Soil went bad on Japanese Black Pine

[billfromtheboot]

Hello, I know it’s a no-no to repot off season, especially when it comes to JBP, but I just noticed the past few weeks that I can’t water it everyday, because the soil has gone to mush. Is it possible to repot if the soil ball isn’t disturbed and I refrain from removing it from the pot? I was thinking about using a chopstick to just remove the upper part of the soil and replacing it with the same soil. (Akadama, Clay, and Lava Rock) If I can’t do it safely, would it be fine to just start watering it based on a hydrometer? I know the roots need air, and I’m afraid it won’t get air it this rate. I’m already planning to repot it next year in a large pawn basket. I’m just hoping it makes it until then.

 

[namnhi]

The tree looks fine. I see standing water from the pic. Have you check the drainage holes to see that they are not blocked? Can we have some photos of the soil? How long has this happened? It can't be happening in a couple weeks. You can poke holes around in the soil to get the water to drain until the repot time next year.

 

[Tieball]

It doesn’t look like the water is draining. Perhaps it is a blocked drain hole. Sometimes round pots like you show have a single drain hole that really doesn’t do the job of draining when blocked with a close-mesh screen and wire. Or, there are no drainage holes in the pot you have.

I don’t think the substrate soil is your problem. I don’t think the substrate mix you have is mush. Drainage is your problem. I don’t know what the roots looked like when you put the tree in this pot. It’s possible that you have a solid rootball and fluffing some new substrate on top is not a cure. I see a lot of roots in a ball exposed on the surface which tells me you had, or whoever potted it previously, planted high because the rootball was large, solid and already filling the pot.

When I’ve had a lack of draining I’ve used a dull end thin knitting needle to poke my way through a root mass or solid substrate. The knitting needle is thinner than chopsticks and not easily broken. This forced holes down to the drain holes. You do have adequate drain holes, right?

 

[Lorax7]

Do poke holes in the soil with a chopstick or similar tool. Do remove and replace the surface layer of soil if the particles have broken down into fines (this practice is called soji). Do check the drain holes and clear them if needed.

If you do all the above and it’s still not draining in a reasonable timeframe, I’d suggest putting a block under one side to tilt the pot, which should help it drain better, and water judiciously (don’t water every day if it’s still wet from the previous day) to make it through the remainder of the summer.

I would not suggest repotting it now. An early fall repot is something I’d consider if the drainage is still really bad after doing all the above. Spring is the normal time to repot pines, but I’m concerned that if the drainage is as poor as it looks and you have a cold wet winter, waiting until spring may be too late. Your profile doesn’t have any location information though, so it’s impossible to gauge what your winters are like.

 

[Tieball]

You should add your general location to your profile.

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

Akadama, Clay, and Lava Rock

You didn't use actual, unfired and untreated clay, did you?