AusBonsai

Hello all

I purchased this JBP Kotobuki from a nursery and was wondering which is my best approach for reducing height, repotting etc.

- Should I reduce it gradually of time, removing most of the upper growth to divert the trees energy to the lower branches?
- Remove all candles/buds produces late winter/early autumn over the winter?
- Would I re-pot this tree before doing any work or do some work then re-pot?
- On re-potting, I was thinking of bare rooting the tree to remove all nursery soil and place into bonsai mix.

Here are some pictures of the tree in question.
As this is the first time I have tackled something like this any advice/opinions is appreciated.

I know it isn't an instant bonsai and I didn't purchase it with that in mind. It is a tree I would like to work on over a number of years.

Cheers

I'm sure there will be great kotobuki bonsai in the future but still fairly new. They have very stong apical dominance so you will need to cut most of the top off to a height somewhere where you want it. Don't bare root but try to arange the top roots as best you can. repot if need be. Then you must leave it for a while before cutting again. Good luck!

I have not worked with kotobuki, just jbp, but here are my thoughts.

Either (in order of my preference):
1. Repot the tree, bare rooting 1/2 of the rootball and place in free draining bonsai soil. Then fertilise, and grow stronger for the rest of the season. Cut down to strong growth in the following season.
2. Cut down to strongest growth this year, fertilise and hope for further back budding. Repot half the rootball next season.

I'd go the repot first as then you'll know where you stand with the base and front, and healthy roots make a stronger tree. I'd also be interested in other opinions.

Mate, feed it up to really well get it very healthy and vigious. The next season I'd try a couple of air layers. The following season, after air layering, then do your soil changing, at least you might have extra trees if anything goes amiss. Bit of a long process but could be worth the effort
Cheers Rod

Thanks everyone for your advice. I feel I have a couple options I am going to explore and in the years to come with this tree. I hope to be able to use the pictures used here and take new pictures of which way the tree decides to go and re-visit this thread down the track as a kind of 'progression' of the tree.