Whats the difference - Bare Rootings vs Slip Potting
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Whats the difference - Bare Rootings vs Slip Potting
Something that sparked this post was reading something that Scott Roxburgh replied to viewtopic.php?f=131&t=19781
From what I know of bare root is that you remove the soil completely where its washed and ready to be sold off to someone or replant in a garden/pot.
Slip potting, literally have no clue. Maybe remove the plant from its original plastic pot with soil and rootball intact. Then add it into a bigger pot with additional soil added around the edges????
If I buy a plant and its time to repot, I rake the roots in a radial pattern and remove the soil completely. Is that bare rooting?
Like this post from a cherry viewtopic.php?f=129&t=19500&hilit=cherry#p197303
I do it everytime I repot a new tree/shrubs into a slightly larger pot
From what I know of bare root is that you remove the soil completely where its washed and ready to be sold off to someone or replant in a garden/pot.
Slip potting, literally have no clue. Maybe remove the plant from its original plastic pot with soil and rootball intact. Then add it into a bigger pot with additional soil added around the edges????
If I buy a plant and its time to repot, I rake the roots in a radial pattern and remove the soil completely. Is that bare rooting?
Like this post from a cherry viewtopic.php?f=129&t=19500&hilit=cherry#p197303
I do it everytime I repot a new tree/shrubs into a slightly larger pot
Kind Regards
Allen
Allen
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Re: Whats the difference - Bare Rootings vs Slip Potting
Yep, slip potting is literally slip it out of one pot and with minimal disturbance slip it into another (usually bigger) one. It's good for when a tree gets root bound particularly and won't survive in its current habitat.xIIRevoEvoS wrote:Something that sparked this post was reading something that Scott Roxburgh replied to viewtopic.php?f=131&t=19781
From what I know of bare root is that you remove the soil completely where its washed and ready to be sold off to someone or replant in a garden/pot.
Slip potting, literally have no clue. Maybe remove the plant from its original plastic pot with soil and rootball intact. Then add it into a bigger pot with additional soil added around the edges????
If I buy a plant and its time to repot, I rake the roots in a radial pattern and remove the soil completely. Is that bare rooting?
Like this post from a cherry viewtopic.php?f=129&t=19500&hilit=cherry#p197303
I do it everytime I repot a new tree/shrubs into a slightly larger pot
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Re: Whats the difference - Bare Rootings vs Slip Potting
From my readings and understanding of pines (limited!) if you bare root a pine replant it with lots of the old soil as it contains a fungus the roots need to live.
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Re: Whats the difference - Bare Rootings vs Slip Potting
Hi xII' , there is a topic i posted here back in 2010 "simple slip potting " simply do a search , sorry dont know how to cut and paste topics , That should help withyour enquiry .
Cheers . Alpineart
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Re: Whats the difference - Bare Rootings vs Slip Potting
Check out the Wiki article here
https://www.ausbonsai.com.au/wiki/index. ... =Repotting
Slip potting thread by alps is on there too now and alos here
viewtopic.php?f=12&t=7019&start=0
Also forgot this Howto in the Wiki
https://www.ausbonsai.com.au/wiki/index. ... t_a_bonsai
ps, Why would you bare root at every repot?
I only bare root a tree when I replace the original soil with my substrate mix. All other repots I disturb the roots as little as possible and remove only what is necessary.
Reptting a tree I cut back the base and the sides only as shown in Alpines howto thread.
Ken
https://www.ausbonsai.com.au/wiki/index. ... =Repotting
Slip potting thread by alps is on there too now and alos here
viewtopic.php?f=12&t=7019&start=0
Also forgot this Howto in the Wiki
https://www.ausbonsai.com.au/wiki/index. ... t_a_bonsai
ps, Why would you bare root at every repot?
I only bare root a tree when I replace the original soil with my substrate mix. All other repots I disturb the roots as little as possible and remove only what is necessary.
Reptting a tree I cut back the base and the sides only as shown in Alpines howto thread.
Ken
Last edited by kcpoole on April 12th, 2015, 10:35 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Whats the difference - Bare Rootings vs Slip Potting
I tend to bare root because I want to create a nebari and I also place a CD under the root. However I'm guessing this will be a Nooby mistakekcpoole wrote:Check out the Wiki article here
https://www.ausbonsai.com.au/wiki/index. ... =Repotting
Slip potting thread by alps is on there too now and alos here
viewtopic.php?f=12&t=7019&start=0
Also forgot this Howto in the Wiki
https://www.ausbonsai.com.au/wiki/index. ... t_a_bonsai
ps, Why would you bare root at every repot?
I only bare root a tree when I replace the original soil with my substrate mix. All other repots I disturb the roots as little as possible and remove only what is necessary.
Reptting a tree I cut back the base and the sides only as shown in Alpines howto thread.
Ken


