Pine back from the Dead? Emergency repot.

[Grant Bowie]

Hi ya Grant, i certainly hope it pulls through for you. I would love to see a photo of the survivor if it pulls through. I repot mine in july/ august with no probs and i have also repotted in march with no problems. Melbourne weather is like that.

Winter in Melbourne and Sydney is certainly milder than Canberra and the repotting seasons are certainly longer and safer than colder climates.

Anyhow usually if one opinion says too early and another says too late then it is usually about right. I have certainly never had any problems repotting in late spring before bud burst with almost any species. It is however great if we can repot at different times through the year as it spreads the load.

I do like repotting in summer as you have longer days and get an instant response.

Re photos I shall do. I had a good look at the tree this morning and the buds are looking good for next year. I should start some light fertilising as well, another fongarid just to be sure to be sure, and some seasol.

Grant

[Bretts]

I did my Dwarf scotts pine in spring as the candles started to extend and lost it this year. Although I thought it would have been alright I guessed that I worked the roots too hard. Maybe I did it at the wrong time?

That sounds too late.

I definately would not repot a pine as the candles elongate. If for some reason you had to I would try trimming the candles off first and then repot.

Grant

Thats disapointing I remember going by the information from Harry's website and also our newsletter
http://www.bonsai4me.com/SpeciesGuide/Pinus.html


I just seached through a google search for Repotting Scots pine and although found very little the couple I did find said spring until I found this.
http://raisiobonsai.blogspot.com/2009/1 ... adora.html

[Grant Bowie]

I did my Dwarf scotts pine in spring as the candles started to extend and lost it this year. Although I thought it would have been alright I guessed that I worked the roots too hard. Maybe I did it at the wrong time?

That sounds too late.

I definately would not repot a pine as the candles elongate. If for some reason you had to I would try trimming the candles off first and then repot.

Grant

Thats disapointing I remember going by the information from Harry's website and also our newsletter
http://www.bonsai4me.com/SpeciesGuide/Pinus.html


I just seached through a google search for Repotting Scots pine and although found very little the couple I did find said spring until I found this.
http://raisiobonsai.blogspot.com/2009/1 ... adora.html

Hi Brett,

Info from finland may not be exactly relavent to Australia. Autumn may well be the best time for Finland but I still have no problem with spring here. Remember their late winter/early spring could be minus who knows how many degrees below zero.

Re potting of pines I said I would not do it as the candles are elongating; doing it as buds are swelling or plumping should be OK. This was a tough spring in Canberra as we had weeks of very cold, wet weather after a mild winter plus I probably trimmed the roots too hard to get it into a smaller pot.

With Black pine I have potted nearly all year round but Scots and Mugo seem to be a bit different and I have not done as many.

Lots of luck,

Grant

[Bretts]

Thanks Grant,

I think I was thinking swelling when I said elongating I never really new there was a difference(starting to elongate?) I will have to watch this closer next year and see.
I believe I did it just as the tree started to move as I watched it intently waiting for the candles to extend after the repot

[Grant Bowie]

Thanks Grant,

I think I was thinking swelling when I said elongating I never really new there was a difference(starting to elongate?) I will have to watch this closer next year and see.
I believe I did it just as the tree started to move as I watched it intently waiting for the candles to extend after the repot

Hi Brett,

I must admit I have never been a person to wait for bud swell as I have had too many trees to repot to do that. August here the tree would have been completely dormant and as I have said previously I have never had a problem in the past potting then.

This year was unusual weather wise in Canberra but I will learn from this experience and move on. You and I have similar climates which are very different to Melbourne, Sydney, Finland. Anyhow I have a few spare Scots and Mugo pines to experiment on and will try a few things this year. The Black pines are reacting OK here although some of the timing is different to what I was used to.

Grant

[Grant Bowie]

Hi all. Self explanatory. The tree is back from the dead and doing fine.

RIMG0516.JPG

RIMG0510.JPG

RIMG0509.JPG

As said before the tree was potted into a mix of 4-6mm Zeolite and quartz propigation sand and no ferts/osmocote.

I finally fertilised it a few weeks ago with the rest of the trees and it is doing fine. I will now fertilise lightly on an ongoing basis and then normal regime from spring 2010 onwards.

I will leave it now for a minimum of 12 months (autumn 2011) or 18 months(spring 2011) before I repot it into a bonsai pot.

i have never had a tree go off like this before and so it was a total experiment and last chance for the tree. I really didn't think it was going to survive when I did the emergency repot.

Grant.

[Bretts]

Nice work Grant! Just as I was forgetting about the one that I lost

So about August to repot Pines?

[Grant Bowie]

Nice work Grant! Just as I was forgetting about the one that I lost

So about August to repot Pines?

Welcome; and yes I may consider repotting the short needled pines in autumn from now on considering where I now live.

Grant

[Shannon]

Hey Grant, any chance of a pic of the whole tree mate ? I dont get to see many scots pine's up here

[Grant Bowie]

Hey Grant, any chance of a pic of the whole tree mate ? I dont get to see many scots pine's up here

I am reserving this one for one of my progression style talks I do at the various clubs around Australia and may include it in my talk at the AABC Convention in May.

Here is one I have started working on and posted previously. It was very rough and still is after my first go at it.

Current front with height comparison(can of Confidor).JPG

Grant

[Shannon]

Cheers Grant...... I'll see you and the tree at the AABC!!

[Grant Bowie]

UPDATE.

The tree now has roots poking through holes at the bottom of the plastic pot so I can say with confidence it is a goer; (I hope with fingers crossed.)

I gave it a light fertilise(Powerfeed) and ( with trepidation at on going disputes and debates over Seasol)Seasol yesterday.

Photos soon as I may still be using it as part of my talk this Saturday morning at the AABC Convention. Hasn't that come around quick!

Grant

[Grant Bowie]

Hi all,

As promised here is a photo of the pine that I consider came back from the dead.

I didn't even bother to unwire it as I thought at the time it had negligeable chance of survival.

Scots pine back from the dead.JPG

Roots coming out the bottom.JPG

Grant

[bodhidharma]

Nice to hear it is back with a vengeance.

[Amanda]

Hi Grant, whew indeed. So glad your pine is thriving.