When the soil is degradated as yours I literally wash the roots since the beginning. Make the task really easy and fast, roots remain intact and maples are ok with it. Good job.
And perhaps you need durable components in your soil mix. Akadama 100% degrade way too fast reducing percolation and O2 in the pot. Sorry for my bad english
Thanks for watching 🙏 The soil was decomposed when purchased last Spring but it was in leaf unfortunately. I started trialling akadama since fairly recently. The debate goes on and on... So I decided to experiment 😊
I was surprised how little new root growth there was. After your all work I think it should have renewed vigour and be a lot happier in the new soil. I love the flowering cherry.
i have started using small paint brushes for the super fine root teasing lately like a little soft brush. the white table and black back make it way better to see the work you do. i take pictures of my glass pipes and other stuff the same way white or black back ground/4 ground.. i didnt realize glass and bonsai would lead to other art form like photography lulz. sweet maple tho
Ahh. The wrong side on the wedge. We all should have noticed that 😐. But at least we now know the technique works as such. Also the maple is looking good
Hi! Why did you pot the acer so deep? I think to regain vigour one should offer as much space for the roots as possible. It is no big deal to cut the rootball back, cause in the first 2 years there won't be thick roots developping. So what reasons did you have? Keep us updated on this one, cause i am interested what you can make out of it. Your climate seems to be very mild. Until next time!
Thanks for watching! The weather was very mild this winter though it is usually colder than this. Mind you, we don’t get very much sun. I have planted it low to force lateral growth of roots and encourage the base to flare even more. I am not a fan of those maples with grotesque flat bases, however the initial chop wound has healed over forming an ugly bulge, I hope, in time to reduce its appearance by spreading the base more, making the bulge less noticeable by comparison. This time, the tree health isn’t so bad that I think it needs a rest in a deeper substrate. I might regret it when watering in the summer 😅
Love that! Glad it is useful. If you are in the northern hemisphere, now isn’t a good time to repot maples - Spring is best (apologies if that is obvious)
Gro Bonsai gotcha! Haha. I’m in New Zealand. Probably 2-3 weeks away from bud break!! Would appreciate of you show leaf pruning and wiring on maples too. And perhaps discuss how to remedy damage from wiring :-( thank you
I agree entirely with being a bit Conservative when the tree is not super healthy , bonsai isnt about getting iit perfect straight away its about the journey , next year you may be able to trim a little further
Just a query about the top dressing. I have seen this on Ryan Neil,s Bonsai Mirai but my question is whether the moss/ sphagnum moss mixture encourages the moss to grow and cover the surface with time?
All going to plan it does. It’s been hit and miss for me so far. The moss has several benefits according to Ryan. Even if it doesn’t establish and grow, it locks the surface soil in place. Are you a Mirai Live member, or just watching the RUclips vids he has released?
How is your benichidori? I am curious about the development of this maple. I have one myself almost at the same time since he got yours and around the same age. It's a nicer variety, so I'm curious about yours.
I put them in a polytunnel to protect from freezing at night, but in their normal spot by day or when no frosts are expected. They generally leaf out in early-mid spring when the sun isn’t as strong
I bought an Acer Palmatum the other day and have decided to try bonsai with it. I got it for a really good deal because someone knocked it off the pallet When unloading them. The roots were uncovered and it was laying over really bad. I've taken it out fully and trimmed off some of the smaller roots and am now just hoping I didnt do it wrong after watching this video. How do you know which roots to cut off? How soon will I know if I messed it up? How did you get such a large base trunk? I have all the questions apparently.
Don't worry, this isn't a great example of a repot. The large base is created by spreading the roots out and pruning downward growing roots. Then lots of growth to gain thickness. Your tree will be fine, just give it time.
