Summer repotting scots pines?

[jeanluc83]

I recently picked up a small scots pine. It has been container grown its entire life. I really don't know how old the tree is. If I had to guess I would say 10+ years. The guy I got it from said he had it for about 5 years.

I remember Vance saying a few times that you can repot scots in the summer just like mugos. I wanted to see if there were any specifics on timing and if others have had any experience with summer repotting of scotts.

I'll try to get a picture of the tree in question tonight.

 

[Paradox]

According to Vance, Scots can be treated the same as Mugo so any time after Fathers day should be ok.

 

[wireme]

My experience is limited to one Scots pine.

Pruned after purchase in early spring, top lopped off and some branches shortened. Well over 1/2 of total foliage removed, the tree didn't seem to like that much and promptly shed another 3rd.

Repotted august sometime as per my interpretation of Vance's advice. As far as I can tell no transplant shock whatsoever, relatively serious root cleaning and reduction took place.

In zone 3 here so she's just getting going and elongating now, all appears well.

 

[wireme]

This is the root work I did. No sawing or pie cuts it was all push, wiggle and shake with pointy sticks. Some hand pruner cuts.
Interior of the core around and under the trunk left uncleaned this time around.

 

[jeanluc83]

Here's my pine. It needs some work but it has potential. For one the coat hanger branch needs to go. Any advice is welcome.

 

[wireme]

I like it, quite small but some age is apparent. I'm sure you can do something nice with that.

 

[wireme]

BTW, if it was me I would not remove anything till after repotting when you can see the base, nebari and whole tree clearly.

 

[Vance Wood]

Nothing explains a process like pictures and visual evidence. See above. There are a couple of books out there that say you have to be careful of the roots on a Scots Pine. The same books say the same thing about Mugo Pine. They are talking about the standard repot in spring model. All who go down this road have lost trees, I have. I have not lost a tree to summer repotting in the nearly twenty years I have been practicing it. It is like swimming up stream against a flood.

The recognized and accepted practice taught by almost every major teacher out there says to do this stuff in the early spring. When is come to Mugo and Scots they say be careful, there two trees do not like their roots being disturbed. I have found that if you do your root work after the third week in June or Father's day you can really brutalize the tree from top to bottom and the tree will just keep plowing along as though nothing has happened to it. It's kind of like what happened in Columbus' day. The accepted wisdom said that if you sailed West you would eventually sail off the edge of the earth. Columbus believed the world was round and that by going West if would actually find China. They were both wrong. Sailing West did not end in sailing off the end of the world it ended in the discovery of an entire part of the world that everyone, who had found it before, had subsequently lost it again. The point is; if Americans are going to establish their own relationship with bonsai that is unique they must be willing to challenge accepted knowledge and authority. There is nothing wrong with teachers and the wisdom and techniques they teach, the problem I have is the blind adherence to a doctrine of celebrity that can function with impunity.

 

[Cmanz]

Nice Scott pine Jeanluc83. Rather than removing the coat hanger branch, have you considered an approach graft close to the trunk. This would allow you to utilize more of what you already have. Either way your tree has nice maturing bark and is a great starting point.

Cheers

 

[Vance Wood]

Remove the branch and leave a stub for jining. I understand the thinking of not wanting to get rid of the branch but why would you want a branch that low to the gound? A Jin yes a major branch NO. You have some new branches forming just above it that will replace it if you desire. Scots back bud on old wood better than some pines back bud on new wood.

 

[jeanluc83]

The tree is about 10" tall from the soil line. The base has a caliber of about 1". It has a good start to ramification. I picked this tree up for what I thought was a reasonable price of $40. In a few years this could be a very nice tree.

The coat hanger branch is long and straight with no taper. I just don't see any way it could make it in the final design. I'll keep it to fuel the development of the tree but it is going to come off in the end.

I had great success with my mugo repots last summer so I'll go for it with this tree.

 

[Vance Wood]

Good. Usually the so called escape branch on Scots proves to be less successful than the

My experience is limited to one Scots pine.

Pruned after purchase in early spring, top lopped off and some branches shortened. Well over 1/2 of total foliage removed, the tree didn't seem to like that much and promptly shed another 3rd.

Repotted august sometime as per my interpretation of Vance's advice. As far as I can tell no transplant shock whatsoever, relatively serious root cleaning and reduction took place.

In zone 3 here so she's just getting going and elongating now, all appears well.View attachment 75439

applied to it.

There-ya-go, evidence, in the same thread with the same tree by the same grower. Thanks for sharing that.

 

[jeanluc83]

the so called escape branch on Scots proves to be less successful

This is evident by the fact that the trunk above the branch is essentially the same size as the trunk below it.

 

[Harunobu]

So I have a few Scot's pines growing in full ground, fattening up with sacrificial branches. I pruned some future design branches last week.

These have been in the ground since I collected them and their root system is likely lots of long roots. I have one, that is strong and thus required a lot of maintenance pruning, I want to repot asap. When do I do it and how much can I work the roots? Should I put it inside a colander or replant it in the ground?

 

[Vance Wood]

I repot mine in Summer any time after Father's day . However without knowing your location I am hesitant to recomend any thing.

 

[0soyoung]

I repot mine in Summer any time after Father's day

Let us say, after the summer solstice, Vance. This happens the world over.
The Father's day to which you refer is just a local thing.

 

[Harunobu]

Europe 7b.


Summer solstice happens the northern hemisphere over.

 

[0soyoung]

Summer solstice happens the northern hemisphere over.

Yes, indeed.
The time of the summer solstice in the northern hemisphere is simultaneously the winter solstice in the southern hemisphere.
And, the time of the summer solstice in the southern hemisphere is simultaneously the winter solstice in the northern hemisphere.

Many activities in trees are correlated to the summer solstice (the one day of each year with the most daily light hours).

 

[Vance Wood]

Yes, indeed.
The time of the summer solstice in the northern hemisphere is simultaneously the winter solstice in the southern hemisphere.
And, the time of the summer solstice in the southern hemisphere is simultaneously the winter solstice in the northern hemisphere.

Many activities in trees are correlated to the summer solstice (the one day of each year with the most daily light hours).

Thank You for makiing that observation clear. However; it is a bit more complex than just the date. I do not start before the Soltice but there is a "later than" date that could depend on climate. I do this up to the first two weeks in September where I live.

 

[0soyoung]

Thank You for makiing that observation clear. However; it is a bit more complex than just the date. I do not start before the Soltice but there is a "later than" date that could depend on climate. I do this up to the first two weeks in September where I live.

Yes, I agree. My main point was just to refer to the summer solstice instead of citing 'Father's Day'.
Secondarily, I noted that many biological activities of plants are, in fact, linked to the summer solstice. BTW a 'longest day' can only be sensed by day light time becoming less each day, so these activities cannot be triggered until some number of days later.

That is all.