Timing for planting in ground

[cishepard]

I have aquired some small, potted pre-bonsai (Vine maple, Korean hornbeam, beauty bush and Stewartia), that I would like to ground grow for a few years.
My question is about timing, presuming that I will want to comb out and position the roots, as well.
I am in the PacNW and it looks to be a fairly mild summer. Can I do this work now, or possibly in the late summer, early fall? Or should I ideally wait till next spring?
My feeling is that they will fare better and get a head start on growth if they go into the ground sooner, but I can’t find any threads that talk about this.

 

[Hack Yeah!]

Depending on what type of container they are in now, I'd plant them without disturbing the roots immediately. Then work the roots and replant during the spring.

 

[Eckhoffw]

I would tend to agree with @Hack Yeah!

If you’re going to be doing root work, you might as well wait till next spring.
I feel like the benefits of ground growing would be negated if you were to stress the plant at this point in the year.

Now, if there are certain trees that don’t need much or any root Work, I’d go ahead and put them in the ground now.

However, I’m in Minnesota. If I lived where you, do I might think otherwise?

 

[cishepard]

Depending on what type of container they are in now, I'd plant them without disturbing the roots immediately. Then work the roots and replant during the spring.

They are in small nursery pots like this (less than 1gal), in bonsai soil, purchased from @Canada Bonsai. I have yet to receive them, so I don’t know how the roots look, yet.

 

[rockm]

They are in small nursery pots like this (less than 1gal), in bonsai soil, purchased from @Canada Bonsai. I have yet to receive them, so I don’t know how the roots look, yet.View attachment 604313

I don’t know. I would not plant these two out. While you will eventually get trunk diameter, you will lose mostly all of that initial low branching

These hornbeams (I assume they’re hornbeam) are pretty decent shohin trees already. Personally I’d let these be and find bonsai pots for them

As for planting in the ground-fall is a good time for it —you’re past the period of the worst heat and peak demands on new or recently disturbed roots. Fall has cooler air temps but ground warmth continues into late fall and encourages root growth.

 

[Canada Bonsai]

Or should I ideally wait till next spring?

Thanks for your order

Wait until Feb/March to repot. They arrived from Japan with A LOT of roots and are growing very well -- see bare root pictures from the day they arrived from Japan (img 7069). The pictures you shared (from my website) were take in early Spring, so I attached 3 pictures of what they look like now (img 2613, 2614, and 2616). I just took cuttings from them, and when possible I left a runner on the top. The roots are coming out of the bottom of most of them.

I attached 2 pictures of what they looked like when I bought them in Japan. I bought these because for relatively short material, they have A LOT of branches. These are +5 years old now, very slowly grown. You (and I) paid to have this quality of material. I'd recommending keeping the final design within 18". With this quality of material/options/health, you'll have something very nice soon. If you want something to put in the ground and thicken to develop a much larger/coarser design (for lack of a better term), the cuttings that I am producing will be more appropriate for this purpose (available Feb 2027 and onwards). I have nothing against larger trees, my big Korean hornbeam is one of my favourite trees in the garden right now:

Carpinus turczaninowii

Carpinus turczaninowiiKorean HornbeamIwashide*There are 2 trunks behind each other from the angle that I took the main photo* Large tree with impressive movement in the trunks. It is larger than I originally thought (see last image). Incredible start, but refinement will be in your...

www.canadabonsai.com

 

[cishepard]

Thank you for all your advice everyone! This is the first time I have purchased real nice pre-bonsai deciduous material and I have no idea what I’m doing!
@Canada Bonsai, Thank you for those photos! I guess your advice would be the same for the Euonymus, Stewartia, and Corylopsis spicata that I ordered? They are all fantastic looking already with lot’s of branching. Do you recommend a grow box for an early spring repot, or right into a bonsai pot?

The vine maple I mentioned was given to me by a friend - just a little sapling they dug up in the woods, but stunted and branchy nonetheless. Maybe I’ll try it in the ground, just for fun …

 

[Shibui]

Always do root work before putting trees destined for bonsai into grow boxes or in the ground.
Ground growing will accelerate trunk thickening but also accelerates roots and everything else. Small tangled roots become big tangled roots in just a few years. Small crossover roots will be big crossover roots, small circling roots will be big circling roots.
Small problem roots can be adjusted or cut. Big problem roots cannot be moved and pruning leaves big scars that don't seem to heal easily.
Ground growing is not magic. It will definitely THICKEN the trunks but will not necessarily guarantee a GOOD bonsai.

Nebari is a very important aspect of most bonsai. Getting the roots set up right at the start is the only way to give you a better chance of a good outcome.

You are unlikely to get much acceleration in growth in the month or 2 left of the northern growing season so no real advantage to planting out now and some serious potential disadvantage. Much better to wait for Spring so you can do proper root work to set up for a better outcome IMHO

 

[leatherback]

cuttings

You are rooting korean hornbeam cuttings? That is great to hear. I never tried my hand as I assumed hornbeams would not root from cutting! Anything specific to keep in mind? (I have a mid-sized one, which I am pusshing to thicken while in a pot, but that is slooooowwww...)

 

[leatherback]

I don’t know. I would not plant these two out. While you will eventually get trunk diameter, you will lose mostly all of that initial low branching

These hornbeams (I assume they’re hornbeam) are pretty decent shohin trees already. Personally I’d let these be and find bonsai pots for them

As for planting in the ground-fall is a good time for it —you’re past the period of the worst heat and peak demands on new or recently disturbed roots. Fall has cooler air temps but ground warmth continues into late fall and encourages root growth.

100% agreed.

In general fro ground growing, I find this to be critical too

Getting the roots set up right at the start

 

[Canada Bonsai]

Anything specific to keep in mind?

Like Prunus mume and Zelkova, I take them about 4-5 weeks after my main Acer palmatum cutting-period. For me here near Montreal (in a greenhouse), Acer palmatum is usually around May 15. I don't take cuttings from Prunus, Carpinus, Zelkova, and a few others until June 15-June 30.

I visited a nursery in Japan that takes hardwood cuttings of carpinus turczaninowii every February/March. That was this February so I have not had a chance to try yet (I plan to try with the runners I left on these plants, unless they all sell by then)

 

[leatherback]

For me here near Montreal (in a greenhouse), Acer palmatum is usually around May 15. I don't take cuttings from Prunus, Carpinus, Zelkova, and a few others until June 15-June 30.

I would guess timing to be similar here. I am quite a bit further north than you, but with the Atlantic current we are spared the brunt of polar winter.
If only I was not on crutches I would have taken a few to see.

 

[Shibui]

I think I have American hornbeam here. I found cuttings strike easily. I've grown hardwood cutting taken at the start of winter and softwood cuttings taken late Spring. Obviously different climate conditions but assume the other Carpinus sp should be similar?