I need to repot and trunk chop a ten year old Acer Palmatum Goshiki Kotohime. I am wondering if both items can be done at the same time without risking the health of the tree? Also, should this be done in early spring while still dormant or in the fall after the leaves have dropped? This would be Colorado (zone 5).
@pinkfloydeffect No rooting hormone is for taking cuttings whether woody or herbaceous and will not benefit the tree when root pruned. Fertilizer based with higher potassium will aid in root growth. (0-0-10 for example)
I just moved from Southern California to Las Vegas with my maple, and I heard this video about your potting mixture that can withstand high temp. Can you recommend some potting soil that can retain high moisture for summer heat in Vegas? Thanks
@docop07 Watch my new soil video. For trees in high temperatures, I would go 40% on the organic material, and I would increase the proportions of sand and pumice, and use less decomposed granite. Or you could even omit the decomposed granite and try just organic matter, sand and pumice.
Also, I would consider trunk chopping or air layering most of the tree to develop better taper. Very nice maple you have there, and just offering friendly advice. By the way, why not wire that tree into its pot?
@adunham2006 I only wire a tree into the pot when the tree is not stable on its root base. If I were using a lighter soil with a lot of pumice or perlite, then the tree would have to be wired in. Since my aggregate is mostly decomposed granite, the tree's roots hold it into the pot quite well.
Big fan of your videos, chasnsx! Very nice Japanese Maple you have there. I like how you adapted your soil mix to your own microclimate (very important). If I could offer some friendly advice, I would cut off the bigger root on the back of the tree and raise the tree in the pot a bit higher to expose the nicer and finer nebari you have. You could potentially hollow that cut out if you wanted to.
@SuprBen I find that whatever potting soil I use for the organic matter holds moisture pretty well when paired with a good proportion of pumice. The pumice is porous and holds moisture in the pores.
i try to grow moss by slapping it into the pot and trying to grow it around by bonsais, but the moss dies out. i'm a beginner so i don't know all the tricks of the trade. can you or somone that can help me to give me some tips on how to grow moss on bonsai soil.
@professorLing Try putting some very fine silty or muddy soil under the moss (just a little, not a lot), and then keep the tree in the shade and water it well for a week or two. The moss will get established.
im very intruigued to hear about how your so confident to heavily root prune in dormancy. i know that maples store most leaf energy in the buds before winter but i was lead to believe that all deciduous trees store major reserves in their roots to overwinter. or isit because it doesnt frost in your climate??
@crislort I am pruning in proportion to projected foliage mass. In the past, this tree has sent up shoots four or five feet off the top of the tree. This was done to thicken the trunk, and it was allowed by the large root mass. Now that it is in a bonsai pot with half as much root mass, I do not expect strong growth. We may get mild frost in the next six weeks, but it won't hurt the tree because this tree is kept next to the house, where it benefits from heat leaking through the walls
Interesting comment re: soil + temp. Here where I am in the pacific northwest (BC), we have the opposite problem - excess moisture. As a result we use a lot less organic than many other folks. In fact a lot of us use completely inorganic soils.
@graycam Really good point. Boon Manakitivipart uses completely inorganic soil, but he is in San Francisco, and the climate there is a lot wetter than it is here. If I used his recipe I would have to water all the time. As it is, I typically water once a day in the summer, every other day during spring and fall, and every third day in winter. And with nearly 100 medium and large trees, watering typically takes 30 minutes.
I need to repot and trunk chop a ten year old Acer Palmatum Goshiki Kotohime. I am wondering if both items can be done at the same time without risking the health of the tree? Also, should this be done in early spring while still dormant or in the fall after the leaves have dropped? This would be Colorado (zone 5).
bormsbee1 4 months ago
Will a Japanese Maple Bonsai still bear seeds?
arachtation3 5 months ago
Love your videos!
