Repotting season is a conflicting time for most bonsai enthusiasts. For some, it's a happy time since some are finally able to pot their finished tree into a bonsai pot. For others, it's doing routine maintenance to ensure the health of the tree. And for others, it's repotting due to necessity because their tree may be suffering from root issues that may end up killing their tree.
Regardless of the reason for repotting, here are some common pitfalls made during repotting:
Regardless of the reason for repotting, here are some common pitfalls made during repotting:
- Not wiring the roots to the pot. (Not securing your roots may allow the roots to loosen in the soil, which may cause your roots to dry out and die)
- Not checking for air pockets in the soil (Air pockets in your soil will dry out your roots and prevent them from staying healthy)
- Repotting when it's too hot or too cold (Hot weather will dry out your roots, Weather that is too cold will cause too much of a shock to your tree and it may not recover during spring)
- Not trimming roots (Keeping old and rotting roots will inhibit the tree from growing healthy roots)
- Choosing a poor soil mix (Drainage, Aeration, and Water Retention, all three are important)
- Fertilizing too soon after potting (Pushing your tree to hard immediately after repotting will put your tree through too much stress)