Why and when to repot bonsai?

[@mattbrennan647]

Perfectly articulated tutorial. No need to make things more difficult than they truly are. Thanks, keep growing (and repotting)

[@GrowingBonsai]

So nice of you, and I agree. People are keen to make the hobby very complex, where it for most of us is actually not needed to complicate things. Only when we have the whole system ticking perfectly do the fine details really start to make a difference (And even then I stand by my main reasons for repotting!)

[@greenmachinesweden]

So many trees that needs repotting. So few good pots to find locally. Online purshases always shows up with disapointment. Anyway, I have a few good matches to do this spring. Looking forward for repotting season.🙂👍

[@GrowingBonsai]

Yeah, ordering pots online can be.. A bit of a challenge. (In th new year I will share an experience from my side)

[@danielhacker1248]

Finding affordable njice ceramic pots is very difficult & please include the root pruning? Thank you excellent tutorial more please

[@apaches04soccer]

this might be why i lost some junipers this year :( i figured it was overwatering caused by crazy LA rain weather but come to think of it i have not repotted in a couple years, i think junipers are so resilient we just sorta forget until its too late. Lesson learned

[@GrowingBonsai]

:(

[@mokdog666]

Good talk on repotting , and the aesthetics and health of our trees !

[@GrowingBonsai]

Thank you so much! Great to hear!

[@jeffhurst4744]

Very good review of if or when to repot your Bonsai. I agree on your reasoning points, and not say certain types/species of trees need to be repotted every x years no matter what. Another good one my friend.

[@GrowingBonsai]

trying to keep it functional!

[@thebrightsidepotteryandbonsai]

Thank you for yet another excellent video!

[@GrowingBonsai]

My pleasure! Thank you so much!

[@zantlozantlom4752]

Thanks for your thoughts on this issue. I agree completely.

[@user-yd6lo1gp7f]

Another nice video!

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

Spot on Jelle. This time of year I am updating my workflow database and confirming which trees are getting repots...and why!! You have summed it up perfectly. This advice becomes more important the more trees you have to manage. Keep smiling, cheers Xav.

[@GrowingBonsai]

Ohw.. I am not allow to do sketches, and I am supposed to smile? Starting to sound like working in hospitality! Glad you liked this one my friend!

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

@@GrowingBonsai Guess who called me tonight...Kennet. No spoilers but he has used his sketching pencils on one of my trees 🫣

[@GrowingBonsai]

@@XaviersBonsaiRetreat kennet?

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

@@GrowingBonsai du bondt (Bonsai)

[@GrowingBonsai]

@@XaviersBonsaiRetreat wow, lucky you!

[@bobcatbonsai]

Very valid points here Jelle. I think most of us do more repotting for aesthetics than for health. Or maybe that is just me.🤷‍♂️

[@GrowingBonsai]

ideally for more mature trees this is reversed!

[@bobbymalta73]

Thanks For sharing mate lm learning a Lot From You. Keep it Up! 🙌

[@GrowingBonsai]

Hey Bobby, good to hear from you. Yeah? New stuff in there for you then? Great to hear! Just wait until I do my new years special on measuring pot size. (Doubt you will learn much, but the fun to be had at my expense!?)

[@FrostBiteBonsai]

Great information!

[@GrowingBonsai]

Thank you!

[@benholmes9680]

Thank you for the video, very clear and concise Can i repot anytime of the year if the tree is really needing it? (Water sitting on top of soil, lots of root growth in a small pot)

[@waynecooke9258]

Excellent points! Also very practical for good Bonsai growth and development. Thank you and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

[@GrowingBonsai]

Happy new year to you too!!

[@JackC1961]

Thank you Jelle, very informative.

[@GrowingBonsai]

My pleasure! So glad you found it helpful!

[@natrjack965]

Great video my friend..

[@GrowingBonsai]

Thank you so much!

[@Bonsailoversubhashishghosh]

Amazing

[@GrowingBonsai]

Thanks!

[@homosapien3132]

Good video, sir!

[@GrowingBonsai]

Thank you kindly!

[@bartstellink307]

Loved this video, nice explaining, very clear.

[@GrowingBonsai]

Glad it was helpful! Not sure whether I missed something critical (always my concern when doing these videos!)