Hey, Where can I buy a maple bonsai? I live in the uk and I want to buy a maple bonsai but can’t find one a website or it online, Know any good websites for maple bonsais? Thanks
There are a few on this site (trusted dealer) shokabonsai.com/shop/ keep scrolling to find them. Another one I’ve bought from www.kaizenbonsai.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=Maple Other sites I’ve used seem to have sold out . Hope that helps
Bare rooted an acquired old 5 trunk Oak as the soil was so claggy and sticky with very little fine roots I put it in a slightly bigger training pot and filled with Cat litter (non-clumping)and sharp grit to improve drainage, I will leave it till next year to recover, any suggestion out there for the best soil to use when I repot again? Why did you wedge the Cherry as it looks brilliant?
There is an ugly bulge at the top of the straight trunk. At the time it also had some bacterial infection in upper branches. On screen it looks great but it’s very leggy. That said, since then the cankers has cleared up, so I’m going to air layer at the inverse taper to make a twin trunk, then go ahead with the shohin plan with the base. I don’t keep any oak (yet) so take with a large pinch of salt: I’d use 100% akadama if going into a small pot for building branches, or 100% cheaper equivalent if a larger pot for strong growth. In the U.K. that would be Sanicat pink cat litter etc. Where are you based? Thanks for watching
This clip assures me, that Akadama ist not the right medium for Bonsai in the northern parts of Europe. IT easily breaks down in less than 2 years. In Japan it seams to work much better.
The white tips will invariably be pruned off. I don’t wash the roots by default because it’s hard to change direction once that ball is rolling. If intact soil is found when exploring I can stop and leave it untouched. But once committed to washing the soil out there’s no going back 👍
Why do you not wash the roots out when they become that entrenched in the soil medium ,wouldn't that be kinder to the roots ? well that's what I do when it gets too hairy to keep using a root rake or similar. I know everyone has their own methods so I'm just questioning not suggesting what you should do LOL
When you cut the roots of the tree you spoke about being conservative , i agreed with you and liked it. But then when you started the process of using wire to tie the tree to the put from underneath ,, the conservative part of of my brain shut down. i am one of the people who do not tie my trees to the pot. not yet anyway. i had a few pots outside in garden trough a number of storms and hurricanes, never have it gone wrong. did you have any accidents with trees flying out of pots ? or do you just do like most of us, follow the other people ? sorry if i seem rude or personal, i am not trying, i am really curious about this.
Thanks for watching. I definitely prefer to tie the tree down. Movement can hamper new root development - this is something I’ve not witnessed first hand so I guess you could say I am following the crowd. I do know that I hate the tree being wobbly in it’s pot, when I move it for example. Once established they become firm, but accidents can happen, a clumsy cat, transporting the tree etc. For me it’s minimal effort (this tree was a bit awkward) for peace of mind.
@@grobonsai i'l have to agree that a wobbly tree is not cool :) i do have mostly low trees outside, no tall ones yet so, maybe that is why i been lucky so far. Thanks =)
@@grobonsai yes i was thinking the same. Bigger pot. Makes stronger tree. It was a littel on the small size to get the tree stronger. How is the all akadama mix working out for you?
Hi thanks for the awesome video. I just purchased a japanese maple (acer palmatum) and it's the first time the tree went into a bonsai pot. It was in a much larger deeper pot whilst growing. Now in the bonsai pot, the roots are sticking out coz the bonsai pot is much shalower than the pot it was in.. So it looks like the tree trunk (where it starts) is about 3cm above the soil, with roots underneath the start going into the soil. Should i be concerned? Or is this okay?
@@grobonsai Cut out and heal, and let the tree grow . So it can gain vigour and heal it self. Otherwwise new buds will pup up on the bulges , and they will get bigger bulges. You can let the tree grow free, your not in "refinement stage, and building ramification. So you can feed the tree and let it grow "wild". Good luck!
I'd love to see progression of this tree
When the soil is degradated as yours I literally wash the roots since the beginning. Make the task really easy and fast, roots remain intact and maples are ok with it.
Good job.
And perhaps you need durable components in your soil mix. Akadama 100% degrade way too fast reducing percolation and O2 in the pot.
