Repotting an old yamadori Juniper

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Nice work on the roots Terry, the tree will love that new soil, as you head into spring, we are going into fall!

[@SJKurd]

I am waiting for your video

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

Thanks Nigel, yes I think its going to excel in the new media much more open to oxygenation. Going to make for a much healthier rootball. As usual, thanks for watching my little channel and for commenting.

[@princejosephocampo5748]

Thanks for sharing my dearest friend about repoting

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

I’m glad it is useful Joseph! 👏🏻

[@andrewt1176]

Really nice tree! Definitely needed a repotting. I always enjoy the hesitation in Terry’s voice when he says “this is a… umm a icepick”

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

mmmm Andrew, now I am going to be thinking of you next time I have to use that line and be very self-aware about it. Gee thanks! .... ha ha ha

[@watsup6084]

Flawless repot, your calm and concise explanations are a treat.

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

I am so glad they are helpful. Not scripted so I do my mistakes but it seems so far you have not caught onto them :)

[@robertobreglia9224]

Very compliments Terry,you have performed a perfect repotting,thank you very much for sharing this interesting video!👍👍👍👍👍

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

So nice of you Roberto! I am glad you enjoyed it.

[@alfredgrechbonsailicious4827]

A very meticulous repotting. Thanks for sharing.

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

Thank you very much Alfred, appreciate it very much.

[@nwilliams1540]

Very beneficial. I really like how you cover all the details of what you’re doing and why.

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

Thank you, yes, the devil is always in the detail as they say! :)

[@jeffsansom1304]

Great advice and demonstration thanks Terry.

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

Very welcome Jeff, thank you Sir.

[@dmantaisi]

Very thorough tutorial. I look forward to seeing how this juniper responds. I’m sure it will make a quick recovery. Thanks for sharing!

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

I hope so too Manta! There is always that "what if" which worries bonsai enthusiasts, but I am confident it will do well and will be healthier than ever before. Thanks for watching.

[@mikegrayleeds]

Cool, calm, and collective 🌳🌳 excellent 🤙

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

Thanks Mike! 😎

[@mcbabs7495]

Cette vidéo est vraiment intéressantes et vos explications sont très utiles. Un grand merci à vous pour le partage de votre expérience!

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

C'est avec plaisir et merci pour votre soutien en regardant.

[@faizul_dergo]

Really amazing. I always wait your vidio. Thank you brother for sharing.

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

So nice of you to say that!

[@stephencreswell229]

I really enjoy this channel. What is your favorite species to work with?

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

Thanks Stephen! Oh that’s a tough question indeed. In deciduous I’d have to say it doesn’t get better than Trident/Chinese maple for bonsai cultivation. For conifer I’d have to say Japanese black pine, simply the best. Broadleaf evergreen would be olive. Sorry but 3 is about as much as I can reduce it to 😂

[@rahulasani]

Beautiful explanation. Tku

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

My pleasure! Thanks for watching 🙇🏼‍♂️

[@Breathing_bonsai]

Nice video👌

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

Thanks for the visit

[@George_Reis]

Muito bom trabalho parabéns 👍👏👏👏👏👏

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

Thank you so much George 🙇🏼‍♂️

[@longfootbuddy]

maybe its first potting was in one of those old commercial trashcan with the ashtray in the top

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

Ha ha, more likely a plastic tub of sorts as that seems to be the container of choice where I am.

[@beeinthamix]

The best !!!🙌❣️

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

Wow! Thanks so much.

[@chasingthefish9042]

Is there a way to get your products in the us? I was interested in your bonsai kits.

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

Mmmm I think this will be difficult as seeds present a problem for you. Plus there is some organic growing medium and this will also attract attention. I am sure you will find something similar to this in the USA though?

[@marcgleeson9487]

Thanks for the detail, Terry. I'd like to know if it's okay to slip pot a weak maple that was repotted about a month ago? In other words, can you safely slip pot soon after a proper repot if the tree is weak?

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

Marc I would not recommend that. If any roots have formed in the last month they will be very brittle and will likely break when you slip pot as the media will fall off/away. Not sure what the emergency is but there must be another way to address it, even if only for a couple months.

[@marcgleeson9487]

@@TerryErasmusbonsai Thanks, Terry! It's a fungal infection causing leaf deformation and black spot on a trident. I've sprayed once with a systemic and removed the infected leaves after they wilted (about a third of the flush). It has flushed out quite well since, but is still showing some signs of infection/slow growth.

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

@marcgleeson9487 I don’t think repotting is your solution. It sounds like anthracnose. This is present normally but when the plant is in a stressed state it takes over and you see the symptoms. The only product which worked for me is Real Bacillus which is available from Real IPM. Google them and get in contact, hopefully they can help you as the product is only available in larger volumes. Otherwise if you are not successful contact me directly and I can sell you a smaller volume.

[@marcgleeson9487]

@@TerryErasmusbonsai Much appreciated, Terry, thank you. I'll be in touch if I can't source from them.

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

@marcgleeson9487 great.

