they don't like the watering schedule. Nobody said bonsai provided instant gratification, did they?

I had planned on letting 'em grow in the pots for a season before doing anything except a little pruning anyway, until I read about growing boxes and soils and got a little anxious.

One follow up question! How do trees usually make known that their soil stays too wet? Would the leaves/needles turn yellow? Of course, I guess I can probably find the answer to that one in some other thread

TreeBay

With a pine, what you would see would be out of season needle browning and loss.

Most pines will shed between 1/3 and 1/2 of their needles, usually in fall. That's completely normal.

If the pine's soil becomes too damp, and root rot sets in, the prior year's needles will yellow and brown and usually still remain stubbornly attached to the tree. If you were to ease the tree out of the container, you would fine a minimum of white-tipped roots. Most would be brown and crumbly or in the process of rotting away.

A note on micorrhizae: Organic fertilizers promote the growth of beneficial mycorrhizae that actually sheath the roots of pines and make it possible for the tree to grow in conditions that might otherwise be too wet, too dry, improper pH, low-nitrogen soils, or sometimes even those containing toxins. Pretty wonderful, really.

Regards,

Matt

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jackmickelberg(deceased)

Hey Hermit!

You've struck a nerve with me. So much is written regarding the "perfect" soil mixture. I think we enthusiasts tend to overthink the plumbing a bit when it comes to soil. I regularly collect trees from a deserted gravel pit, where they grow in a mixture of sand and pea gravel.

Basically, if it kepps your tree thriving, and drains well, your soil has passed the test! Check out my article on soil at:

www.geocities.com/jacksbonsai/soil.html

Capt. Jack

windblownhermit

Thanks Jack,



Well they seem to be doing fine so far in the pots with the soil. At least it's a rich soil lots of organics. I do think they will be fine after welcome advice and some perspective on the situation. In fact, the spruce is just exploding with new growth. I was lucky enough to inaugurate a growing box and a more recommended soil mix with a (matt identified it in the species specific forum) needle juniper I found growing in a rock wall in my backyard. Go figure...high hopes for that little guy, and boxes for next year on the rest of the bunch.

I think I remember reading somewhere that Ghandi included learning to delay gratification in his formula for success-- Bonsai could be one of the best ways to learn this rare discipline called patience.