What to do with pre-bonsai from some one completely new
Posted: Mon Feb 19, 2018 7:54 pm
Hi All, I am new to this site and this forum. I hope that I am doing this right. I have some questions regarding the repotting of Bonsai. I bought these 2 Bonsai at Wal-Mart. (I know,not the best place to buy this type of plant from but as I am new to Bonsai I do not want to practice and fail on a plant that cost a whole lot of money. If I kill one of these little guys in my journey, it was $15. I can live with that) I believe these plants to be in a "pre-bonsai" state. I say this because, though it looks as if they have had some wire training, the pots that they are in are to deep and they are in a nursery type soil, not a Bonsai mix. The first thing I did when bringing these guys home was to remove the glued on moss and pebbles from the top and water thoroughly. I also know that once I put these jewels into Bonsai soil the thickness of the trunks are pretty much set in stone. I know that a year in the ground/large pot (I do think that means larger than what these guys are in) can equal up to 2 years growth in a Bonsai pot/soil mix and I really want to develop the nebari before moving them. (understanding that the current "top" of the tree's root base will not be the "top", but in fact higher than the bonsai top once root reduction as happened......Lord I hope that made sense) So the question is..... what should I be doing with these guys? Do they need to go into Bonsai mix/pot or should I just leave them be for a year or two to develop the trunk girth? And if I am leaving them in the pots they are now in, what does that mean for watering? I currently have bamboo sticks in the soil to measure moisture level but after 4 days they are still pretty wet and I would hazard that only the top 1/2 inch of the soil has begun to dry.
Any and all advice is welcome
Any and all advice is welcome