Safe to Slip or Repot Itoigawa

[turnyface]

Wanting to continue to push growth on this tree to thicken the trunk. I’m thinking about slip potting or completely repotting now.

Would it be safe to slip or repot now? Planning on moving up to a pond basket.

Thinking of using 80/20 perlite and coco coir as the new substrate.

 

[cmu268]

Might be ok, Harry Harrington (Bonsai4Me) recommends repotting junipers in late summer August-September, and thats in the UK. If this was my tree, I'd probably wait until Spring and repot it then. It doesn't look rootbound so I'd be inclined to keep feeding it and letting it grow for the rest of the season and then do it next Spring.

 

[Ruddigger]

I’d repot in Spring. I’m strongly against slip potting, ever.

 

[Paradox]

Too hot in Minnesota now.
Get the moss off the soil, keeps the soil wet
Wait until next spring.
Patience, bonsai is a marathon not a sprint and trees work on the time scale of seasons and years, not weeks and months.

 

[BrightsideB]

Wanting to continue to push growth on this tree to thicken the trunk. I’m thinking about slip potting or completely repotting now.

Would it be safe to slip or repot now? Planning on moving up to a pond basket.

Thinking of using 80/20 perlite and coco coir as the new substrate.



View attachment 556954View attachment 556955

You have a pretty interesting juniper for it’s age. I’d swap out perlite for pumice. I have itoigawa growing out in 100% pumice. Balancing your watering cycles is much harder with perlite. These junipers don’t do well with constantly saturated roots. And if your perlite dries out it will float around disturbing the roots when you water.

 

[turnyface]

You have a pretty interesting juniper for its age. I’d swap out perlite for pumice. I have itoigawa growing out in 100% pumice. Balancing your watering cycles is much harder with perlite. These junipers don’t do well with constantly saturated roots. And if your perlite dries out it will float around disturbing the roots when you water.

Haha. I hope “interesting” is a good thing.

Good to know on the pumice. I was going to use Eric’s (from Bonsaify) bonsai soil for growth which he recommends 80/20 perlite/coco coir.

 

[BrightsideB]

Haha. I hope “interesting” is a good thing.

Good to know on the pumice. I was going to use Eric’s (from Bonsaify) bonsai soil for growth which he recommends 80/20 perlite/coco coir.

Interesting, I will try that mix on some of mine next spring. I have a couple with 1”-1.5” trunks but will try on my younger 3 year old cuttings.

 

[turnyface]

Cleaned up the top a bit to rid it of all the moss and weeds (also found some old wire under the moss!). Guess I’ll just let it be until next spring.

 

[shimbrypaku]

I’d repot in Spring. I’m strongly against slip potting, ever.

I agree, what ever your spring month is, here in northern NC it’s March.

Thanks

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

If one wants a juniper to grow hard and fast during the summer. Grow it In Sun, water and fertilize regularly and do not prune….or mess with the other parts of the system… at all. Junipers carry their energy in their foliage, unlike many trees. Not in the roots.

Slip potting is useful for specific reasons and cultivars in a vary narrow range of conditions.

Grow it out.

Cheers
DSD sends

 

[Shibui]

Agree that the roots still have plenty of space. Slip potting will probably not achieve much and has potential downsides that would more than negate any advantage IMHO.

I have been trialling pot in pot for shimapku growth which seems to give some extra response without the negatives of slip potting. Take a larger pot, add some potting soil (I've also tried straight gravel) put the old pot in and back fill with more potting soil leaving the existing pot rim well above soil level but the drainage holes buried so roots can escape out into the new pot.

Try that if you wish but otherwise defer repotting to a better time of year.

 

[leatherback]

Just fertilize more once it is growing strongly. This tree can easily double in size and triple the foliage mass in the current pot.