Yoshino Cutting rooted - questions

[Ericanoel6]

I’m surprised it has already rooted!!
A transplant is imminent!
I have had this beauty since early January.
I took it out of dormancy last week.
I just started giving it indirect sunlight outside for about 5 hours a day. I’m going to give it a week and then give it direct morning sunlight for about 3-6 hours a day.
I may acclimate it to being outside before transplanting.
I hope to find a water pot at my local nursery or I’ll order one from Brussel’s bonsai!

What is your opinion - stick with a potting soil I am very familiar with? My favorite soil is from Fox Farms. This soil has so many nutrients (link on bottom). The aggregate would be perlite in this soil. I also plan to add peat moss and/or spaghnum moss to retain moisture.

Or should I buy a bonsai soil?

I already plan to buy a fertilizer made for bonsai since sakura are vigorous feeders during growing season.

Fertilize at transplant or once it has acclimated to the transplant?
Any comments/advice are welcome. This is my very first bonsai project.

Thank you !

Summer Sizzle - FoxFarm Ocean Forest 1.5 cu ft bag - EACH (75 per pallet) - BULK UP NOW!

Our most popular potting soil, Ocean Forest® is a powerhouse blend of aged forest products, sphagnum peat moss, earthworm castings, fish meal and crab meal. Aged forest products and sphagnum peat moss give Ocean Forest® its light, aerated texture. Start with Ocean Forest® and watch your plants...

growgreenmi.com

 

[HorseloverFat]

Groovy!

Looking good!

I wouldn’t recommend standard “potting soil”..

I also wouldn’t recommend BUYING pre-mixed bonsai substrate.. (Although that’s the better of the two options presented)

I’d just buy “fixins” ... and mix your own.

 

[LittleDingus]

I’m surprised it has already rooted!!

I'll answer your question if you answer mine

What process did you use to root the cutting? When did you cut it? How did you treat it afterwards? Etc...

I have a yoshino that needs to be cut back and I've been debating how to propagate it to use what I'm gonna lose. One thought was to air-layer but I hear the success rates are low. The other is to try and strike a number of cuttings. I might be removing enough tree to try both

As to your question: I would repot it immediately into a free draining bonsai type mix. Personally, I'd go with something finer than finished bonsai mix. My yoshino is in NAPA 8822...oil dry from NAPA auto works. In my area, the formulation is actually diatomaceous earth which has very good moisture retention properties and does a great job at promoting strong fibrous (feeder) root growth. Others will prefer something a little coarser...but DE has worked great for me and has become my staple mix.

Unless you're happy with the tiny size...don't put it in a water pot yet. Let it grow out some. Ideally, you'd let the trunk thicken to close to the diameter of the tree you want. My yoshino's trunk is ~1" thick...and the tree is 6' tall. It's 3 years old. Just to give you an idea.



If you put it in a water pot now, the trunk will have a hard time thickening up to anything that looks like a natural tree. That may not be what you're after...and that's fine. I don't grow most of my stuff to be "bonsai"...I mention all this to set some expectations.

Honestly, what you might want to do is find a picture of the style of tree you're aiming for and come back with that in hand and ask how to get from here to there and how long it might take. That would also help sets some realistic expectations.

For now, though, I'd find something close to a gallon sized pot...preferable short and wide. Maybe a bulb pot. I use grow bags myself, but they're nothing pretty to look at That tree is ready to be potted up for a good summer's worth of growth!

Use this year to figure out where you want to go and make a plan to get there

 

[Ericanoel6]

Groovy!

Looking good!

I wouldn’t recommend standard “potting soil”..

I also wouldn’t recommend BUYING pre-mixed bonsai substrate.. (Although that’s the better of the two options presented)

I’d just buy “fixins” ... and mix your own.

Yay!! Thank you!! My nursery is quite expensive (Southern California •__•) so I bought a mix and I’ll amend it with some things I already have! I have had to become my daughter’s teacher thanks to COVID, so I’m not going to be doing a whole lot of gardening this year or I might have went a bit wild! I bought grow more brand seaweed extract as the fertilizer. I would like a foliar spray once it has leaves too! I didn’t buy a copper based fungicide because they didn’t have a small enough bottle.

