Bonsaify | Challenging Repot of a Tall Collected Juniper Bonsai

Eric walks through all of the steps of a challenging repot into a show-worthy pot at a different angle. This collected Western Juniper grafted with Kishu Juniper is a client tree, and Eric has been working on the branching over the past two years.
=Note= Updated version of the video to fix audio channels issue.
00:00:44 Eric believes that the auxiliary attachment mechanism was used to hold the tree in place because the root ball was not well established.
00:02:35 Eric removes the attachment props and assesses the stability and strength of roots and trunk.
00:03:34 Cutting existing tie wires off the tree.
00:04:22 Using a garden scythe to separate roots from along the sides of the container - one handed because his other hand needs to keep the tree stable!
00:05:11 Three sides are cut and it's time to remove the tree from the container. Eric should be able to tip the entire tree and root ball out of the container. He explains why you should never use the trunk as a lever!
00:06:35 The tree is out of the pot! Root ball work can be done with a 3-prong rake, root hook, or bent nose tweezers (Eric's choice) to remove most of the roots on the bottom.
00:08:02 Using a piece of wood to stabilize the tree, Eric begins working on the top and sides of the root ball.
00:09:27 All the circling roots have been removed; weeds and organic matter have been teased out; and now Eric can consider potting the tree into a different container.
00:10:15 The client has provided this beautiful handmade pot, and it requires additional root work before repotting can begin.
00:11:21 Eric explains what he looks at to determine which roots to keep and those that can be removed.
00:12:50 Does Eric cut off the big root?
00:13:30 Eric checks how the the tree might sit in the pot; the root ball needs a bit more trimming and then...
00:14:01 Test how the tree looks in the container! More root trimming needed.
00:15:08 Tree in pot attempt #2 - is the angle correct?
00:15:37 Anchoring the tree in the new pot. Eric uses 17 gauge galvanized steel wire. He fills the bottom of the pot with bonsai soil, a well sifted combo of akadama and lava.
00:16:55 The pot is prepped. Eric has some Alaskan Cedar blocks he can use as props to anchor the tree (bamboo could also be used).
00:17:33 Eric explains how the trunk is positioned in relation to the three feet of the pot.
00:18:08 Eric creates an anchor point.
00:20:21 Soil is chopped in, the tree is watered, Eric applies a top dressing, and further stabilizes the tree.
00:20:52 The last problem - how to keep a 3-footed pot from tipping - Eric straps the tree to a cedar platform with black twine.
00:21:54 What do you think of this repot? Let us know in the comments below!
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[@jameslangschied7900]

It looks like a dragon coming in for a landing. Stunning tree; outstanding, intelligent repot.

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Tricky work on a delicate tree! Nice!

[@Backyard_Bonsai]

This is an awesome tree and pot combo! Great explanation throughout each step as well! Thanks for taking us along!

[@luizsantos417]

So unique and beatiful tree.

[@raynorris135]

Yes Eric, I have had to do the same with collected trees to fully stabilize so it won’t fall over. Many of the same techniques. Thanks for sharing as I really enjoy refreshers before the potting season starts in about 4 weeks.

[@raynorris135]

Also the use of galvanized wire was new to me. Will have to try that

[@Bonsaify]

It's good for larger trees, less stretching than aluminum.

[@-ChrisD]

Wow! What a cool tree! Great video. Thank you so much for sharing.

[@BenCreehan]

Great job. I love that tree and pot together. It looked amazing. Thanks for sharing

[@Bonsaify]

Thanks for watching!

[@alessandromassimo5717]

Very good technique and execution

[@jessestrong7269]

Beautiful tree!

[@Bonsaify]

Thank you! 😊

[@henzobonsai]

Really nice...good job

[@OjaiBonsai]

Great work. Wish it was mine. Cheers from Ojai California

[@sagebonsai]

Excellent work. My most difficult repotting this year has to go to my four and half foot bloodgood maple tree nursery stock. To my surprise when I placed it in massive tub over winter the roots didn't want to stay confined to the nursery pot shape. So naturally the tree was working with me on this one. It got a heavy trunk chop and I've cauterized the wound to prevent bleed out. What roots I had to take out were grafted on to the small branches. If I done everything right I should have eight new trees and two raft styles to work with.

[@Bonsaify]

Nice. Dicing up big trees into smaller ones is a good strategy!

[@peraltv9199]

Succes friend

[@DarthMasiah]

nice job

[@snowman3773]

Another great video! I was interested to see if you would incorporate some stonework to help stabilize the trunk instead of a wood block...

