cant find builders sand

TreeBay

Answering your second question first, IF it has already leafed out, it would be too late to try to take the root system back and put it in a bonsai container. If you were potting up to a larger container or just moving it to one about the same size, you should be able to do this but wait until the leaves have hardened off and then do a partial defoliation, remove maybe 1/4 of the soil at most and pot up to the larger container or over to a similar sized one.

I don't understand the first question, exactly. Some shohin get repotted more than once a year, but it is rare to do this. If you have really bad drainage you can take some emergency action and cut wedges from the corner of the rootball with a knife without removing the tree from the pot. Then backfill with new soil. If it's not draining, you can work holes through the rootmass with a chopstick and then backfill with sand or something similarly well draining.

Regards,

Matt

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I was told to use pool filter sand which I purchased at a pool supply store. Do not use the fine white sand use the amber filtering sand . Hope this helps

denny

i put the sand in this one matt.
what i meant was,sence i potted it up useing that too fine sand would i have to wait,you answered my questions,thanks.
i think i know what to do now,but this tree sucks anyway,dont it?

too tall trunk?
too much root showing?
i know it needs training.
can i move this to the gallery for comments?

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Denny
Still Growing in zone 9
So.Cal.

denny

thanks donna.
is the filter sand ok?

__________________
Denny
Still Growing in zone 9
So.Cal.

jackmickelberg(deceased)

Hey!

Nope, don't use pea gravel. It's too smooth. You're looking for something craggly for the fine root hairs to grab onto.

Go to your local Home Depot or Pool Supply Store. Get a bag of filter sand. It's large grained and mixes well. I mix this 2 parts to 1 part vermuculite <sp?> and this is the inorganic mix I use.

Jack

shane1130

Arrgghh!!! Everyone has a completly different opinion on soil, my head is starting to pound thinking about it.
I was just reading in John Naka's Bonsai techniques 1, he recommeds using a portion of small sand, but not dust that passes through a 1/16th in window screen.
As many people, including myself sift out anything smaller than 1/16th of an inch, I am a bit confused as to what to do.