Is my tree pot bound?

[Wardy940]

Just looking for some advice really. I got a Chinese elm last year in September and so far I seem to of kept it alive. It's got loads of new growth on it now and looks healthy. I noticed earlier though that the tree has become less stable in its soil. It kind of rocks a little bit.

I decided to readjust the wires and in the process I took it out of the pot to check the roots. They seem good, some nice new white growth but it seems as if it's pot bound to be honest.
The bottom of the soil seemed completely taken over by roots but the top third wasn't so I'm not sure. Anyway the tree is still a bit wobbly after readjusting wires, it had quite a strong soil smell when I watered it and I'm a bit worried it's been overwatered during the winter.

Should I be worried?

Thanks. If its not already obvious, it's my first and I'm not entirely sure what a pot bound bonsai looks like.

 

[Housguy]

root bound, and yes it probably could use a haircut, but I don't know what your climate is like, but for me, as it starts to go into summer, no repotting is done until the weather starts to get cooler again. Good luck.

 

[rockm]

Not worried, but alert for this year. It's mostly too late to repot it this year as it is in active growth, unless you want to risk the life of the tree. At this point, if the soil still drains, it will probably last until next spring until a proper repot can be done. Watch the watering this spring and summer. Water is probably going to linger on the soil surface when you water it. Make sure it drains out and your watering isn't keeping the soil soggy..

 

[sorce]

Seems pot.... unbound!

I'd snip a few of them circlers since it's out, maybe run a blade a few MM across the bottom, that dead stuff will help loosen the edges and keep water from running straight down the sides.

You do have to pay diligent attention to watering, the less attention you can give, the less risky it becomes to do minor things to ensure safety.

Sorce

 

[Wardy940]

Thanks guys. Yeah, it is actively growing so thought it might be a bit too late for a repot. It does seem to hold a bit of water on top but it is still draining well. I struggled to get it back in and knocked some of the soil off, could I repot it into a slightly larger pot and add fresh soil? I'll just leave the root pruning till next spring.

 

[Wardy940]

Seems pot.... unbound!

I'd snip a few of them circlers since it's out, maybe run a blade a few MM across the bottom, that dead stuff will help loosen the edges and keep water from running straight down the sides.

You do have to pay diligent attention to watering, the less attention you can give, the less risky it becomes to do minor things to ensure safety.

Sorce

Will if be safe to do so this late into the spring then? Also, what do mean by give it less attention? You mean like don't water it as often as you'd think?

Thanks

 

[rockm]

Thanks guys. Yeah, it is actively growing so thought it might be a bit too late for a repot. It does seem to hold a bit of water on top but it is still draining well. I struggled to get it back in and knocked some of the soil off, could I repot it into a slightly larger pot and add fresh soil? I'll just leave the root pruning till next spring.

DO NOT slip into larger pot. That will complicate things a lot more and you risk more since roots probably won't move into the new soil and continue circling the old root mass. The new soil will also compromise overall soil moisture as it will drain more quickly than the interior soil... As source said, you could probably get away with a minimal root snip of the bottom two millimeters of the root ball off to unclog the bottom and improve drainage.. Since this is a Chinese Elm, it will probably not be a problem. Wouldn't take any more than that at this point though.

 

[Wardy940]

OK. Thanks a lot for all the advice, everyone.

I'm actually really glad I came here to ask. I thought that slipping it into a larger pot would not have any negative effects. I've still got a lot to learn.

 

[Gabler]

I would just water the tree by immersion once per week or so, in addition to your regular as-needed watering. Submerge the pot for a few minutes to force out all of the air in the soil and allow moisture to permeate the root ball, and then tilt the pot on its side for a few minutes to allow excess moisture to drain and draw fresh air into the soil.

 

[sorce]

Will if be safe to do so this late into the spring then? Also, what do mean by give it less attention? You mean like don't water it as often as you'd think?

Thanks

The safety scale changes with the amount of attention you will be able to provide for the future.
If you have auto misters on for a half hour a day, you'd be good, it'll wet.
If you only have 2 minutes in the morning to toss a cup of water on it, it won't wet, and you should work to remedy the sitchy.

Always water More often than you think!

Sorce

 

[Gabler]

Always water More often than you think!**

Sorce

**Assuming your substrate drains well.

If you’re using clay from the field, water much less often than you would think and keep lots of earthworms and such in your pots to enable air to reach the roots. If you’re using basic peat-based potting soil, water a little bit less than you would think. If you’re using a proper bonsai potting medium, water lots, since you probably won’t need to worry about anaerobic root conditions.