Juniper & Cedar - Tranplanting and Bare-rooting

[pureheart]

A couple of senior members of my club here in Melbourne live by the adage 'repot Cedars on the hottest day of the year' - their long experience is that they don't suffer any needle drop like that.

Does this apply to any cedar? What about a cedrus libani? Should I repot soon or wait December? I’m so so nervous … it’s my best tree!

[bonsaisensation]

I too have heard of experienced growers of cedars having success root pruning them in the heat of summer. But I’ve never been able to understand the logic behind it.
Given that their natural habitat is generally in the higher elevations where they don’t experience high heat, how is it that they’d been able to respond well to have their roots greatly reduced which cuts the supply of water to the foliage?

I’d love to be enlightened in this regard please.

[pureheart]

I too have heard of experienced growers of cedars having success root pruning them in the heat of summer. But I’ve never been able to understand the logic behind it.
Given that their natural habitat is generally in the higher elevations where they don’t experience high heat, how is it that they’d been able to respond well to have their roots greatly reduced which cuts the supply of water to the foliage?

I’d love to be enlightened in this regard please.

Hello! I actually bought my cedrus libani from you guys! (I love it) when do you recommend repotting it? Is now a good time?

[Matthew]

Just be careful how much root mass you remove at once, on young lebanse cedars this may not be a issue but older trees can most certainly suffer if too much is removed. Deodar seems to not have this issue I have found but with any old tree better to be on the side of caution .

[pureheart]

Just be careful how much root mass you remove at once, on young lebanse cedars this may not be a issue but older trees can most certainly suffer if too much is removed. Deodar seems to not have this issue I have found but with any old tree better to be on the side of caution .

Oh yes i'll be very careful... I'm already stressing about it as I really love the tree... this is my first repotting (of this tree) and I want to remove the normal organic soil and use the same mixture of pumice/pinebark/coco coir I use for my other bonsai....
So do you repot in spring? any suggestions apart not to cut too much (I guess I will give it a very light trim and more than anything I'll try to aerate the soil with the chopstick...)

[Matthew]

Just be careful how much root mass you remove at once, on young lebanse cedars this may not be a issue but older trees can most certainly suffer if too much is removed. Deodar seems to not have this issue I have found but with any old tree better to be on the side of caution .

Oh yes i'll be very careful... I'm already stressing about it as I really love the tree... this is my first repotting (of this tree) and I want to remove the normal organic soil and use the same mixture of pumice/pinebark/coco coir I use for my other bonsai....
So do you repot in spring? any suggestions apart not to cut too much (I guess I will give it a very light trim and more than anything I'll try to aerate the soil with the chopstick...)

I do my cedars in September or whenever I see some bud swelling and I haven't experianced any needle drop. I can still get heavy frost then so I may give them some protection although i'm not sure they need it just airing on the side of caution . My cedars are both 50 years + as well so again i'm a little careful how much I remove at once. Better to do abit each year over 2-3 years . Like I said young trees could be entirely different .

[pureheart]

Just be careful how much root mass you remove at once, on young lebanse cedars this may not be a issue but older trees can most certainly suffer if too much is removed. Deodar seems to not have this issue I have found but with any old tree better to be on the side of caution .

Oh yes i'll be very careful... I'm already stressing about it as I really love the tree... this is my first repotting (of this tree) and I want to remove the normal organic soil and use the same mixture of pumice/pinebark/coco coir I use for my other bonsai....
So do you repot in spring? any suggestions apart not to cut too much (I guess I will give it a very light trim and more than anything I'll try to aerate the soil with the chopstick...)

I do my cedars in September or whenever I see some bud swelling and I haven't experianced any needle drop. I can still get heavy frost then so I may give them some protection although i'm not sure they need it just airing on the side of caution . My cedars are both 50 years + as well so again i'm a little careful how much I remove at once. Better to do abit each year over 2-3 years . Like I said young trees could be entirely different .

Thanks Matthew, I will then wait a little bit more and then go for it!