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Too late to repot?
Posted: August 14th, 2022, 8:45 am
by paul smedley
Hi all.
As the seasons move on the work has started with the baby plants I have. For the last few weeks I have been trimming and repotting lots of the kids, however I ran out of pots before going away for a week.
The question is whether I have missed my window to repot some of them. Thanks to Neil I have plenty of maples, most of which are now sprouting. The elms are as well along with the figs. Is it too late to get them out of their current pots and into larger ones? The natives could do with it too.
I know it is a broad question but I want to kill as few as possible. With winter here in Melbourne slowly giving way to Spring I feel they could either benefit or go to the big garden in the sky.
Thanks all in advance for the thoughts.
Paul
Re: Too late to repot?
Posted: August 14th, 2022, 8:51 am
by Daluke
Not to late
Re: Too late to repot?
Posted: August 14th, 2022, 10:06 am
by delisea
Not too late at all. In fact many species enjoy a later report. I do many natives when they are growing fast, early autumn is an especially good time for them.
I'm not sure about maples...
Cheers,
Symon
Re: Too late to repot?
Posted: August 14th, 2022, 1:24 pm
by shibui
I've repotted tridents and even some Japanese maples as late as early summer just to test the limits. They usually drop leaves after harsh root pruning when the leaves are already open but the vast majority soon grow new leaves and grow as if nothing happened.
Repotting maples as the buds are opening is no problem.
Chinese elms are tough too. They can be root pruned even when some leaves have opened. In fact they seem to do better with slightly later repotting rather than earlier in winter.
I don't repot figs until well into warmer weather. They don't do well if root pruned when it is cold up here. Out traditional club ficus workshop is January and ficus do really well with both pruning and repotting right through to middle of summer so it is hard to be too late for those.
QV reports that he repots natives with no problems any month of the year in Melbourne. Up here where it gets colder in winter I have had some failures from repotting natives this early so I generally start repotting natives in October/ November through to January. Again, I'd say leave natives until last because they do well with repotting when they are growing later.
Re: Too late to repot?
Posted: August 14th, 2022, 2:50 pm
by paul smedley
delisea wrote: ↑August 14th, 2022, 10:06 am
Not too late at all. In fact many species enjoy a later report. I do many natives when they are growing fast, early autumn is an especially good time for them.
I'm not sure about maples...
Cheers,
Symon
Thanks for that Symon
Re: Too late to repot?
Posted: August 14th, 2022, 2:54 pm
by paul smedley
shibui wrote: ↑August 14th, 2022, 1:24 pm
I've repotted tridents and even some Japanese maples as late as early summer just to test the limits. They usually drop leaves after harsh root pruning when the leaves are already open but the vast majority soon grow new leaves and grow as if nothing happened.
Repotting maples as the buds are opening is no problem.
Chinese elms are tough too. They can be root pruned even when some leaves have opened. In fact they seem to do better with slightly later repotting rather than earlier in winter.
I don't repot figs until well into warmer weather. They don't do well if root pruned when it is cold up here. Out traditional club ficus workshop is January and ficus do really well with both pruning and repotting right through to middle of summer so it is hard to be too late for those.
QV reports that he repots natives with no problems any month of the year in Melbourne. Up here where it gets colder in winter I have had some failures from repotting natives this early so I generally start repotting natives in October/ November through to January. Again, I'd say leave natives until last because they do well with repotting when they are growing later.
That is such great info Neil, so thanks. I will carry on with the repot for both but leave the old Ficus’s pots as advised.
Re: Too late to repot?
Posted: August 14th, 2022, 8:20 pm
by legoman_iac
Figs aren't due for a repot until summer. Are the others actuality pot bound? Try lifting some out to check, and maybe group them by "very pot bound' vs "looks like lots of soil still" if you are short on time?