Just keep the scissors away from it 🙂

I managed to get the Big Ceanothus potted. It had to be done in the Tunnel, it’s new home for a while. I spotted a few new buds swelling so fingers crossed.

I managed to steal a wooden box from Stephen that looked as if it would fit. With a few minor adjustments, it did.

Adjusting the angle.

The trunk has a large shari and the top is made up of two live leaders and one dead one. I removed the dead one and have left both of the other options until I see how the tree copes with transplanting.

I then removed all the die back caused by the freezing temperature over the Winter.

A quick lift and then that moment when you wonder if it’ll fit through the door!

Measured to perfection.

Potting mix added once it was in place. I used a heavy grade of grit and cat litter [SP]

Working it well down into the roots to avoid large air pockets.

A good watering in to finish off.

As this variety is new to me and, from all enquiries made around the world, pretty much new to bonsai, I’ll be interested to see if it survives.

Today I decided to repot a Hawthorn. I waited until I had some extra hands available as it’s large and spikey! It’s the parent part of the Hawthorn I air layered last year. You can catch up on the process here. Air Layering a Hawthorn

It’s been in this large plastic pot for at least 4 years and it’s been the bane of my life having to work around it on the bench. I wanted to get it into something manageable and adjust the potting angle now the other trunk has been air-layered off. I was convinced that some of the heavy surface roots were dead and that I could remove then and allow for a smaller pot. I was wrong. The roots were dead on top but alive underneath. This is me having a poke around trying to figure out what’s alive and what’s not. The bark at the base was falling off the dead areas on the roots.

A quick scrape told me that more was alive than expected.

Phil and I pull the tree out for a closer look at the roots.

and it was at this point that I remembered that I screwed one of the root ends to the pot for stability.

There was plenty of fine roots and I was able to remove a few problem roots.

A quick check with the new pot and I was able to confirm that it would fit at the new angle.

Potting mix was added. I used Grit, akadama, kyodama and Cat litter.

The roots made it a little hard to tie in to the pot. I had to use a wooden block to support one of the roots.

Mix added and ready for a good watering.

After a good watering.

A close up of the base. There’s a fantastic surface root to the right as well but is covered to keep some fine root covered until the tree settles.

It’s now tucked away in the poly tunnel and I was able to lift it by myself 🙂

I may chop the top slightly at some point but I’m in no rush to do anything for at least a year. The stump were the air layer was removed with also need attention in 2012.