An intact rootball is when you can knock the nursery can or pot off the root ball and it won't fall apart. This is sort like the advice of bending the branch to the point where it is just about to break. How in the world do you know without doing it?
Rootball : The large mass of roots and soil visible on a bonsai when removed from its pot.
Root pruning : The practice of cutting back the roots when repotting from one pot to another will encourage new root growth and promote future growth.
The rootball, still complete with groundsoil, was wrapped in damp burlap and sent on its way to me via the Mail.
The rootball should be checked for its condition annually in Spring; gently ease the tree out of its pot and examine the rootball.
With an ordinary pot-plant the solution is to pot the plant into a larger container which allows room for new, fresh compost around the rootball.
Figure 2: White cedar rootball side view
In areas where they are subjected to abuse by wildlife and the elements, cedars attain the trunk shapes that make them ideal bonsai subjects.
You can not pull too hard on the trunk - so if this does not work, try tapping the pot with the side of your hand to loosen the rootball or poke a stick through the drainage holes and 'push' the rootball out.
As the root mass begins to fill the available space, the whole rootball becomes compact. When this dries out shrinkage occurs, pulling the roots and soil away from the pot.
Don’t forget to inspect the rootball too. The white pine Bonsai tree needs to be housed in a deep Bonsai pot due to the roots needing to grow in order to support the weight of the Bonsai.
If this view is not attractive, you may move the rootball to slant the tree in another direction. If you choose a vertical tree at the nursery, and want to train it in the informal upright style, simply tilt the plant when potting it.
watch out for scale insect infestation; let soil become nearly dry before watering again; better to wire green wood; roots grow quickly; can reduce rootball down best in June or July; transplants best in summer; ...
All those fine fibrous roots you see in a rootball you carried a mile will turn out to be grass roots when you get home.
For one reason or another you cannot get permission to dig at any of the best places.
You got to be PURE IN HEART! ...
An important tip is that the Japanese white pine bonsai tree is dependent for its life on a fungus known as rootball. This fungus has great (read beneficial) impact on the roots and normally when this fungus dies, the bonsai tree would also die.
Treat your tree gently. Remove excess branches and trunk. Secondly the rootball. This is not only to balance the new look but also to fit in the new container.
Rootball
The large mass of roots and soil visible when a tree is taken out of its pot
or pulled from the ground.
Root pruning
The practice of cutting back the roots of bonsai in order to make room in ...
Formerly, the bonsai had been placed in covered pits and cold frames for the winter. This practice compromised the health of the plants and the consequent freezing of the rootballs cracked many of the original Japanese containers.
 See also: Bonsai, Tree, Plant, Growing, Trunk
|