Sorry for my bad english
Thanks for watching 🙏 The soil was decomposed when purchased last Spring but it was in leaf unfortunately. I started trialling akadama since fairly recently. The debate goes on and on... So I decided to experiment 😊
I was surprised how little new root growth there was. After your all work I think it should have renewed vigour and be a lot happier in the new soil. I love the flowering cherry.
Me too, Thanks for watching
Nice job bro 👍👌 you should get yourself a little rubber mellet to lightly bang the sides of the bonsai pot settle some of that Akadama also helps.👍
Great tip! thanks for watching 👍
Nice repot, lovely tree!
Thanks very much for writing!
i have started using small paint brushes for the super fine root teasing lately like a little soft brush. the white table and black back make it way better to see the work you do. i take pictures of my glass pipes and other stuff the same way white or black back ground/4 ground.. i didnt realize glass and bonsai would lead to other art form like photography lulz. sweet maple tho
I find the long handle brushes better for smaller trees, but they don’t move as much soil as the coir bonsai brushes so it takes a bit longer
For price, 10 to around 120 British Pounds
For size, 3 to 30 inches tall
(Answer to your question regarding where to find and buy bonsai)
Ahh. The wrong side on the wedge. We all should have noticed that 😐. But at least we now know the technique works as such.
Also the maple is looking good
Thanks my man 👍
Fascinating. Great vid. Thanks
Thanks for watching
Hi! Why did you pot the acer so deep? I think to regain vigour one should offer as much space for the roots as possible. It is no big deal to cut the rootball back, cause in the first 2 years there won't be thick roots developping. So what reasons did you have? Keep us updated on this one, cause i am interested what you can make out of it. Your climate seems to be very mild. Until next time!
Thanks for watching! The weather was very mild this winter though it is usually colder than this. Mind you, we don’t get very much sun. I have planted it low to force lateral growth of roots and encourage the base to flare even more. I am not a fan of those maples with grotesque flat bases, however the initial chop wound has healed over forming an ugly bulge, I hope, in time to reduce its appearance by spreading the base more, making the bulge less noticeable by comparison. This time, the tree health isn’t so bad that I think it needs a rest in a deeper substrate. I might regret it when watering in the summer 😅
Hey Daz, any updates on this tree?
Can you also use akadama for trident repotting? Thanks
Yes, it’s a good choice for most deciduous broadleaf trees
Gro Bonsai thanks a lot. This is my first time to repot my trident and Japanese Maple. I probably have watched your video 3x now lol
Love that! Glad it is useful. If you are in the northern hemisphere, now isn’t a good time to repot maples - Spring is best (apologies if that is obvious)
Gro Bonsai gotcha! Haha. I’m in New Zealand. Probably 2-3 weeks away from bud break!! Would appreciate of you show leaf pruning and wiring on maples too. And perhaps discuss how to remedy damage from wiring :-( thank you
Really great video! Would you be able to give me some advice on a suitable air layer from my large potted acer tree?
Sure, what’s up?
@@grobonsai I’m unsure where would be a suitable place to chop! Unfortunately can’t upload a photo here
You can dm on Instagram or email grobonsai@gmail.com
Oh that Callus-ing cut is interesting. I was also wondering how it is doing. Thx for sharing.
Thanks very much for watching.
I agree entirely with being a bit Conservative when the tree is not super healthy , bonsai isnt about getting iit perfect straight away its about the journey , next year you may be able to trim a little further
Great tutorial, can I ask where you buy your pots from ?
Mostly local bonsai potters via Facebook, European Bonsai Potters Collective, bonsai shows (pre CV19)
@@grobonsai thanks buddy
Such a fat little maple. I hope it likes all that fresh soil and thrives. I'm looking forward to seeing how that looks full of foliage. :)
Thanks for watching 👍
Just a query about the top dressing. I have seen this on Ryan Neil,s Bonsai Mirai but my question is whether the moss/ sphagnum moss mixture encourages the moss to grow and cover the surface with time?