 

[Ericanoel6]

I'll answer your question if you answer mine

What process did you use to root the cutting? When did you cut it? How did you treat it afterwards? Etc...

I have a yoshino that needs to be cut back and I've been debating how to propagate it to use what I'm gonna lose. One thought was to air-layer but I hear the success rates are low. The other is to try and strike a number of cuttings. I might be removing enough tree to try both

As to your question: I would repot it immediately into a free draining bonsai type mix. Personally, I'd go with something finer than finished bonsai mix. My yoshino is in NAPA 8822...oil dry from NAPA auto works. In my area, the formulation is actually diatomaceous earth which has very good moisture retention properties and does a great job at promoting strong fibrous (feeder) root growth. Others will prefer something a little coarser...but DE has worked great for me and has become my staple mix.

Unless you're happy with the tiny size...don't put it in a water pot yet. Let it grow out some. Ideally, you'd let the trunk thicken to close to the diameter of the tree you want. My yoshino's trunk is ~1" thick...and the tree is 6' tall. It's 3 years old. Just to give you an idea.

View attachment 356992

If you put it in a water pot now, the trunk will have a hard time thickening up to anything that looks like a natural tree. That may not be what you're after...and that's fine. I don't grow most of my stuff to be "bonsai"...I mention all this to set some expectations.

Honestly, what you might want to do is find a picture of the style of tree you're aiming for and come back with that in hand and ask how to get from here to there and how long it might take. That would also help sets some realistic expectations.

For now, though, I'd find something close to a gallon sized pot...preferable short and wide. Maybe a bulb pot. I use grow bags myself, but they're nothing pretty to look at That tree is ready to be potted up for a good summer's worth of growth!

Use this year to figure out where you want to go and make a plan to get there

Wow thank you - that is so much information to consider!! I truly appreciate the time you took to type that up. Really! I bought the cutting off a reputable seller on Etsy. I don’t know what they did to make it root so fast. I don’t know how old the cutting is. I can ask if you’re really curious though - they replied very quickly to some questions before I received the cutting. Aside from what the seller did, I kept it dormant inside my garage for a month and a half. I kept the soil lightly moist and watered by weight. I never turned it upside down when it was dormant to check if it had rooted because I did not expect it to root! For roughly 5 days, I had it inside an indoor ‘greenhouse’ at 70°F. It had sunlight hit it through closed blinds. This was my method to wake it up. 2 of the buds had opened up by the 2nd day. Day 4, 2 more opened. It was only today when I took it outside, freed it from the original plastic/packaging tape so it wouldn’t get too humid/hot. I didn’t even need to pick up the root ball as you can see in the pic - the roots are sticking out of the pot. This cutting is very emotional for me because I want to grow it to honor my late Japanese grandma. It sounds so corny, but I have spent time with the cutting, played it Japanese music and thought of memories with my Grandma. It has received a lot of positive energy and emotion. I think that really helps.

 

[HorseloverFat]

Yay!! Thank you!! My nursery is quite expensive (Southern California •__•) so I bought a mix and I’ll amend it with some things I already have! I have had to become my daughter’s teacher thanks to COVID, so I’m not going to be doing a whole lot of gardening this year or I might have went a bit wild! I bought grow more brand seaweed extract as the fertilizer. I would like a foliar spray once it has leaves too! I didn’t buy a copper based fungicide because they didn’t have a small enough bottle.

Hehe! Enjoy it! We homeschool, too and have since before Covid.

Seaweed extract is great... so is Fish Emulsion. DRAMM stuff is my favorite.,, but i’m biased, because My Father worked as their engineer for close to 20 years.

I’d say still go crazy gardening..

