Wake up sleepy crab apple!

Share your success stories about defoliation, bare rooting and anything else relating to maintaining healthy bonsai.
jozaeh
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Re: Wake up sleepy crab apple!

Post by jozaeh »

UPDATE!
Thanks to the advice passed on from you wise ones, my spring mission was to get this girl into a bigger pot and just let her run free for a little while, to build up some energy and to get some branch type shoots (as opposed to the flowering spur shoots she produced last season). I want some rammo!!

She had been in this pot for two seasons since I first bought her, so I gave her a bit of a root prune, and also cut off alot of the oddly finger-like roots that sat above the soil. This tidied up her base alot.

And i'm glad to say she's shooting like mad, yesssss.

Jozaeh

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The crab pulled out of her original pot. (19th august)



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Her finger like messy roots.



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The wild roots cut off.



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Her root base.



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In the new pot - which is the only one I had that was big enough (I LOVE this pot the design on the side is gorgeous).




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A few rocks and grass added for fun.




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and just on the weekend, the 1st of october. Six weeks after the prune and repot she's flying wild.

Jozaeh
mickaus
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Re: Wake up sleepy crab apple!

Post by mickaus »

Very nice to see, looks like the advice you received has made a world of difference. :tu:
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astroboy76
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Re: Wake up sleepy crab apple!

Post by astroboy76 »

good stuff joz!
Diversity is essential
jozaeh
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Posts: 171
Joined: September 14th, 2009, 1:53 pm
Favorite Species: Elm
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Location: Brisbane
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Re: Wake up sleepy crab apple!

Post by jozaeh »

Yes it did! thanks both of you, i'm so happy the little lady's doing really well.

Jozaeh
jozaeh
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Posts: 171
Joined: September 14th, 2009, 1:53 pm
Favorite Species: Elm
Bonsai Age: 2
Bonsai Club: none
Location: Brisbane
Been thanked: 1 time

Re: Wake up sleepy crab apple!

Post by jozaeh »

UPDATE September 2012

Wow I can't believe it's already been a year since I last posted the photos for my crab! Her soil was a bit 'stale' feeling (like when you water it the water takes a while to go in), so I decided to repot the lady, nothing too drastic. I lifted her out and WOWSERS! The whole chunk of soil came with her!! I was smiling so big. With a light shake and dusting, the old soil fell away and I was stunned at just how much new roots she has grown in the past 12 months. If you look at the first photo from a year ago, you can see the drastic close chops I did on a few of her thick mother roots on the left side. These have all sprouted new fine and healthy roots all around 360'! I could not have been happier.

Here's the photo from last year, and then two photos from just this week when I gave her new soil.


OCTOBER 2011
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SEPTEMBER 2012
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Just resting on the old soil to show root spread. Wow wow WOW!
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Lastly, possibly to combat and 'yin yang' balance my joy, I came home last night from 3 days away at the coast to find the crab apple, lifted right OUT of her pot, lying on her side, like a storm downed life size tree in a park. I yelled the biggest F word I've done in a long time. I don't usually drop that one. The poor thing's leaves were limp and lifeless, and as some of you know, your insides drop and you feel true despair. I quickly repotted her and it seems like her leaves were springing back this morning. I think a possum came by and knocked it or even dug it out. Grrrrr possums! So hopefully she's alright.


See ya!
Jozaeh
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