My bonsai has now been repotted.

[killyspike]

Carrying on from my first thread 'My first attempt at bonsai' I have my first repot completed and I would like to share it with you all. I've had my bonsai for about 5 or 6 weeks now and it was originally bought from B&Q.

[img]https://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm120/killyspike/keep1.jpg[/img]

The tree before the repot ^

[img]https://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm120/killyspike/Keep2.jpg[/img]

[img]https://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm120/killyspike/keep3.jpg[/img]

Some of the things I was working with ^ soil on the plate is the fine I sifted out, the soil in the grey pot is the coarse soil screened by the green net in the picture. Soil on the newspaper is some already separated from the tree. I used the old pot to keep the tree from falling over when I needed to put it down. I couldn't quite get chop sticks so I used wooden steaks instead to help me carefully separate the soil from the roots (coloured green).

[img]https://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm120/killyspike/keep4.jpg[/img]

[img]https://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm120/killyspike/keep5.jpg[/img]

Two pictures whilst I was removing the old soil from the roots ^ I forgot to take a picture after pruning but I didn't overdo it although I chopped the root that was sticking out of the soil like a loop as seen on the first picture quite far down as it wouldn't stay down by itself.

[img]https://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm120/killyspike/keep6.jpg[/img]

In the soil there is orangy looking round things which when I first encountered one I squeezed it wondering what it was and it wasn't too great. I concluded they were eggs anyone know what they were eggs of?
They have all been removed as a few of them were inbedded deep under the tree.

[img]https://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm120/killyspike/keep7.jpg[/img]

The tree repotted and from the back of my chosen front

[img]https://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm120/killyspike/keep8.jpg[/img]

[img]https://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm120/killyspike/keep9.jpg[/img]

The finished product where I have added a thin layer of cat litter for effect but it can be easily moved away so I can check the soil undernieth and whether or not it needs watering. They are both viewing at my chosen front. I watered it and the drainage is a hell of alot better than what it was which indicates to me a good job and the plant can finally breathe properly now and without the hidden potential parasites I knew nothing about until today. My first repot and I'm very pleased. Thanks anyone who has given me sound advice especially Norm. I now hope over the next 2 weeks I don't see any adverse effects.[/img]

[Gnome]

killyspike,

Well it certainly looks better now. How does it feel to get your first re-pot out of the way? I would have rather seen more of the grit incorporated into the bulk of the mix. If it drains better now it must be an improvement though and I certainly would not contemplate changing anything now.

The round things may have been time-release fertilizer, the ones I have been using are yellow spheres that are easily crushed.

I forget where you are keeping the tree but be advised that the air inside most homes is very dry and a newly re-potted tree can easily suffer. Do not put it in full sunlight for a while, morning sun and part shade the rest of the day until you are certain it is putting on new growth.

Thanks for posting the pictures and make sure to stop back and let us know how it is progressing.

Norm

[killyspike]

Thanks gnome, I'm very happy that my first repot is out of the way and a success I know for next time though I make sure I give myself a long free window in my days schedule to do it cause it took longer than I thought it would. But its there and its great now all I need to do now is slowly refine the tree over time. Its situated inside, near my bedroom window at present, during the day I keep my window open so some air gets to it but I want to move the tree outside the only thoughts I have is if the weather dramatically changes when I'm at work or something then I cannot be there to move it inside plus if it didn't need watering and it rained hard then overwatering could occur. I guess though that with the repot and the new drainage that now the tree and its root would be able to cope with it better.
I did mix the cat litter with soil at about a 25% ratio of the litter to soil. In the soil I got there are small white unorganic objects within it so I took that into account for my ratio of soil to cat litter. I was trying not to overdo anything for the first repot so it was as low risk as possible and thats what I felt comfortable with.
As for the spheres that I found in the soil, you live and learn I had to make a decision there and then as I was nearly half way through the process and couldn't wait for advice to know what to do. They are though in my back garden flowerbed so I'm guessing something will gain from it After the first 5 or 6 weeks from now I will be making sure it is fertilized regularly so shouldn't matter.
I will post pictures of the progress of the tree every month but no doubt I'll need more advice.

[Kenshin14435]

I did my first repot recently and everything has gone downhill from there.
MUST regain control!!!!!!