[@bartstellink307]

Don't think so, but you seem to have more experience then I do. I just started this way of life... 🤣 (6 years, now that I think about it) Your trees look like you're at least 10 years in action.

[@AlexBraunton]

Interesting Jelle, thanks for sharing

[@GrowingBonsai]

Thx Alex. Do you agree with my shortlist of reasons?

[@kenhunnicutt8536]

Why do I repot in winter? When I accidentally drop something on the pot and break it. It becomes an emergency repot time. I've done that a couple of times.

[@GrowingBonsai]

True! Do you do full rootwork, or just slip it into a new container?

[@BonsaiJo]

Is the beginning of spring the right time to repot all types of plants?

[@GrowingBonsai]

For many, yes. Just keep in mind that hot climate species often prefer mid to late spring repotting, so once it has warmed up a bit

[@abydosianchulac2]

I love how your tagline seems to be becoming "Keep doing that." Perfectly sensible in context of the channel name, but so strange out of context, like Nike's "Just do it."

[@GrowingBonsai]

:) Should I not use it anymore?

[@abydosianchulac2]

Oh, quite the opposite. So many channels try for really overwrought or punny catchphrases, but this matches your style for being straightforward yet with a wink in your eye.

[@tototest4157]

It is not the middle of winter it is the few first days

[@GrowingBonsai]

Thank you for the comment, but I do not agree there :). 21st of December is the winter solstice, which is the period of shortest day, and commonly referred to as midwinter and/or the middle of winter. So we are in fact past middle of winter. Maybe not in calender terms, but in astrological terms, absolutely.

[@dimuthuharshana9602]

❤️❤️

[@GrowingBonsai]

❤👍

[@MarkusMh]

I have a chinese elm and a juniper that both desperatly need a repot. Two considerations, I pruned the juniper hard recently. I guess a slip-pot would be ideal to not stress roots in this scenario? The elm is in some kind of soil which isn't ideal, not sure how safe it would be to bare root it for a full repot

[@GrowingBonsai]

Hi Markus, blindfolded advice it tricky. I am not sure what you mean with a hard prune for juniper, as this differs between people. I do repot junipers that I have worked on over winter, in spring. Elms are pretty tough. I would repot an elm [come spring] if it leads to better growing conditions

[@MarkusMh]

​@@GrowingBonsai 50% of foliage. It was neglected and overgrown. Appreciate the advice

[@brucedeacon28]

👍👌🙂

[@GrowingBonsai]

Thank you once again my friend in bonsaitube!

[@andrewbeattie5245]

Hi Jelle, if you have a healthy young plant that has a thin trunk which you want to thicken up, would you class putting it into a large growing on pot as "repotting"? and would you do root work for this type of transplant? Thanks.

[@GrowingBonsai]

Hey Andrew, challenge there is, that if you up-pot, and you do nto work on the roots, you run the risk of the naberi running amok. So I would not just slip, I would do actual rootwork. And then it is a repot. If you just pull it out and put in in a new pot, it has some effect on the plan, bot nothing as extreme. Does that help?

[@andrewbeattie5245]

@@GrowingBonsai Thanks Jelle that makes sense. My chain of thought was that pruning the roots would set back the thickening of the trunk but as you say, not working the roots may lead to bigger problems down the line. 👍

[@mm6918]

Hi Jelle, I appreciate this video! I have a question about repotting too often. I have got a yamadori Canadian Hemlock unexpectedly in early November that was bare rooted (the soil was sandy and just fell off). I didn't have the right kind of soil but potted it up anyways in haste. I'm thinking about repotting it in early spring with better soil since the soil I have it in now has a lot of compost in it and I'm concerned it's holding too much water. Any thoughts or ideas about whether or not I do this repot in early spring? Thanks!

[@GrowingBonsai]

Tricky! IF your hemlock has started to grow new roots over winter, you might damage those. Then again, if you basically are just lifting it, toss aside the "old new" substrate and replant, it should be OK. Is the pot frozen now? Otherwise, perhaps, now would be best to swap the substrate without any other work to the roots? I mean, the main damage to the roots was done a few weeks ago

[@mm6918]

The pot isn't frozen yet. I've been keeping it in my garage where it stays at about 4-10° C. My thought was to transition it to outside soon after giving it about 6 weeks without getting below freezing in thoughts that it may help it survive after the repot. I'm new to bonsai and even gardening so I'm not sure if this is a good plan.