Repotting my Brush Cherry/Eugenia

[BaronOsiris]

I'm a beginner and I have some questions about repotting.

Currently my little tree is in a neat looking pot that it came with it from the store. From what I understand from reading books and posts online if I want my bonsai to grow considerably from its current size I would need to repot it into a larger pot. See here for current pictures https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4246&highlight=

So I would like some advice on a few things.

Am I correct in thinking that it needs to be in a bigger pot to grow larger? What size pot should I consider? Are there dangers to using a bigger pot?

According to this website: https://www.bonsai-bci.com/species/eugenia.html It says I should use a bonzai mix or an acidic mix like azalea soil. I don't know of any garden shops in my area that sell bonzai mix. And Home depot doesn't sell azalea soil. The closes thing I could find there was Miracle-Gro® African Violet Potting Mix - Specialty soil formulated to meet the needs of acid-loving African Violets. Not sure if that would do the trick.

Any suggestions on what type of mix I should get? Would I be better off mixing my own?

[Gnome]

Baron,

Am I correct in thinking that it needs to be in a bigger pot to grow larger?

Your tree will always be growing of course but if you want to dramatically increase its size a larger pot will be of great benefit.

What size pot should I consider? Are there dangers to using a bigger pot?

An excellent question, and yes there are dangers to using a greatly over-sized pot. A large volume of medium that is not colonized with roots leads to an overly wet condition that in turn can lead to root problems. A less obvious problem is that by keeping the medium constantly wet the medium itself will break down and collapse much quicker, necessitating more frequent re-potting.

Choose a pot that will allow room for some root growth without being excessively roomy. A combination of pot size and growing medium that dries out daily is excellent. An ordinary nursery pot is fine for this phase of growing. Try to find a pot that is wider than it is tall, I think such pots are known as bulb pans. The fastest growth will be realized if you pot up as soon as the roots colonize the current pot, taking season into consideration of course.

According to this website: https://www.bonsai-bci.com/species/eugenia.html It says I should use a bonzai mix or an acidic mix like azalea soil. I don't know of any garden shops in my area that sell bonzai mix. And Home depot doesn't sell azalea soil. The closes thing I could find there was Miracle-Gro® African Violet Potting Mix - Specialty soil formulated to meet the needs of acid-loving African Violets. Not sure if that would do the trick.

Any suggestions on what type of mix I should get? Would I be better off mixing my own?

I am not surprised that you cannot locate pre-mixed medium, I have only seen it for sale locally once. It was rather expensive and seemed to have settled considerably in the bag. I passed on it in favor of mixing my own. Most growers once they get past their first couple of trees find it almost a necessity to mix their own medium.

It can of course be ordered on-line from various sources but I have found shipping to be costly. For one tree it won't break the bank so that is always an option. It does not sound like this species is terribly picky about their medium so most mixes should be alright. I have included some chopped sphagnum moss in the mix I use for my Azaleas, there are also acidifying fertilizers that can be used if necessary.

One thing to keep in mind is that sifting your medium is a necessity in order to remove the fine particles that tend to clog your pot. Also please don't consider using any conventional potting soil as this is horrible stuff for bonsai, I have even stopped using stuff like that for house plants. It's amazing how quickly you can get spoiled. I hope this helps and if you have any other questions just ask.

If you have not already done so please check out these two threads.

https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3422
https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3423

Norm

[ynot]

I'm a beginner and I have some questions about repotting.

Baron,
Let me first tell you I absolutely appreciate the fact that you came in with a plan for your tree {and Pictures! } and you have done some research which has led you to specific questions.
Thanks for that.
...Ok, Bring it on.

Currently my little tree is in a neat looking pot that it came with it from the store. From what I understand from reading books and posts online if I want my bonsai to grow considerably from its current size I would need to repot it into a larger pot.

Eventually sure, There's no need to hurry though.
The time you take to research will bring dividends faster than rushing into it.

Is it even utilizing all of the space in the pot it is in yet?

If not you will have plenty of time to research proper soil & this is a good thing.

Am I correct in thinking that it needs to be in a bigger pot to grow larger? What size pot should I consider?

Yep, Just slightly larger is fine. [url=https://www.bonsai4me.com/Basics/Basics%20Bonsai%20Myths%20Overpotting.htm]Read this[/url][url=https://evergreengardenworks.com/earthpot.htm]and this[/url] for a bit about pot size. Also look to the top of those pages for links to more articles [many more in fact:)] I would concentrate on watering. soil, and repotting for the near future although there is lots of interesting stuff on each.

According to this website: https://www.bonsai-bci.com/species/eugenia.html It says I should use a bonzai mix or an acidic mix like azalea soil. I don't know of any garden shops in my area that sell bonzai mix. And Home depot doesn't sell azalea soil. The closes thing I could find there was Miracle-Gro® African Violet Potting Mix - Specialty soil formulated to meet the needs of acid-loving African Violets. Not sure if that would do the trick.

Please do NOT use the M-G soil. When you read up a bit on bonsai soil you will discover that the particle size involved is far far far larger than anything you would ever imagine to be soil.
The fine [smaller] particles are removed from the potting medium via sifting/screening [IE: Anything that would fall through a window screen, I screen mine so that there is nothing smaller than 3/64" Which is a bit larger than that.]

You may have more questions than answers when you finish this but here is [url=https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3422]more on bonsai soil.[/url]

Any suggestions on what type of mix I should get? Would I be better off mixing my own?

There are many reliable online retailers from which to purchase Bonsai soil, If you are game it is easy to mix your own- I do. More about this later after you have had a bit of time to absorb the info in the links.

ynot

EDIT: If not for the spell checker...This post would have been in front of yours Gnome

[BaronOsiris]

Thanks for all the great info! I will take your advice about research. It can be tough just reading though when I'm so excited to actually get my hands dirty.

I appreciate all the information I can get! I'm like a sponge. Read a post here. Read a book there. Look at pictures here. Read a post there.

This is also getting me excited to do some landscaping around my yard. Which was sadly neglected this last year.

[Gnome]

Baron,

Thanks for all the great info! I will take your advice about research. It can be tough just reading though when I'm so excited to actually get my hands dirty.

You're welcome. I fully understand the itch to get busy. Re-potting season is just around the corner for me and I am anxious as well.

I appreciate all the information I can get! I'm like a sponge. Read a post here. Read a book there. Look at pictures here. Read a post there.

Glad to hear that for the health of your trees depend on your being knowledgeable, good intentions are not enough.

This is also getting me excited to do some landscaping around my yard. Which was sadly neglected this last year.

If you purchase the right species you can do both landscaping and bonsai simultaneously. Plant a small tree or shrub in the landscape for a few years to allow it to grow and thicken, pruning as required. Eventually the plant can be dug and potted. Also don't forget to observe your neighbors in their landscaping activities. Many times plants that are being removed are simply discarded and can he had simply for the asking or perhaps a little help.

Norm