Repotting a mallsai juniperus communis

[Josiana]

Hello,

I have a ginseng ficus, but am still quite new to bonsai (and this forum). Just yesterday I purchased a juniperus communis from a nursery. It has a very strange pot situation going on, it is in a very tall temporary pot, with the roots buried towards the bottom, and the remainder of the pot is filled with bark covering the trunk.

Is it possible to repot it with proper pot with drainage and proper bonsai soil, and shape it for bonsai?

 

[Vin]

Not all at once and it depends on your definition of bonsai. We need to see the trunk first.

 

[Paradox]

IIt would be best to put that onto a training pot for a few years before putting it in a bonsai pot. You need to gradually reduce the roots over time, not all at once.

Too much work at once will kill a tree.

Also, repotting in spring is best

 

[Josiana]

Ok, thank you. My biggest concerns at the moment are just making sure it is happy and healthy before going on to 'bonsai' it.. The pot it is in at the moment I do not think will insure this (trunk not visible, cannot tell soil damp). I will take a picture when I have it out of the pot.

 

[Vin]

It looks extremely vigorous to me. There is often times an assumption that the first thing you're "supposed" to do when you buy nursery stock is repot it. Most of the time that is not the case.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

It looks extremely vigorous to me. There is often times an assumption that the first thing you're "supposed" to do when you buy nursery stock is repot it. Most of the time that is not the case.

At the bare minimum, slide the tree out of the black plastic nursery pot so you can inspect the roots. If you don't see roots hugging the interior of the pot, that's a good thing and a sign that the tree doesn't need to be repotted right away. However if the tree is severely rootbound, I would consider slip-potting it into a larger pot with new soil around the outside of the rootball - particularly if you are going to be overwintering your tree outside (in Sweden).

The other thing to consider (than the condition of the roots) is the time of year. Late September (in Sweden) is really late to be doing major repotting work. It will be difficult for the tree to recover before it goes into Winter dormancy. If you lived in Southern California, we actually get a second growth season right about now (after the heat of the summer settles down) and you could probably repot without a problem - though spring is always the best.

 

[Josiana]

Repotted into a much bigger slip pot, and quite glad I did! The rootball has begun climbing the trunk. What a mess! I had released some of the soil all ready, before the picture it was just a pot shaped tangle of roots.

Edit
Did not do any trimming though.. Just slip potted. I will wait to do any shaping until I know it is ready. Thank you for the advise!

 

[Vin]

That looks about normal and could have waited until Spring. Slip potting it is fine.

FYI I have a few much larger ones that have needed repotting like two or three years ago. The pots are rock solid with roots. I'll try to get to them this Spring if I get time.

 

[sorce]

Welcome to Crazy!

Sorce