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| A beautiful Japanese maple owned by John Biel was repotted at the TBS March meeting.
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Reiner is giving us a little history about the tree while John is preparing the new pot in the background.
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| John & Reiner are examining the base of the tree and planning their tree removal-from-pot strategy.
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The tree is firmly in the grasp of the pot with its inturned upper lip - the tool of choice is a sickle-like weapon that is used to cut both soil and roots around the inside perimeter of the pot.
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| Finally the tree is released from the pot in which it had spent the last two years - a tremendous number of roots circled the pot, indicating that it was high time to repot the tree.
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A close-up view of the 5 inch diameter nebari.
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| Reiner starts to remove the winding roots. Note how nicely the branches are layered, as well as overall ramification.
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We get a good idea here of the health of the roots.
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| Reiner begins to rake out the roots, starting at the base of the tree and pulling his rake outwards.
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He goes right around the tree - any roots that grow at angles are automatically broken off - the remaining roots radiate like the spokes of a wheel.
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| John is seen cutting some of the roots that protrude above the soil.
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Here John is trimming the size of the overall rootball.
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| John checks the health of the roots under the base of the trunk.
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The new pot is readied with a sprinkling of 1/4" "haydite", an epanded shale product - this gravel keeps the soil from plugging the drainage holes.
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| Reiner starts to add soil to the pot.
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The significantly smaller rootball is in evidence here as Reiner places the tree into its new pot. There is lots of new room for the roots to expand.
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| Reiner begins to tie the tree into the pot so that a strong wind cannot dislodge it from its pot.
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Plastic screening is used to protect the surface roots from wire cuts.
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| More dry soil is now added to the pot.
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A chopstick is used to ensure that the soil settles in around all of the roots, thereby avoiding large, damaging air pockets under the tree.
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| Carefully Reiner settles the soil around the roots.
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John admires Reiner's handiwork from a distance.
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| A few final touches, and then, ...
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the tree is ready for a good soaking in a tub of water.
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