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Hi All,

Recently just bought Japanese Maple from nursery and due to the poor pre mix soil provide by nursery, I have decide to repot the plant. After one week, I see the roots starting coming off the soil. Can anyone advise why and what I should do? The soil I'm using is Akadama.

Thanks,
KT

a few questions: did you pack the soil into the roots carefully as to avoid air pockets? it looks like you may not have and the soil is packing itself in when you water. are you keeping the tree where it is pictured inside? if so, it will die in a matter of months, or weeks... depending on many factors... yes.. it will die if you keep it inside. where are you located that you already have leaves? I have pretty mild winters where I am and my buds are just starting to extend on my japanese maples.

Hi tubaboy,

My answer to your question below.

1. did you pack the soil into the roots carefully as to avoid air pockets?
- Yes, i did or should I repot it to ensure it's tuck in the soil completely?

2. are you keeping the tree where it is pictured inside? if so, it will die in a matter of months, or weeks... depending on many factors... yes.. it will die if you keep it inside.
- I keep the tree on my balcony where it will receive sun from 8am-12pm daily.

3. where are you located that you already have leaves?
- I'm from Malaysia.

Thank you.

KT

That is all beginner misstakes in one go.

We normally recomend getting plants that are growing good in ones area. I am not sure about maples in Malaysia. But when I was travelling around there I dont remember seeing one maple anywhere. It might be just as bad as growing it inside. Acer will need a period of cold dormancy.

We normallly recomend to grow a newly purshased tree for a full year before doing any work. This tree seems to be repotted, pruned and wired within a week of purshase.

Maples should be repotted when still in dormancy, just as buds are swelling in spring. Repotting maples in leaf are an extra risk.

I love the beginner enthusiasm. Unfortunately it is not so common to pull it off.

On your question: I dont believe the roots has grown out of the pot in one week. It would be amazing, but I dont think its possible. More likelly the soil has compacted when watering. Just put some more soil on top of the roots. And leave the tree to give it a chance to recover if possible. No more work for a full year except taking the wire off when they look like damaging the bark.

Tropfrog pretty much nailed it.

On the other hand, maples are very hardy, and if you keep them outdoors with regular sunlight and neither drown them or let them dry, your tree may develop into a nice bonsai Here in Japan, it is very hard to prevent Japanese maples to grow nicely in whatever random soil I put them into. They are very vigorous.

Here in Sweden it is possible to grow them. Main thing for success is very well draining soil and protected from vast amounts of rain in authum to spring. Japan climate is quite opposite to our beeing fairly dry in winter and wet in summer. Here is dry in summer and wet in winter. Both of us have cold enough to put the tree into dormancy which is the biggest concern in Malaysia.

Thanks for your advise Tropfrog. I will remove the wire off, top up soil and leave the tree for a full year of rest..if the tree make through.

Nonetheless I will provide a monthly update of the maple tree to see how's the recovery progress.

Stay safe~

KT

persimmon & Tropfrog - do you guys have any recommendation which species of plant (that potentially could grown and work on as bonsai) suitable to grow in Malaysia?

Thanks,
KT

I am in Sweden. So not much experience in growing bonsai in tropical countries. But look around you. All species growing in your local area are good candidates.

hgkelvin wrote: persimmon & Tropfrog - do you guys have any recommendation which species of plant (that potentially could grown and work on as bonsai) suitable to grow in Malaysia?

Thanks,
KT

I'm not them, but here is an answer. Ask your friend Dr. Google about bonsai and Malaysia. There have to be people there who do it and there has to be a club or something there. I did that in Hong Kong and found half a dozen at least.

One bonsai nunnery had hundreds of podacarpi (plural of podacarpus?) and lots of bougainvillea. Some of the bougies were huge. I have a picture of my wife and daughter in law standing under a cascade style that swept down at least two meters. There were a couple of other breeds that they had lots of, but those were probably 90% of the trees there.