All going to plan it does. It’s been hit and miss for me so far. The moss has several benefits according to Ryan. Even if it doesn’t establish and grow, it locks the surface soil in place. Are you a Mirai Live member, or just watching the RUclips vids he has released?
Gro Bonsai Not subscribed as yet but considering doing so.
Thanks @@grobonsai. Do you have a link to the original RN video that discusses this moss technique?
How is your benichidori? I am curious about the development of this maple. I have one myself almost at the same time since he got yours and around the same age. It's a nicer variety, so I'm curious about yours.
I recently found out it is a seigen miss-sold as a beni chidori. Either way it’s growing slowly, in a larger training pot now
You said you caught this at just about the right time. Would you have preferred to be a little earlier or later?
A little earlier with protection from freezing, a bit later if protection isn’t available - in my opinion
How do you usually treat a maple after a root prune like this? Does it need to be protected in any way, for example against the sun?
I put them in a polytunnel to protect from freezing at night, but in their normal spot by day or when no frosts are expected. They generally leaf out in early-mid spring when the sun isn’t as strong
Thanks For Sharing Keep it up!
Thank you
I bought an Acer Palmatum the other day and have decided to try bonsai with it. I got it for a really good deal because someone knocked it off the pallet When unloading them. The roots were uncovered and it was laying over really bad. I've
taken it out fully and trimmed off some of the smaller roots and am now just hoping I didnt do it wrong after watching this video. How do you know which roots to cut off? How soon will I know if I messed it up? How did you get such a large base trunk? I have all the questions apparently.
Don't worry, this isn't a great example of a repot. The large base is created by spreading the roots out and pruning downward growing roots. Then lots of growth to gain thickness. Your tree will be fine, just give it time.
Hey,
Where can I buy a maple bonsai?
I live in the uk and I want to buy a maple bonsai but can’t find one a website or it online,
Know any good websites for maple bonsais?
Thanks
Hello, what kind of size, price are you looking at? Just to help me point you in the right direction cheers
For size, around 3 to 30 inches.
For price, around 10 to 120 British pounds
Let me see what I can find
There are a few on this site (trusted dealer) shokabonsai.com/shop/ keep scrolling to find them.
Another one I’ve bought from www.kaizenbonsai.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=Maple
Other sites I’ve used seem to have sold out . Hope that helps
@@grobonsai Thanks, they are good websites. Do you know how many days it takes to receive after they are ordered?
Bare rooted an acquired old 5 trunk Oak as the soil was so claggy and sticky with very little fine roots I put it in a slightly bigger training pot and filled with Cat litter (non-clumping)and sharp grit to improve drainage, I will leave it till next year to recover, any suggestion out there for the best soil to use when I repot again? Why did you wedge the Cherry as it looks brilliant?
There is an ugly bulge at the top of the straight trunk. At the time it also had some bacterial infection in upper branches. On screen it looks great but it’s very leggy. That said, since then the cankers has cleared up, so I’m going to air layer at the inverse taper to make a twin trunk, then go ahead with the shohin plan with the base. I don’t keep any oak (yet) so take with a large pinch of salt: I’d use 100% akadama if going into a small pot for building branches, or 100% cheaper equivalent if a larger pot for strong growth. In the U.K. that would be Sanicat pink cat litter etc. Where are you based? Thanks for watching
@@grobonsai Liverpool
This clip assures me, that Akadama ist not the right medium for Bonsai in the northern parts of Europe. IT easily breaks down in less than 2 years. In Japan it seams to work much better.
Nice bonsai...may i know what soil you use for maple?
It is 100% Ibaraki brand akadama. Thank you for watching
Where did you buy in japan ? I’m trying to find Beni chidore , thank you
A Scotland based importer called Wattston Bonsai
Hi, just a question, why don't you wash the soil away, wouldn't that preserve more of the new roots?
The white tips will invariably be pruned off. I don’t wash the roots by default because it’s hard to change direction once that ball is rolling. If intact soil is found when exploring I can stop and leave it untouched. But once committed to washing the soil out there’s no going back 👍
Is this maple graphed?
