Growing in Larger Pot, Until Pruning Season

[777thSunRay]

So I just bought my first two Bonsai trees today, a Juniper and a Red Maple, both pre-bonsai. I am really excited about growing them, but I would like to cautious as a beginner. I am considering this approach to cultivating them. Which is to let them grow, in much larger pots, pretty much untouched from now until Spring. Then I’m thinking I’ll do a good amount of pruning till next Fall comes around.

I would like to know, is planting these two in quite large clay pots, maybe a gallon capacity, and letting them grow (again nearly untouched) for the next close to four months, a good idea? If so, how would I go about fertilizing such small plants in big pots, to begin with, and then how to feed them as they grow larger? Oh I forgot to add, I would spend the pruning season perhaps training the plants for a certain shape and sized pot.

Though could keeping them in smaller pots while fertilizing more heavily have the same effect of rapid growth? Also, I am kind of fascinated by the images of a quite large grown Bonsai with a massive root system in a very shallow pot. Does a plant like this need to be fed a lot?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Soup Dragon]

So I just bought my first two Bonsai trees today, a Juniper and a Red Maple, both pre-bonsai. I am really excited about growing them, but I would like to cautious as a beginner. I am considering this approach to cultivating them. Which is to let them grow, in much larger pots, pretty much untouched from now until Spring. Then I’m thinking I’ll do a good amount of pruning till next Fall comes around.

I would like to know, is planting these two in quite large clay pots, maybe a gallon capacity, and letting them grow (again nearly untouched) for the next close to four months, a good idea? If so, how would I go about fertilizing such small plants in big pots, to begin with, and then how to feed them as they grow larger? Oh I forgot to add, I would spend the pruning season perhaps training the plants for a certain shape and sized pot.

Though could keeping them in smaller pots while fertilizing more heavily have the same effect of rapid growth? Also, I am kind of fascinated by the images of a quite large grown Bonsai with a massive root system in a very shallow pot. Does a plant like this need to be fed a lot?

Thanks in advance!

They aren't going to grow much in four months, over the winter.
Why do you want to let them grow out? Do you need to thicken the trunks/branches? If so, you would want to do that during the growing season, so plan for letting them grow all next year.

 

[bwaynef]

Its really hard to advise without seeing the material. 1 gallon pots might be big for some material but not for others. Also, with the notion of "prune to keep," fall is a good time work on trees, setting them up for better quality growth in the coming year. It might be time to work on your trees right now. Your trees might also be at the stage where hands-off is the best approach. Everybody here except you is flying blind.

 

[777thSunRay]

Its really hard to advise without seeing the material. 1 gallon pots might be big for some material but not for others. Also, with the notion of "prune to keep," fall is a good time work on trees, setting them up for better quality growth in the coming year. It might be time to work on your trees right now. Your trees might also be at the stage where hands-off is the best approach. Everybody here except you is flying blind.

Okay that makes sense. It’s just that I read somewhere that spring is when to start pruning season (if you will) for Junipers. So still as you say, I wouldn’t mind shaping them now, but I should point out that these are very small pre bonsai. So I was thinking for that reason I should let them grow awhile. Hopefully that info explains my approach/question! Thank you for the guidance!

 

[777thSunRay]

They aren't going to grow much in four months, over the winter.
Why do you want to let them grow out? Do you need to thicken the trunks/branches? If so, you would want to do that during the growing season, so plan for letting them grow all next year.

Okay got it. Though please keep in mind that I’m in Southern California, so won’t there be a reasonable amount of growth in four months? And I don’t think I will have the patience to wait over a year to start shaping! Lol
I’m also thinking, just get what growth I can for now, and take advantage of the growing season to prune and shape a few or several times, and use the growing of the season to develop the specimen, after this initial growth, if that makes sense... what do you guys think? Thanks once more

 

[Tums]

No idea if these are ready for work or what kind of pot to move them into without any pictures. I will say that the timing of whatever you do has to be dictated by what the tree needs and not just what you want to do. If you don't think you can keep your hands off the trees, then you should get a fast growing tree like an elm that will give you more decisions to make.

 

[hinmo24t]

you live in an area that has one of longest growing seasons in the country i think...
i follow epic gardening on YT and hes in SD and it is, anyway, zone 11 something

nice on the juniper but maples arent easy out west as far as i know because they want a cold offseason
id suggest keeping it in shade in warmer mos

slip potting them into larger pots prob wont make them uhappy where you live