 

[LittleDingus]

Wow thank you - that is so much information to consider!! I truly appreciate the time you took to type that up. Really! I bought the cutting off a reputable seller on Etsy. I don’t know what they did to make it root so fast. I don’t know how old the cutting is. I can ask if you’re really curious though - they replied very quickly to some questions before I received the cutting. Aside from what the seller did, I kept it dormant inside my garage for a month and a half. I kept the soil lightly moist and watered by weight. I never turned it upside down when it was dormant to check if it had rooted because I did not expect it to root! For roughly 5 days, I had it inside an indoor ‘greenhouse’ at 70°F. It had sunlight hit it through closed blinds. This was my method to wake it up. 2 of the buds had opened up by the 2nd day. Day 4, 2 more opened. It was only today when I took it outside, freed it from the original plastic/packaging tape so it wouldn’t get too humid/hot. I didn’t even need to pick up the root ball as you can see in the pic - the roots are sticking out of the pot. This cutting is very emotional for me because I want to grow it to honor my late Japanese grandma. It sounds so corny, but I have spent time with the cutting, played it Japanese music and thought of memories with my Grandma. It has received a lot of positive energy and emotion. I think that really helps.

That's all good I haven't decided exactly how to deal with mine yet. I definitely want the spring growth to plump it up before I do anything...but the base is boring and something needs to happen this year with it. My hope is to keep as much of the top as I can.

On yours, many species grow roots during winter. They don't necessarily grow fast (compared to warmer weather) but the tree being dormant doesn't mean it's not doing anything.

I would, if you can (and haven't already!) cut the plastic pot off when repotting and NOT try to pull the roots back up through the pot. You definitely need to get that thing into a bigger pot.

...and I totally understand emotional attachment to a plant. My first plant was given to me by my now wife...then girlfriend...30 years ago this year. I still have it after all this time. I also have kept alive and have a special place for every live plant that was part of my son's funeral service. I've got very dear to me plants from both ends of the emotional spectrum.

 

[rollwithak]

I’m surprised it has already rooted!!
A transplant is imminent!
I have had this beauty since early January.
I took it out of dormancy last week.
I just started giving it indirect sunlight outside for about 5 hours a day. I’m going to give it a week and then give it direct morning sunlight for about 3-6 hours a day.
I may acclimate it to being outside before transplanting.
I hope to find a water pot at my local nursery or I’ll order one from Brussel’s bonsai!

What is your opinion - stick with a potting soil I am very familiar with? My favorite soil is from Fox Farms. This soil has so many nutrients (link on bottom). The aggregate would be perlite in this soil. I also plan to add peat moss and/or spaghnum moss to retain moisture.

Or should I buy a bonsai soil?

I already plan to buy a fertilizer made for bonsai since sakura are vigorous feeders during growing season.

Fertilize at transplant or once it has acclimated to the transplant?
Any comments/advice are welcome. This is my very first bonsai project.

Thank you !

Summer Sizzle - FoxFarm Ocean Forest 1.5 cu ft bag - EACH (75 per pallet) - BULK UP NOW!

Our most popular potting soil, Ocean Forest® is a powerhouse blend of aged forest products, sphagnum peat moss, earthworm castings, fish meal and crab meal. Aged forest products and sphagnum peat moss give Ocean Forest® its light, aerated texture. Start with Ocean Forest® and watch your plants...

growgreenmi.com

How cool and welcome to the hobby! Hang on tight, it’s a bumpy ride!!!

I agree that you should just use a good well draining potting soil, maybe some rocks at the bottom for good drainage!!!

What is your ultimate goal with this tree???

RK

 

[Carol 83]

I also have kept alive and have a special place for every live plant that was part of my son's funeral service. I've got very dear to me plants from both ends of the emotional spectrum.

 

[Ericanoel6]

That's all good I haven't decided exactly how to deal with mine yet. I definitely want the spring growth to plump it up before I do anything...but the base is boring and something needs to happen this year with it. My hope is to keep as much of the top as I can.

On yours, many species grow roots during winter. They don't necessarily grow fast (compared to warmer weather) but the tree being dormant doesn't mean it's not doing anything.

I would, if you can (and haven't already!) cut the plastic pot off when repotting and NOT try to pull the roots back up through the pot. You definitely need to get that thing into a bigger pot.

...and I totally understand emotional attachment to a plant. My first plant was given to me by my now wife...then girlfriend...30 years ago this year. I still have it after all this time. I also have kept alive and have a special place for every live plant that was part of my son's funeral service. I've got very dear to me plants from both ends of the emotional spectrum.

That is so so special. That sort of dedication is rare.