[@hashiramabonsai]

great video as always! Love it! Just got a message from somebody i asked and i can go dig out a nice juniper, it was in a pot al its life but they planted it in the ground 2 years ago, right now winter is starting in Switzerland and we will have a really cold spell in one week, but i kind of have to dig it out now because they will remodel their garden in winter and it would land on the compost heap, do you have any tips to ensure survival? in my experience juniper roots can be worked on quite rough, i will put it in fresh soil (similar mix like the one you used) place it in bright shade with no wind and probably bubble wrap the pot to protect it from the frost a bit, would be really sad if it dies, its around 50 years old, very nice movement and a lot of new and strong shoots to work on once recovered! Greetings from Switzerland

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

Personally I would sincerely doubt the roots would have spread much since they planted it. I would simply try to dig as much of the rootball as possible retaining the soil. Put it into a wooden box. If you suspect freezing then take whatever precautions necessary. Depending on the response only attempt to repot the tree in late spring when tips are greening up.

[@hashiramabonsai]

@@TerryErasmusbonsai great one! I even hope the roots are still pretty compact and skip the intermediary pot! Was a good decision for a yew I took out last late year, will keep you up to date :) thx a lot

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

Good luck! I’m sure it will go well.

[@alessandromassimo5717]

Hi terry, would you consider this an heavy repot or just a normal one? I mean would you consider to style this tree next summer if it responds well to the repot or just wait at least 1 year to be sure everything is ok? Because I have seen from other youtubers junipers that get the good foliage back and look vigorous that are not styled because they have been recently repotted

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

Hello Alessandro. Thanks for asking! Definitely a very heavy repot and one I do not wish to repeat on this tree - ever. No, no styling for at least 2 years in my opinion, possibly 3 years all depends on the health of the tree at the time but it will take some time to build vigor.

[@SJKurd]

Awesome

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

So glad you enjoyed it!

[@danielhughes6896]

Most bonsai people advise to never bare root a Juniper. That you should only do half at the time, Bonsai Mirai recommend doing the outsize first and let the feeder roots grow into the new soil then do the underneath on the second re-potting. What makes you think that it's OK to do this when consensus amongst bonsai masters say you shouldn't. Juniper have a symbiotic relationship with a Mycorrhizae, if you remove all the Mycorrhizae the tree can die. Every time you bareroot a Juniper you roll the dice, you might get away with it 1, 2, 3 or more times but eventually you will kill the tree.

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

Thanks Daniel, you have certainly touched on a very big/deep topic. What I would like you to appreciate, which I am sure you do already, is that this is a snapshot of a moment in the maintenance of this juniper. It does not reflect the aftercare it will be subjected to. I alluded to the fact that these junipers are often used as plantings in parking lots where they are grossly neglected but I did neglect to stress that this is testament to their hardiness. As you know, bonsai is an immensely complex pursuit and all these factors play a role. How to answer your comments....... Boon's method of repotting half of a juniper at a time is a great one and one which I personally use from time to time with great results. I feel it is most appropriately used on weak trees which have virtually no root or perhaps are in a very clay soil which is difficult to remove without removing substantial amounts of root. I did consider the technique for this tree actually. One never knows what you will find when you begin to work a rootball. However discovering the roots were not in a bad way, and that the old sandy soil was easy to remove I decided to go for a full repot. However this is not my first "rodeo" as they say but frankly every tree is different. On the subject of mychorriza, there was none visible in the rootball and the conditions in the root zone were not conducive to its growth in my view. However even if there was, the work I did would not have removed it. Mychorriza only works when in direct contact with the roots as you know. What is high risk is WASHING the roots of a conifer however I only lightly misted them leaving any mychorrizal spores in tact. Over many years I have repotted many young and very old imported Black, red and white pines which are far more dependant on the symbiotic relationship than juniper, bare rooting them (when it was needed ie first repotting) as I did this juniper and have never lost one. However I do not routinely bareroot a conifer to this extent, its unnecessary. In this case it was necessary, but sure, only tackling half the rootball would be a safer route and probably advisable for many people. I do not claim to be a bonsai master but I have learnt from some, and continue to learn daily. We are certainly blessed to live in a time where knowledge abounds. The sources you choose to learn from is entirely up to you; Boon Manakitivipart, Ryan Neil, Bjorn Bjorholm, Michael Hagedorn, Jonas Duipach, Peter Tea, Eric Shrader etc are all great English speaking resources and one day when I am older I hope to have half the experience they have.

[@arnopienaar8111]

Ou Daniel ,is jy famlie van Salamo?,jy klink na n slim bliksem hoor

[@hashiramabonsai]

is that true? @@MatthewAndersonCPT

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

@hashiramabonsai of at least equal importance to repotting is aftercare. I only did the repot. I understand the tree did die 6 months later. It’s my humble opinion that Mr Anderson has some sort of axe to grind with me although I’ve never met him nor had any interaction with him other than on this subject.

[@LuisRojas-rs6pv]

How bout repotting at night time?

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

Luis, I am not sure what you mean. You mean to avoid roots drying out from the sun etc? If so then sure, I was working on this tree till very late but I work indoors so it makes no difference. Good plan though if that suits your schedule.

[@mauriziomacera358]

👏👏👏👏👏grazie!

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

My pleasure Maurizio.

[@andywalker1871]

Energy vampire

[@TerryErasmusbonsai]

Positive vibes

[@andywalker1871]

@@TerryErasmusbonsai absolutely love your videos. Keep up the good work. Hope you've watched What We Do In The Shadows?