raking out bonsai rootsPrepping bonsai for the spring growing season is full of fun tasks, each paying off as the season advances.

Prepping bonsai for the spring growing season is full of fun tasks, each paying off as the season advances.

Before repotting, consider style and aesthetics. Bonsai pots are typically shallow, of course. Pots types and styles are quite varied, and may be round, rectangular, oval, or cascade styles. Pot materials vary as well, and may be glazed or unglazed. Glazed pots can be quite colorful, and can be used to create specific effects.

Crazy roots of a crepe myrtle in training, a bonsai to be.

If only human hair would grow so fast in one summer.

The rule of thumb for choosing pots is that a deciduous flowering is best suited for a complementary glazed pot, while a conifer or evergreen shows best in a unglazed pot. Tropical bonsai (houseplants,) typically live in glazed pots. All rules are meant to be broken, however, and some deciduous plants with berries or colorful fall foliage are also beautiful in glazed pots. The style of the pot also has a big influence on the final look of the bonsai. There are masculine and feminine styles of plants and pots.

Ginkgo leaf impressions in the clay make this one of my favorite pots.

Wires through the holes on the bottom of the pot are for anchoring the plant.

Repotting is usually an easy task, but has specific techniques that need to be followed to insure the safety and health of the plant.

1. Bonsai pots typically have big holes in the bottom to promote free-flowing drainage. A mesh screen positioned over the hole preforms two functions: to retain the soil and act as an anchor for wire that is used to secure the plant in the pot.
2. The roots and stems are trimmed proportionally to each other and to fit into the pot.
3. The plant needs to be carefully anchored in the pot so a passing squirrel or cat tip-toeing across the shelf can’t knock the plant out of the pot. This anchoring can be a bit of a tricky job until you do it a few times. I tend to end up with plants too loose, my hubby tightens them down so much I think it’s strangling them.
4. Filling the plant with a bonsai soil mix is the easy task. A chop stick is pushed down into the soil and swirled around which allows the soil particles to fall into the gaps and spaces around the roots. Although easy, this is a very important step.
5. Lastly, water thoroughly and soak the plant in a solution of 1 drop SUPERthrive to a gallon of water. It is a great product containing B-vitamins and hormones. In fact, I use it for soaking the plant before and after repotting to reduce root shock. Yes, the label says 1 drop, I usually use 3. More is always better, right? But, in this case, it won’t hurt. The old-fashioned looking label conjures up one of those commercials everyone loves – but wait, when you buy one we’ll ship you…

If you should miss the winter window for working on your plants all is not lost. However, don’t do any major work on your plants, especially root and limb pruning, after around the end of March. This timing does depend on how warm your early spring is and how hot it’s likely to be in summer.

In central Virginia, March 1 is to be 84 degrees, a record! The low March 3 is predicted to be 22. That’s tough on plants. I’ll bring mine into the garage before the big temp dip. Last weekend we had hail. A crazy weather year ’round here!