Hi, no, it is ungrafted so on it’s own roots. Thanks for watching
Why do you not wash the roots out when they become that entrenched in the soil medium ,wouldn't that be kinder to the roots ? well that's what I do when it gets too hairy to keep using a root rake or similar. I know everyone has their own methods so I'm just questioning not suggesting what you should do LOL
No worries it’s a good question 👍
I was finishing this video while in line buying socks...it started a whole conversation. Lol. Hopibg for some new subs for us both. 😎😎😎
I’m so confused, but I like it lol thanks brother 🙏
@@grobonsai 😂😂😂
When you cut the roots of the tree you spoke about being conservative , i agreed with you and liked it. But then when you started the process of using wire to tie the tree to the put from underneath ,, the conservative part of of my brain shut down.
i am one of the people who do not tie my trees to the pot. not yet anyway.
i had a few pots outside in garden trough a number of storms and hurricanes, never have it gone wrong.
did you have any accidents with trees flying out of pots ? or do you just do like most of us, follow the other people ?
sorry if i seem rude or personal, i am not trying, i am really curious about this.
Thanks for watching. I definitely prefer to tie the tree down. Movement can hamper new root development - this is something I’ve not witnessed first hand so I guess you could say I am following the crowd. I do know that I hate the tree being wobbly in it’s pot, when I move it for example. Once established they become firm, but accidents can happen, a clumsy cat, transporting the tree etc.
For me it’s minimal effort (this tree was a bit awkward) for peace of mind.
@@grobonsai i'l have to agree that a wobbly tree is not cool :) i do have mostly low trees outside, no tall ones yet so, maybe that is why i been lucky so far. Thanks =)
Just watched you repot a tree after I've just done 30+ lol on with dinner
You’re ahead of me, on repotting AND dinner
@@grobonsai lol mine were all satski's with a couple of specimens thrown in, did start at 7.30 am. That is a nice maple gg👍
Always repot a dry tree. Saves on the mud bath.
Thank you 🙏
great video, I subscribe my maple trees are ahead of the season, I show them in my video or I explain the substrates that I use, for my Bonsai
Thanks for the comment 👍
Did it die?
Nah it’s fine, but slow. Will be up-potting it in Spring 2, into a box to grow strong
@@grobonsai yes i was thinking the same. Bigger pot. Makes stronger tree. It was a littel on the small size to get the tree stronger. How is the all akadama mix working out for you?
Hi thanks for the awesome video. I just purchased a japanese maple (acer palmatum) and it's the first time the tree went into a bonsai pot. It was in a much larger deeper pot whilst growing. Now in the bonsai pot, the roots are sticking out coz the bonsai pot is much shalower than the pot it was in.. So it looks like the tree trunk (where it starts) is about 3cm above the soil, with roots underneath the start going into the soil. Should i be concerned? Or is this okay?
I did mean right from the beginning of your repot, lol
Oops sorry I jumped the gun and sent my comment before finishing watching your video and you did wash it . My bad LOL
No probs
educational thankyou
Although the steps are all there, this repot wasn't ideal!
Be carefull with places where more branches come from same point. It can create bulges. But very nice tree.
Thanks 🙏 what would you do about existing bulges that were present when the tree came? Cut out and heal, or try to disguise them?
@@grobonsai Cut out and heal, and let the tree grow . So it can gain vigour and heal it self. Otherwwise new buds will pup up on the bulges , and they will get bigger bulges. You can let the tree grow free, your not in "refinement stage, and building ramification. So you can feed the tree and let it grow "wild". Good luck!
Thanks, it's as I thought. Appreciate your advice.
I'd mix your soil for maples with some pine bark they love it!
I used to include bark but no longer use it, it breaks down very quickly in my damp garden. Thanks for watching 🙏
舊土清除我都直接用水柱沖洗
非常感谢你。最后,我确实用水冲洗了旧土壤。请原谅Google翻译
this made me nervous. :)
Hi 👋 how come?
Those who use akadama for their bonsai are just noobs 🤦♂️