But I do leave orignal soil with new soil as well.
When you repot, do you happen to cut of the taper root in plastic pots? or when do you remove the taper root?
Kind Regards
Allen
Allen
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Re: Whats the difference - Bare Rootings vs Slip Potting
Many trees do not have a tap root at all ( Azalea), and root treatment depends on the tree and where it came from.
Purchased prebonsai should need little root work as that is done by the grower, that is what makes it prebonsai and not just a stock tree.
Starters may or may not have them depending in where they came from. Bonsai nursery stock probably should not but ordinary nursery stock will.
when using these the first repot I will sort out the roots and remove as much as I can to start building Nebari.
collected trees the tap root will be cut at collection time and usually will need to be reduced further. that might be when i get home or a few years later after recovery.
Either way most times i will put up into my preferred medium early on, and that will usually be the only time I bare root. Fix the roots once and most times you do not need to disturb them too much, Teasing them out, Raking the surface, etc is only maintenance root work and shdou not be very invasive.
Ken
Purchased prebonsai should need little root work as that is done by the grower, that is what makes it prebonsai and not just a stock tree.
Starters may or may not have them depending in where they came from. Bonsai nursery stock probably should not but ordinary nursery stock will.
when using these the first repot I will sort out the roots and remove as much as I can to start building Nebari.
collected trees the tap root will be cut at collection time and usually will need to be reduced further. that might be when i get home or a few years later after recovery.
Either way most times i will put up into my preferred medium early on, and that will usually be the only time I bare root. Fix the roots once and most times you do not need to disturb them too much, Teasing them out, Raking the surface, etc is only maintenance root work and shdou not be very invasive.
Ken
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Re: Whats the difference - Bare Rootings vs Slip Potting
Well on starters and pre starters (4-12inch pot) that I buy from Ray/Megumi, I usually remove 1/3 of the roots from the bottom, leave 2/3 raked raked in radial pattern and aerate the roots before applying new soil.
I do have a PJ that so happen to have a tap root but will remove them during next years repot.
One tree that I really like is the Maple - for there nebari which cover 1/3 to 2/3 on the soil surface
, looks really cool but that comes down to good maintenance like you said with minimal disturbance to the root ball
I do have a PJ that so happen to have a tap root but will remove them during next years repot.
One tree that I really like is the Maple - for there nebari which cover 1/3 to 2/3 on the soil surface

Kind Regards
Allen
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Re: Whats the difference - Bare Rootings vs Slip Potting
If you ever get a chance, check out Chris Alnutt and his trees. He does specialise in that sort of large nebari. He is not online anwhere that I know of, but will usully be at Bonsai by the harbour, and is demoing at the Port Mac " bonsai by the river" show in a few weeks.xIIRevoEvoS wrote: One tree that I really like is the Maple - for there nebari which cover 1/3 to 2/3 on the soil surface, looks really cool
Ken
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Re: Whats the difference - Bare Rootings vs Slip Potting
kcpoole wrote:If you ever get a chance, check out Chris Alnutt and his trees. He does specialise in that sort of large nebari. He is not online anwhere that I know of, but will usully be at Bonsai by the harbour, and is demoing at the Port Mac " bonsai by the river" show in a few weeks.xIIRevoEvoS wrote: One tree that I really like is the Maple - for there nebari which cover 1/3 to 2/3 on the soil surface, looks really cool
Ken

Kind Regards
Allen
Allen
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Re: Whats the difference - Bare Rootings vs Slip Potting
Speaking of Nebari in this post, I would also like more clarification regarding what Nesci has on his site
http://www.raynescibonsai.com.au/pottingMake sure the 2/3 of the root system that remains does not have the soil shaken out.
Kind Regards
Allen
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Re: Whats the difference - Bare Rootings vs Slip Potting
As Ray is one of my teachers, I can help out here.xIIRevoEvoS wrote:Speaking of Nebari in this post, I would also like more clarification regarding what Nesci has on his sitehttp://www.raynescibonsai.com.au/pottingMake sure the 2/3 of the root system that remains does not have the soil shaken out.
When Ray repots a tree, the only time he bareroots is when he collects them. Usually they come from his growing beds, and they are barerooted to remove the clay and reduce the larger roots. ( this does not apply to pines and Junipers tho).
when he repots his own or customer trees, he only removes the 1/3 roots from the bottom and sides and then pots them up in fresh soil. He does not bare root a tree during repotting.
See Alpines wiki article on repotting for some good pics to clarify.
Ken
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