2024 Starts with Repotting
Putting my hands on my stock—trying to separate the sheep and give most the boost for a strong growing season. It’s been happily wet—about 1-2 days/week, and light to moderate. Temperatures above freezing, with as many warm evenings (50F) as cold (35F).
In reflecting my first year of growing & collecting, lesson (1) poor soil selection for saplings resulted in little to no growth so repot this spring, (2) let plants grow out and don’t micromanage or constantly prune/ pinch young plants, (3) propagation is nice but back-bench these, (4) collect more mature trees, even if further development is needed.
Stocked and sifted Perlite, akadama, and lava and scoria; armed with pots, baskets and grow boxes. Following Peter Tea’s advice, I am repotting plants in development early (Dec-Jan) to stimulate growth. I am also experimenting with soil medium & pots to stimulate trunk growth.
Last year yielded a number of air-layered maples, multiple Trident and Larch seedlings are ready for year two. A handful of Cork Bark Elms and two Red Pines from seeds have a promising first year.
Last fall grew a small forest of Redwood & “Dougie” Yamadori trees—to rest this year, but hope to yield most as potential Bonsai material. A number are hardwood cuttings, and by nature should root.
One strong & one weak Trident (2nd yr) were potted up slightly, using 70:30 sifted/rinsed Perlite:Peat. Trimmed and cleaned up roots, placing on a felt disk (may prove difficult to separate from fine roots later without using a sharp edge.
Prior soil allowed roots to run to the bottom and flourish—though spindly in between. May have sought moisture or warmth.
Additional tridents repotted in 1 gal grow bag with organic mix (wood compost: pumice/perlite: manure).
Coast Redwood “Yardadori” finished resting in a large pot last year. Cut down and combed abundant fine roots, ending in an 8” tall grow-box. With advice from Steve Iwaki, cut to height and cleaned up a wide root base, and selected branches to remove or wire downwards. Now a season of rest and selecting new buds.
Advancing last year’s Japanese Maple air-layering. Evaluating root growth, selecting flat and radiating roots, removing any host trunk below the soil-line.
Selecting a new planting angle and pair of lateral branches to prune down to for year-two of trunk development. Must decide on the tree’s overall desired height.
Coast Live Oaks were bought in deep plastic pots that had poor drainage, and terribly muddy soil. Changes to Akadama: pumice: lava at 50:25:25.
Gingko saplings had no growth since late 2022, so potted 2 in 6” pond baskets with Perlite:peat. A larger Gingko sapling was potted in a 1 gal grow bag with organic mix (wood compost: pumice/perlite: manure).
Japanese Black Pine (2-3yr) repotted in a 1 gal grow bag with organic mix (wood compost: pumice/perlite: manure). Comparing soil & growth.
Example: Zelkova, 1 yr in 4” pot with lava:pummice:granite (?). Healthy fine roots above felt disc, not much else besides long roots extending to the base of the pot and were more hydrated. I do t recall if this was a seedling or air-layered, but the trunk was buried at least 3-4” and roots emanated near the surface and near the bottom of the trunk—odd. Thicker roots grew along the length and not radiating from the root-base. Cut off the lower buried trunk.
Started Cork Bark Elms from seed, repotted some into pond baskets with Perlite:Peat.
Repotted into a gallon pot, experimenting with soil for faster, early trunk growth. Attempting to plant over an inverted saucer for nebari development. (Potted some root cuttings)
As a growing experiment to compare soil, to grow trunks & roots faster for younger seedlings. Planting similar starter trees in an organic mix. Roughly 40% wood mulch, and 40% peat/perlite and 20% manure. Two handfuls of black basalt fines to stimulate root growth, but not too much. These will fill 1 gallon grow-bags and 3 gallon nursery pots, with stones on the bottom for drainage, and felt had blue the roots to allow flatter root development before the roots that reach the end of the pot, run down to the bottom and fill and grow.
Observations and reflections
After over a year of growing seedlings, in hydrant soil, some species did not grow in trunk size or a mast much roots. Some roots did not even reach the bottom of the pot.
This spring, I am comparing similar species in both perlite & peat, with high aeration, compared with growing in ground, simulated by organic soil in a pot.