Contest Entry Foiled - Emergency Repot Instead

Will_Heath

Thought I hit a good bargin when I purchased this Scots Pine for 42.50 (85.00 and a 50% off card).

It had it's lower trunk and root ball encased in burlap and the bag was sitting in a 5 gallon plastic nursery pot. I took this home removed the burlap wrapped root ball from the plastc pot in order to take a couple pictures for my entry. That's when I noticed that the root ball was extremly hard packed, like a bowling ball. Being curious I carefully unwrapped the burlap and found a very dry, packed soil ball with absolutely no roots showing at all. I quickly decided that this tree needed attention other than a contest.

I soaked the soil ball in a bucket of water for an hour then hosed off most of the soil, finding very few roots, maybe 1 or two white tips. I repotted into the pond bucket showen here and decided to just let it be, untouched for a year.

Oh well, time to take some pictures of that barberry I bought last week for the contest.

Attached Images

	scots 001 small.jpg (69.5 KB, 208 views)
	scots side small.jpg (64.9 KB, 110 views)
	scots top small.jpg (68.9 KB, 86 views)

Advertisement

TreeBay

Hi Will,

I think maybe you should thin out the foliage somewhat. It has quite a lot of lanky foliage and you want to nurture the stuff that grows on the interior
. I would consider cutting off about a third, but be sure that whatever point you cut back to has a strongly growing terminal bud.

Regards,

Matt

__________________

Want to be a seller on bonsaiAUCTIONS? Get authorized today!

bonsaiTALK: Over 100,005.36 Megabytes Served this Month!

Will_Heath

Good Point Matt, However, I am often confused on this very subject.

Since I need root growth now and since I have a unbalanced amount of leaves and thereby an increased water loss though the stomata as water vapor diffuses out. The trees solution should be to increase the number of roots that are taking up water. That is if i can count on the feedback controls of the tree to recognized water stress in the leaves and stop leaf growth and continue root growth until the tree is once again in balance. Although being so late in the year I am worried that not enough photosynthate will be stored for growth in the spring.

However, as you suggest if I cut back now, this will bring the tree closer to a root/leave balance, decrease water stress, and use little photosynthate as wounds heal. My only concern would be obtaining enough needed root growth before winter.

Master-S.T-

Super Thrive

__________________
Always live up to the feelness..Which life may bring-

TreeBay

Hi Will,

I'm not very familiar with your climate, but it seems you have repotted out of season. Of course the tree will try to make more roots, and it won't grow more up top while it is trying to do that, but if it can't sustain the foliage it already has, it's going to have a hard time.

It was probably a very good idea not to put it through styling in its condition, but it's not usually a good thing to repot out of season unless there are signs of stress (growth slows down, foliage goes dull and yellow, etc.). You can work around poor soil for the short term by adjusting your watering practice, say maybe watering by soaking the container for 20 minutes three times a week or something, until the time for repotting is ideal.

Just looking at the pictures and the amount of foliage it had, it doesn't seem that the plant was in any real danger before.

Regards,

Matt

__________________

Want to be a seller on bonsaiAUCTIONS? Get authorized today!

bonsaiTALK: Over 100,005.36 Megabytes Served this Month!

Will_Heath

Hindsight is a truly evil thing. Still, considering the condition of and lack of roots....aw heck who knows. I have to trust my gut feelings sometimes, they have served me well in the past. Of course, they have killed a few trees also.

This one gets pruned back leaving terminal buds and it'll get extra protection when winter comes.

Thanks Matt, for once again keeping my mind on the right track.

Adam_MA

Will,
Too bad you were not able to use this tree for the contest. This one would have made a great tree and someday will, but you made the right choice in your concern for the health of the tree. In my climate Zone 6 if I had to do the out of season repot like you did, I would do just what you are doing. That is to go for the pruning and give it some extra protection for the winter.

Keep us updated in the spring

Adam

Will_Heath

Well the out of season emergency repot worked out fine, branches are cut back and the tree thinned. Now the hard part, deciding which styling route to take next year with this monster.

Attached Images

	s1.jpg (63.7 KB, 84 views)
	s2.jpg (63.6 KB, 76 views)
	s3.jpg (64.2 KB, 67 views)
	s4.jpg (68.8 KB, 61 views)

Carl_Bergstrom

Hi Will,

Next year is too early given your description of the roots. Give it a year to establish roots before you do any more work. No point in working on a tree until it is anything less than exceptionally healthy.

I find the long straight segment troubling; how about cutting back to something like this for the new leader? I've used to the original photo because it's clearer there.

Best regards,
Carl

Attached Images

heath.jpg (50.1 KB, 81 views)

__________________
In love with trees