Repotting Help please. See pics

[Lady Deja Vu]

I think maybe this is a Brazilian Rain Tree. It was given to me about a week ago. The first pic in this thread is how I got it. Today I repotted it in a good draining, organic soil with pine bark fines, perilite, potting soil, etc. It was fairly root bound, I kept the soul similar and just cleaned straightened the roots a bit. I also raised it a bit in the pot. The first pic here is how I got it, the second after i repotted. So obviously I didn’t trim much off. Included pics of how the roots looked before I put it back in the pot. Also, a pic of some tiny roots growing out from pretty high on the trunk. I covered them back up after the pic in case they shouldn’t be exposed. And what about the moss around the bottom of the trunk? And those tiny sucker like branches around the bottom? Tried not to do anything I can’t undo until I heard from y’all that know more than me. Any advice you can give for now, or in the spring would be appreciated!
Thank you in advance!
Vicci from Central Florida

 

[queenofsheba52]

Hi @Lady Deja Vu , glad you found this great bonsai site! If you fill in your location in your profile, we can help you better.

Your tree does look like a BRT, although I sometimes can't tell the difference between BRT and Texas Ebony. Moss on the trunk can usually be removed with the gentle use of an old toothbrush. It looks to me like you may have potted it too high in the pot, but I don't have any BRT myself so perhaps someone with more knowledge will weigh in soon.

 

[czaczaja]

I always try to clean up the moss off all my trees trunks with a soft toothbrush. Also, looks like the tree was briefly potted too low (or its potted too high now). If you want the branches starting lower down closer to the soil, I would pot it lower down to the level of the smaller roots/moss line. Roots look really healthy so if you make up your mind and pot it lower, you want do do it quick to stop them from dying.

 

[SWfloirda]

Here in South Florida I feel pretty comfortable repotting BRTs if the lows at night are going to be above 60° F for a couple weeks afterwards but I’ve stopped doing any repotting November through February unless absolutely necessary. They recover much better in the spring and summer. If done at the right time of year you can be very aggressive with the roots. They will fill the pot like a bowl of spaghetti and you can remove quite a bit. For what it’s worth I’ll attach a video of a repot done in July.

 

[Lady Deja Vu]

Here in South Florida I feel pretty comfortable repotting BRTs if the lows at night are going to be above 60° F for a couple weeks afterwards but I’ve stopped doing any repotting November through February unless absolutely necessary. They recover much better in the spring and summer. If done at the right time of year you can be very aggressive with the roots. They will fill the pot like a bowl of spaghetti and you can remove quite a bit. For what it’s worth I’ll attach a video of a repot done in July.

Thank you so much for your reply. I found the video quite helpful. I see that it is okay to remove a good bit of roots next time. I have no idea how old this BRTis. Do you have any thoughts on the age of the one I have? Is it a good idea to leave it in the foil mix I have and then repot in late spring? Should I start creating it’s form then too? If so, any special bonsai from that BRT are more appropriate for? Also, you mostly kept yours outside in like 4 hours if sun? I’m in central FL

 

[SWfloirda]

They grow in almost any soil but the roots are much easier to work if you use bonsai substrate. I keep mine in full sun, the leaves open and close all day but I only water once a day for some reason some people think if the leaves close they need to water more. I never bring mine inside but up there I would if the temperatures get below 40°.