Digging through my photos, I found one more tree I worked on this past Fall that I forgot to share here on the blockchain.

In this article, I am documenting the work done to the soil around the roots of this tree to restore it's good drainage properties.

Historical Information

ID: 0010
Nickname: Christina
Type: Douglas Fir
Age: 7 years
Grown: yamadori (collected from my own yard)
Last repotting: late spring 2017
Wired: April 10, 2019

Examining the Surface Soil

Like many of my trees in Autumn, the pot has become overgrown with a thick layer of moss. The moss is shedding water over the sides of the pot, making it harder for the soil underneath to be watered properly.

If this tree were going to be presented for a show, I might choose to leave the moss alone. It almost looks like grass. The moss actually does help keep the topmost layer of the soil well moisturized.

Often times I discover when repotting my trees the there is very few roots growing in the middle layer of soil. Mostly roots grow on top and along the bottom of the pot. Consistently even moisture, air, and fertilizer is key to develop a healthy, thick root ball throughout the pot. This can only happen when a good bonsai soil mixture is used to keep these things in balance.

Revealing the Roots

Not too deeply underneath the mossy soil layer, I found a thick mesh of many small roots growing in healthy soil.

The soil actually looks a bit dry to me. This is probably a good thing, as conifers like the soil to be more on the dry side heading into winter.

Conifers are mountain trees that grow on rocks. Douglas Fir tends to be more of a woodland type of tree. Douglas Fir do not usually grow along rivers and ponds, because the flooding water can rot the roots. Instead they grow best on shaded hillsides where they can collect the cloudy mist.

New Soil Layer

New bonsai soil has been applied to top dress the soil and tiny rootlets. The gravel layer allows water to pass through quickly, so it will not puddle over the roots.

The decorative rock on this pot is made of fossilized sea shells. It became a rock when the beach sand bonded with it under extreme heat and pressure to become a single metaphoric rock.

The new level of the soil is now below the rim of the pot, where it should be. Water will no longer spill over the edges. The watering cycle should not provide consistent moisture throughout the soil layers.

Conclusion

This tree is now fully prepared for winter.

In the coming months, I've also been working on pruning this tree to better encourage new buds and needles to form.

Soon I'll be showing an update on the new buds that have formed, and how I have further pruned the tree to benefit my goal: the classic Christmas tree bonsai design shape.

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Photos in this post are all #originalworks by @creativetruth, unless stated otherwise.

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#teambonsai

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