How do you re-pot plants?

[Laura Kush]

Do you make cuts on the root ball, loosen up the soil from the root ball with hands or do you plant the rootball undisturbed in the new pot?

If you make cuts, how much do you cut up the ball?

 

[clowntown]

Why would you even think about cutting up the roots, which would damage and shock the plants?

I typically bury the existing pot in the new pot, with the medium. Pull the original pot out will leave a perfect mold of the original pot in the medium. Then just hold the old pot upside-down, with your hands supporting the plant + medium, and tap to remove the old medium and rootball intact.

 

[Hazeseeker]

the same way as clowntown has mentioned, Hazeseeker

 

[Laura Kush]

Why would you even think about cutting up the roots, which would damage and shock the plants?

Oh. One time I cut up the rootbal real bad and at first it wasn't doing too good but eventually it became the biggest plant and on inspection had a ginormous rootball.

Anyone else experience this?

 

[clowntown]

Not exactly, but I have pruned back a good amount of roots, following the procedures for keeping bonsai moms. Of course, it eventually grew more roots and became just as healthy as other plants... but at the cost of stalling out for quite a while.

Had I taken that same plant and simply re-potted it, it would have grown larger than an identical clone that had its roots pruned.

Bigger isn't necessarily better; were they identical genetics to begin with?

 

[trichosaurus]

I make sure the soil is drenched so that it comes out smoothly. Then turn upside down, remove plant and repot. No need for any cutting or anything that would cause shock to the plant.

 

[Sammet]

Why would you even think about cutting up the roots, which would damage and shock the plants?

I typically bury the existing pot in the new pot, with the medium. Pull the original pot out will leave a perfect mold of the original pot in the medium. Then just hold the old pot upside-down, with your hands supporting the plant + medium, and tap to remove the old medium and rootball intact.

Great Technique and advice clowntown, I do the same, here's an example with some old photos I've got.

 

[clowntown]

Here's my visual illustration of how we do it at the circus:

 

[Maj.PotHead]

actually i've been knowen to wack the ka ka outta my bonsai mother plants root balls and they love it i remove 2 inch from bottom 1st then all sides of rootball. now when i transplant unless the plants been in the container long time i just transplant and dont mess with the roots. if i've had a clone in a 3x3x3 inch square or in 2 liter soda bottle for 6-8 wks i'll loosen up the bottom of roots some.

every time i hack my bonsai plants roots i have lotsa new growth and viable cuts 10-14 days later. bog's double pot method is ok in a pinch only if you have the head room to do so because your adding height to your plants dbl potted

 

[Laura Kush]

I read about this gardner who makes four slices with a sterile knife at the bottom of the rootball. He says it frees up the roots to spread faster.

 

[zoolander]

Then repeat

 

[1stimer]

I always break up the rootball with my fingers when transplanting. I never have any transplant shock.

 

[chubbynugs]

When i repot my moms i cut the sides and the bottom of the rooted mass so it takes the shape of a square. They thrive and dont suffer any visible shock. When i transplant clones before putting in flower i usually just loosen the root ball up and fill in dirt around it.

 

[hedpi]

Well breaking a couple of roots is ok, stimulates growth even.. but cutting a lot of them might stunt the plant.
I try my best not to hurt the plant when transplanting.
Water a little, hit it down to compact a little, then tap it on each side, then tap it off..
I usually dont do as clown or sammet (the mold thing), i just put some dirt in, then the plant, then add as much as is needed, but i'm going to try that on the next transplant, seems to make sense and spare some time/trouble.

 

[vinivici]

I always break apart my root ball on transplant too. well only from beer cups to 1 gal bags.

i've found it unbinds the roots and helps them spread out better.

 

[quill]

Like the answer to most questions, IT DEPENDS.

If your rootball looks like sammet's picture, disturb it as little as possible.

If it looks like clowntown's pic, which is just starting to get rootbound, I would still xplant as is.

More rootbound plants tend to benefit from some sort of freeing up. Usually some gentle pulling/teasing/unraveling and an attempt to spread the now dangling roots into the new medium (and maybe some superthrive) would be, imho, most effective. Personally I wouldn't do any slicing unless it was horribly rootbound, and then only if I couldn't be bothered with a gentler approach.

On the other hand, read the sticky on bonsai moms. As the major suggests, MJ will tolerate drastic rootpruning... it generally isn't needed tho.

q

 

[Guest]

For my mother I trim 1/3 to 1/2 of the root ball and 1/2 of the foliage.
When mother gets the growth spurt a week or two later I take the cuts.
These cuts will root fast and do well.