How to safely repot into and out of vase style pots?

[DEVPB]

Good evening all.

A few years ago I came across this beautiful little pot for a (on the large end) Mame sized Bonsai tree.

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It's general dimesions are 3"x3"x3" and I had always hoped that one of my little stock trees I've been working on might pair well with it one day, it appears that this next repotting season is the one!

I have a wonderful little semi cascade Shimpaku I'd love to pot into it, however I am particularly concerned with how I'm going to go about repotting the tree as the years pass. The inside of the pot follows the contours of the outside profile, creating a slight bottle neck or vase shape to the pot.
How do I go about repotting in the future without destroying the pot or tree? Should I just repot every year and hope the root growth was not so strong as to rootbound the tree in the pot?

I'm clearly at an impass as this withh be the first tree of this size for me. Any advice, articles, instructive videos or personal triumphs on the topic would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance,
Dan.

[Theodore]

It will be really difficult to use that pot IMO.
Repotting every year wont do much for the trees health but leaving it in that pot for any length of time will cause issues at repot time as a lot of root will need to be cut off to get it out.
That's my view and I'm sure others will pipe up too.
You could do what I do, buy lovely pots and display them in the house

[shibui]

I also have a few pots with the rim smaller than the body. Not quite as dramatic as this one but it does not take much of a curve to stop the root mass coming out neatly.
The only way I am aware of is to cut through the roots to allow the tree to come out. Sometimes the root shears are enough to do it when the pot is small and shallow but I also use an old saw on larger pots. I've seen a purpose made repotting sickle for the purpose.
Cut around the inside of the rim down to the bottom of the pot. I usually angle the cut slightly inward to cut a wedge shaped root mass that will pull out easily.
Don't worry that you are cutting roots randomly when doing this. You would only be cutting those same roots off and probably more as well if you could slide the whole thing out anyway.

[KIRKY]

I have had this type of pot before and agree that you can cut the roots etc to remove the plant at repot time because you would be cutting roots back anyway. I have done this previously but it’s a chore! Now what I do is create an inner liner in the pot the size of the opening, straight down from opening. I have used cut up black plastic pots if they are thin then a couple of layers glued together otherwise the plastic distorts as the roots spread. At repot time I just remove the top dressing and tip or pull the plant out of the pot just slides out. You can also use Perspex cut to size and glued.
It’s fiddley but it works if done correctly you only need to do it once. Just remember drainage holes.
Cheers
Kirky

[Akhi]

What if you washed out the soil by inverting the tree and spraying water and then just tugging it?

[DEVPB]

I have had this type of pot before and agree that you can cut the roots etc to remove the plant at repot time because you would be cutting roots back anyway. I have done this previously but it’s a chore! Now what I do is create an inner liner in the pot the size of the opening, straight down from opening. I have used cut up black plastic pots if they are thin then a couple of layers glued together otherwise the plastic distorts as the roots spread. At repot time I just remove the top dressing and tip or pull the plant out of the pot just slides out. You can also use Perspex cut to size and glued.
It’s fiddley but it works if done correctly you only need to do it once. Just remember drainage holes.
Cheers
Kirky

Thanks for this insight, I have thought about just using an epoxy resin to flatten out the inside walls of the pot as well.
Any thoughts on if this would greatly affect the growth of the tree in the long run?

[KIRKY]

Why would it effect the growth of the tree? Trees don’t care if the pot is long,around, square etc… not sure why you would think it would be detrimental to the tree. By lining a pot just makes the interior smaller as you are creating a smaller internal dimension and changing the shape. You treat it exactly as you would if it was planted directly in to the pot like any other tree planted in a bonsai pot. Obviously the size of the tree, roots and pot still need to align.
Cheers
Kirky

[melbrackstone]

I'd use it for display only. Keep your tree growing in a little square plastic pot, drop it in for a show, with some moss on top. Then do the reverse when the show is over.

I, personally, would not plant anything in it.

[tgward]

if you have to root prune at repot anyway then you cut to the hole size before removing -- then some off the bottom -attend to the rootball then repot -. Can also use a water jet to wash out the roots around the edge to loosen and remove-- easy peasy