Chinese Elm Question

sw

What's up everyone? I have a question regarding a recently acquired (about 1 week ago) chinese elm. The tree is about 15-20 years old and absolutely awesome. It was shipped to me from Michigan (I'm in upstate N.Y.) and is just now beginning to bud out. The tree was last repotted in '03 and looks like it could use a repot & root prune. I know elms are pretty much as hearty as they come but if I attempt to repot it now I'm worried that I'll stress it out too much. Any suggestions/opinions would be greatly appreciated. Just an FYI for everyone I've been in bonsai for about 4 yrs but I'm just now starting to acquire some older more advanced trees and just want to get some opinions before I do anything that could be harmful. Thanks alot!

sw

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Aaron_K

Hi SW,

The same basic horticultural principles apply to repotting a 20 year old tree, as they would to a 5 year old tree. Now is coming up to the time of year to repot deciduous trees. As its been over a year since the last time your bonsai was transplanted, I should imagine you will have a wealth of circular roots at the bottom and sides of your pot.

Simply lift the tree from the pot, rake and comb the roots out, check for signs of infestation etc etc, trim and replace in the pot with fresh soil. Water in and leave to settle in a sheltered area for at least 6 weeks before applying fertilizer. Siting it on a bright window sill for this time probably wouldnt be a bad idea, thereby avoiding any late spring frosts and cold winter winds.

Warmest regards,

Aaron

sw

Aaron,
Thanks a lot. I thought that was the way to go but just needed to hear it from someone else. Thanks again.
sw

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Will_Heath

Re-potting a young tree and a old tree is not quite the same as you can get away with a lot more with a younger tree than you can with an older one.

It would look like your timing is optimal as the re-potting elms is best done when the buds are just starting to swell.

Wait a month after re-potting before you do any pruning or trimming to minimize stress. You can reduce the root mass by as much as 50% although I always tend to error on the "less" side.

I like to use a chopstick personally, it may take a bit longer than a rake but it seems to do a lot less damage. If the root mass is really condensed and packed, soaking it in a pail of water first will help make the job easier.

I do not have a concrete answer on bare rooting, I take my trees on a case by case basis.

Good luck,

Will

sw

Will,
Thanks for the response. I normally use a chopstick as well. Believe it or not I don't even own a root rake. The gentleman that I learned a lot from always used a chopstick and I guess it stuck with me. I will probably only take a small % of the root system. I kind of look at it like I can always prune again next year. I tend to take less rather than more. Thanks alot!
sw

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A beginner, always looking to learn new things!

Newt

I have always barerooted my elms.

Newt

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NorthwoodsNoah