Well actually the tree isn’t shrinking, just the bonsai pot that it is in.  Last year when I potted this tree up for the first time it went into a very large bonsai pot.  However because of the lack of roots close to the trunk I had no choice.  This year is a different story.

This tree put out so many new branches in all of the right spots.  I can’t wait to wire it out.  It is naturally weeping a bit, so that is how I plan to style it.  First I need to get it into a smaller pot.

As you can see the new pot is a great deal smaller.  I remember potting the tree last year and there were very big roots so this is going to be a very tight squeeze.

When I pulled the tree out of it’s current pot I was very happy to see these kinds of roots.  The tree thrived this past year and these roots are proof.  Also if you ever had a question about how well my bonsai mix works, now you know!!

After a quick rake the roots are now combed out, and the tree is ready for the new pot.

Okay, don’t panic!!!  This tree really is ver large and I knew this challange was coming.  There is some growth on the tips of the roots, but still there is plenty close to the trunk.  I’m pretty confident this will go in with some help.

Of course when I said help I was referring to my Saws All.  I removed just enough of the roots to have a nice fit with a little room for new growth.  You can still see loads of roots remain.

Success!!!  The tree fit, and this combination pot and tree looks very good.  I have still some carving, wiring, styling, etc to perform but the hard work is done.  Now comes the fun!

One last shot to show the nebari of the trunk.  The tree is sitting a little low in the pot on purpose to let the roots heal up.  Next year I’ll raise it up a bit more to really show the trunk spread.

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Well the flowers on my Wrightia religiosa didn’t last very long.  It has pretty much been raining here in Florida for the past 4 weeks, and the flowers just didn’t get a break.  However since the flowers were gone I got a chance to make a few changes to this tree.  First thing was to remove the red glazed bonsai pot that it was in.  It was a temporary pot until I found something more suitable. 

I have had this bonsai pot for years, but never found the right tree to put in it.  If you review my posts your see that I had a Ficus Too Little, A winged Elm, and probably a few other potted in it.  However I like the match up with this tree and this pot. 

After repotting, I had to wire out the tree a bit.  I wanted to open it up and expose the large trunk a bit.  Remember when this tree blooms, they hang down past the bottom of the branches so I want the rows to be stright and well defined.

Lastly, while attending one of Boon’s intensive training classes he said that when you repot a tree you should put it in a different pot.  I like this idea because the pot will bring on a all new look altogether.  That’s the kind of thing that really motivates me.

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There are times when things just come together perfectly, and I can officially state that I actually had the right pot for the tree for the first time. I spent much of the morning re-wiring and redefining my Crepe Myrtle. I can’t believe the pictures from last January and how far this tree has come.

 Just look how nicely the pot compliments the bark of the tree.  When this tree is leafed out and flowering it will really be something special.  When I repotted the tree I found that the roots had been holding a lot of water.  so with the new soil it should produce a lot of new growth and be much healthier.

Here is a close up of the tree.  This tree is not the easiest tree to wire.  I’m using 1mm wire on branches that are about 1mm thick.  However if I don’t the branches tend to curl up.  I need the branches mid way up the trunk to fill in over the scar.  I should be able to achieve that this year.  I have a feeling the next time I post this tree it will be a finished Bonsai.

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Well here she is, in all her glory. The stand that I built with my neighbor (Heath) turned out great. That thing could hold a house. Its a good thing. Because we found the only way to do this was to pot it in place. The pot was prepared and placed on the stand. Some soil was added, then the tree. Then a lot more soil and finally a long watering. Yep, it’s not going to be moving anywhere for quite some time.

I know it looks like an elephant’s foot, but that is in fact the nebari of the tree. It measures about 24″ around, 6 inches up from the base.
Jan 2008

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