TheBgcheez 6 months ago
Do you ever use a rooting hormone? Do you think it would help bonsai's?
pinkfloydeffect 8 months ago
@pinkfloydeffect No rooting hormone is for taking cuttings whether woody or herbaceous and will not benefit the tree when root pruned. Fertilizer based with higher potassium will aid in root growth. (0-0-10 for example)
metalShoesandjacket 1 month ago
G'day Charles,Wayne here. i gota say i find your videos very informative. please keep them comming!
snowbelles 9 months ago
like the videos, what type of water do you use city water thanks....
iiiirideriiii 10 months ago
I live in California also..what kind of soil mix do u recomend for a juniper nana?
pandabear102409 10 months ago
Hi charles,
I just moved from Southern California to Las Vegas with my maple, and I heard this video about your potting mixture that can withstand high temp. Can you recommend some potting soil that can retain high moisture for summer heat in Vegas? Thanks
docop07 11 months ago
@docop07 Watch my new soil video. For trees in high temperatures, I would go 40% on the organic material, and I would increase the proportions of sand and pumice, and use less decomposed granite. Or you could even omit the decomposed granite and try just organic matter, sand and pumice.
chasnsx 11 months ago
Also, I would consider trunk chopping or air layering most of the tree to develop better taper. Very nice maple you have there, and just offering friendly advice. By the way, why not wire that tree into its pot?
adunham2006 1 year ago
@adunham2006 I only wire a tree into the pot when the tree is not stable on its root base. If I were using a lighter soil with a lot of pumice or perlite, then the tree would have to be wired in. Since my aggregate is mostly decomposed granite, the tree's roots hold it into the pot quite well.
chasnsx 1 year ago
Big fan of your videos, chasnsx! Very nice Japanese Maple you have there. I like how you adapted your soil mix to your own microclimate (very important). If I could offer some friendly advice, I would cut off the bigger root on the back of the tree and raise the tree in the pot a bit higher to expose the nicer and finer nebari you have. You could potentially hollow that cut out if you wanted to.
adunham2006 1 year ago
@adunham2006 I am still meditating on whether to cut that root or fit a rock under it. John Naka would probably have told me to put a rock under it.
chasnsx 1 year ago
do you use peat moss to keep the moisture in your coil composition?
SuprBen 1 year ago
@SuprBen I find that whatever potting soil I use for the organic matter holds moisture pretty well when paired with a good proportion of pumice. The pumice is porous and holds moisture in the pores.
chasnsx 11 months ago
i try to grow moss by slapping it into the pot and trying to grow it around by bonsais, but the moss dies out. i'm a beginner so i don't know all the tricks of the trade. can you or somone that can help me to give me some tips on how to grow moss on bonsai soil.
professorLing 1 year ago
@professorLing Try putting some very fine silty or muddy soil under the moss (just a little, not a lot), and then keep the tree in the shade and water it well for a week or two. The moss will get established.
chasnsx 1 year ago
@chasnsx thanks man!
professorLing 1 year ago
@professorLing oh, and can you give me a bit more detail on how is watered well
professorLing 1 year ago
Another great video. I can't wait to see what you do with the tree in the future.
bigdearmond 1 year ago
im very intruigued to hear about how your so confident to heavily root prune in dormancy. i know that maples store most leaf energy in the buds before winter but i was lead to believe that all deciduous trees store major reserves in their roots to overwinter. or isit because it doesnt frost in your climate??
crislort 1 year ago
@crislort I am pruning in proportion to projected foliage mass. In the past, this tree has sent up shoots four or five feet off the top of the tree. This was done to thicken the trunk, and it was allowed by the large root mass. Now that it is in a bonsai pot with half as much root mass, I do not expect strong growth. We may get mild frost in the next six weeks, but it won't hurt the tree because this tree is kept next to the house, where it benefits from heat leaking through the walls
chasnsx 1 year ago
@chasnsx ahh ok so youve left enough root mass to support the expected foliage when it leafs out. thanks for the reply
crislort 1 year ago
Interesting comment re: soil + temp. Here where I am in the pacific northwest (BC), we have the opposite problem - excess moisture. As a result we use a lot less organic than many other folks. In fact a lot of us use completely inorganic soils.
graycam 1 year ago
@graycam Really good point. Boon Manakitivipart uses completely inorganic soil, but he is in San Francisco, and the climate there is a lot wetter than it is here. If I used his recipe I would have to water all the time. As it is, I typically water once a day in the summer, every other day during spring and fall, and every third day in winter. And with nearly 100 medium and large trees, watering typically takes 30 minutes.
chasnsx 1 year ago
the top roots look realy good, for it's next repoting you migt want to think about showing off the top roots
10stops 1 year ago