Big Pot or Small Pot? O.o

[BewilderedGreenyO.o]

Ok so I know this probably isn't as complicated as I am making it out to be but I can't find any info on it and really I am not sure if I should have my bushes in big or small pots. I just recently transplanted my Escallonia ( which ended up being two Escallonias ) into one quite a bit larger pot and the other into the same pot I took them both from. I think I am confused because I've heard people say they put their pontential bonsai in a larger pot to grow the trunk for a few years before they start to train it to a small pot... but what if growing the trunk larger isn't possible to do since I picked a slow growing plant ( Boxwood ) Basically I guess I just need a breakdown about pots, not the little bonsai pots but the pots that I will have my plants in while training the plant.

Oy ... I hope I haven't confused everyone. Please let me know if you are. Can't Wait to read your responses!

[derkap10]

Hi Bewildered,

My personal opinion as to potting pre-bonsais is to go for the largest pot possible. In fact many bonsaists reccommend putting trees into the ground for a few years to allow them to grow out. While putting into the ground is an excellent way to allow the plant to grow out, in some instances it may not be practicable. Maybe you live in an apartment, or you've got a pool that takes up a fair chunk of the yard (pool party! pool party!). In my case I have a lot of wild critters (coons, possums, armadillos, etc) that seem to home-in on fresh turned dirt and dig up anything I put in the ground (tried that with one of my Bald Cypresses, buh-bye!). So I go with big pots. Most of the ones I use are 2-gallon size. This gives plenty of room for root and trunk growth. Although you'll never get the trunk growth that you'll get from a tree in the ground you can still get pretty good results.
Looking at your pics from your previous post you'll probably be okay with the pots that you've got now. Might not be a bad idea to straighten you're Boxy up a bit before it gets too settled in. A tad more pruning to bring out the 'inner-tree' as well. When doing root pruning remember to keep a balance between the above-ground part of the tree and the roots. If you've got more tree above-ground than roots then the roots might not be able to keep the tree supplied with nutrients. If you've got a lot of roots but not a lot of tree the roots may start to die back and be more susceptible to root-rot (although it's certainly preferable to have too many roots than not enough, just be careful with the watering).
And remember, Grasshopper, look at trees! Find some trees growing wild that you like the way they look. Ask yourself what it is about these trees that make them look good to you. Look at the structure and the way they grow. And then look at your trees. You'll be surprised at what you'll see.

Allen

[BewilderedGreenyO.o]

Thanks For the quick reply Allen I love when I get long detailed responses A couple more questions came to mind as I was reading your reply.

1. Will planting a small plant into a big pot cause root rot, because the roots might not be able to take up all the water?... ( I watered my Escallonias really really well after I root pruned them and the soil is still fairly damp after about two days in triple digit weather ( a bit odd dontcha think?). Even in the smaller pot. I never normally have any drainage issues with the soil I use. Perhaps they are just in shock from the root prune and not taking up much water atm?

2. I've heard its not good to keep transplanting your plants especially after the root prune I gave my Escallonias ( I'll be surprised if they pull through it)... but what if the soil never dries out? I figure transplanting would be the only option but maybe not.

3. As far as balancing the mass of tree above the soil to the mass below the soil. If I have already pruned my Escallonias before root pruning them but now know that there is more above then below should I prune again even if the plant is recovering from shock? I would imagine pruning the top would just be adding more stress to the bush.. what do you think?

Oh and as far as the boxwood tilting like that..it was how It grew, The base is actually flat now and was crooked before I bought it. I'm thinking that when it was potted ( before I bought it) someone had placed the plant in the pot crooked... therefore the base was on an angle and the trunk grew straight up.. so when I repotted it I put the base in flat and the bush came out on a slant. Make sense? I didn't think it would make for good Nerabi to plant the base on a diagonal like it originally was.

[Gnome]

Bewildered,

1. Will planting a small plant into a big pot cause root rot, because the roots might not be able to take up all the water?... ( I watered my Escallonias really really well after I root pruned them and the soil is still fairly damp after about two days in triple digit weather ( a bit odd dontcha think?). Even in the smaller pot. I never normally have any drainage issues with the soil I use. Perhaps they are just in shock from the root prune and not taking up much water atm?

Your instincts are correct on this issue, bigger is not always better. Yes, trees in development are often planted in the ground and yes, the earth is massively large but the mechanics of soil in a pot is not identical to the mechanics of soil in nature. Larger pots are often used during the development of bonsai but there is the possibility to over-do it for the very reasons you mentioned.

https://www.evergreengardenworks.com/earthpot.htm

Collected trees can end up with a relatively small amount of fine roots. In a case such as this it is actually better to use the smallest pot that the tree will fit into. This reduces the possibility of having constantly soggy soil.

Norm

[TomM]

Please explain the "O.o"

[BewilderedGreenyO.o]

ohh sorry about that tom... " O.o " is a confused face lol its kinda like "Huh?" Its a habit I would use those little faces when I didn't have the option to use Emoticons on other sites. so I guess it would be the same thing as or...

[Marsman]

Please explain the "O.o"

Look at like it's two eyes, one big and one small, and a dot for a nose. It's a sign of being confused or boggled.

A similar one is %\ or 8-\ (Look at them sideways.)

[BewilderedGreenyO.o]

ok so ... back on topic... anyone have anymore answers to my previous questions?

Thanx Gnome for answering question #1

[Marsman]

2. I've heard its not good to keep transplanting your plants especially after the root prune I gave my Escallonias ( I'll be surprised if they pull through it)... but what if the soil never dries out? I figure transplanting would be the only option but maybe not.

No, don't keep transplanting it. Let it dry up a bit. It will eventually dry. There are holes in the bottom of the pot, right? And you don't have a dish or other container under the pot to retain the water, right?

3. As far as balancing the mass of tree above the soil to the mass below the soil. If I have already pruned my Escallonias before root pruning them but now know that there is more above then below should I prune again even if the plant is recovering from shock? I would imagine pruning the top would just be adding more stress to the bush.. what do you think?

Let it set for a bit. Wait till you see new growth before you fiddle with it.

This is bonsai. You need patience. If you rush it, you will kill it with over-attention. That's why I have a lot of trees/plants. Give me something to play with while I let the other trees settle.

[BewilderedGreenyO.o]

Thanx sooo much for the replies... I think I'm more paranoid then anything..I figure if I do something or anything wrong then the plant will end up dead.. I just want to be sure I am doing things correctly. hehe "Patience Grasshopper" I shall try Sensai!

[TomM]

O.o - Oh OK, I got it, & I feel so much better! Thanx.
Luv u guyz

[Victrinia Ridgeway]

I addressed the soil moisture question in your other thread...

V

[BewilderedGreenyO.o]

I was thinking about it today and thought I read somewhere that root pruning will stunt the growth of the plant and that the trunk won't get any bigger after root pruning it. If this is the case, and I have already root pruned my plants then shouldn't I be down sizing their pots instead of putting them in larger pots? I'm not being impatient lol don't think that I'm just trying to get them into a tiny pot cuz trust me I'm not! I'm just trying to get the facts and learn how things should go instead of just "guessing"

[Gnome]

Bewildered,

I read somewhere that root pruning will stunt the growth of the plant and that the trunk won't get any bigger after root pruning it.

Root pruning will temporarily slow growth and the repeated root pruning used in order to keep trees in small pots does indeed slow the development.

That's why it is suggested to avoid a bonsai pot and use a somewhat larger pot if you are trying to grow something out. Less pruning, both of the roots and the foliage, means faster growth. It all depends upon the level of development the plant is at now and where you want to go with it.

Norm