[@davidmorgan3508]

Aussie Dave here, well done 👌😀. A very informative video.. I love it see these challenges on reporting 😃. Josh from (Bonsai En) had a large cascading juniper in a 2 or 3 foot cascade pot,, I would have loved to see how Josh repotted that challenging juniper 🤔😉🌲

[@Bonsaify]

Thanks! Yeah, some repots are a lot harder than others. I can do 10 normal repots in the time it takes to do one like this!

[@sekedarmancingbali1694]

Very good bonsai 👍 i like 🏅🏅

[@dudesjir74]

❤❤❤❤❤

[@arnoldmmbb]

Maybe clean all the moss from the deadwood in the base and treating it with wood hardener or something could be useful to delay the rotting?

[@Bonsaify]

Yes! Actually, I may do a video soon on deadwood work as it relates to both repotting/rotting basies, and just the interface of the lifeline and the deadwood.

[@elig2714]

@@Bonsaify Sounds like a great video!

[@joegarland4885]

For rotting wood I stabilise it with super glue that does the job very well you should try it.

[@Bonsaify]

Joe - spot on. I've used it many times, and one of my students even did a whole large section of an olive to stop it from rotting. It actually seems to work better than "wood hardener" and show less visible residue, which is the down side of many wood stabilizing techniques.

[@tangledtanuki]

Love these videos on the more challenging work. I have a question about the pot though. Even if they work together is that lip that shapes inward not going to cause repotting issues in the future and if so would it not have been possible to discuss that with the owner and try something that might protect repotting in the future?

[@Bonsaify]

Interesting point. Using a scythe/cutter to extract the trees is pretty standard technique in my experience. It would be no different here. All the major roots that would have been sticking out were removed, so the next repot will be mostly just maintenance. The owner actually supplied a larger pot also, but it was the same style and not as elegant as this one.

[@JAMES-dv5ns]

Great tree and awesome instruction as always ! How long are you having the top dressing stay on that ?

[@Bonsaify]

In this case I would tell the owner to leave it on and allow moss to populate. This particular client has some challenges with keeping weeds out, so it may end up being removed. The sphagnum effectively increases the depth of the pot.

[@9daywonda]

Unusual shape, it's a wonder how it doesn't fall over hey???

[@Bonsaify]

I told the owner to strap it to the bench also!

[@9daywonda]

Well, better than strapping it to your head.

[@artrockhwan6627]

I'm very interested in juniper, by your video I can learn about it, but I live in tropical country. Is there any different way to grow it nicely?

[@Bonsaify]

There are junipers that will grow in tropical areas, but I'm not sure what they are. You should check the books by Cheng Cheng. He's in Taiwan and known for his juniper work. I believe you'll need a variety like what he uses, which is different than what is used in Japan and other temperate climates.

[@alessandromassimo5717]

Like again even if I already saw it in mono

[@Bonsaify]

sounds better this time right? ;-)

[@alessandromassimo5717]

@@Bonsaify yess

[@alessandromassimo5717]

@@Bonsaify yep

[@beth7467]

Why would you choose a less-stable footed pot when you know that the tree already has lots of balance/tipping issues? Not criticizing; just wondering what was the thought process of choosing the pot that would be the most suitable for this tree.

[@Bonsaify]

A combination of factors - this was the best pot the client had, and he had purchased it and others for the tree specifically. And sometimes the practical considerations are secondary to the aesthetics. I felt it was a good aesthetic match. After finishing the repot, I created a litter for the tree, strapped it down and took it back to the client. With the tree tied to the litter, there is no way for it to tip over (well within reason.)

[@ienvy11]

yo

[@Arnoldbonsai75]

Hope the tree would survive. You removed too much roots and the pot too small for the tree. Gudluck..

[@Bonsaify]

Ah, interesting that you say that. I would not recommend that an inexperienced hobbyist do this type of root work. But, the tree did survive, and in fact is growing very nicely in the new pot. While junipers grow slower in smaller containers, in this case that is part of the reason for the repot - as we approach a mature silhouette, we want to slow the growth of the tree. This tree will be show ready in another 2 years!

[@joeydupre6153]

I know pots are subjective, but I find that this pot is visually just too small for the tree. It gives the tree a feeling of instability as well as a lack of proportion, as witnessed by the need for a prop and tie-downs.

[@SubjectiveFunny]

That moss needs cleaning off, with a heavy dose of wood hardener on that dead wood as soon as possible. Beautiful tree.

[@Bonsaify]

That's a good point. Deadwood work!