If you’ve visited my Hawthorn Bonsai page, you know I’ve been planning to repot this specimen into the beautiful Byron Myrick round I recently acquired. Today was the day. As noted in my previous post, I have no problem repotting any tree I’d collect at this time of year. Hawthorns can be safely dug in January where I am, so why not repot this one now?
Here’s the tree bare-rooted. Hawthorns don’t always root vigorously, but they don’t need to in order to flourish. This one has plenty of roots to live happily in a bonsai pot. (You can see where some bark is beginning to exfoliate near the base of the tree. This happens every few years on Mayhaws.)
Repotting time is also work-on-nebari time. I’m pleased with how this one is coming along, so I exposed surface roots on either side of the front view of the tree. I was able to cut the root on the right side back pretty hard in order to improve its appearance. The one at the left looks very nice already, so all I had to do for it was to trim the trailing fine roots. Finally, there’s a small root in the perfect spot behind the tree that I’m letting run to thicken. In about five years this root should have caught up to the others. This will produce a very stable appearance to the tree as it continues to mature.
The end-result. I think this pot is a much better match for the tree. What do you think?
I also adjusted the planting angle just slightly, which I think improves the appearance. The transition point where the new apex was grown has been carved to smooth it, so it blends into the neat wound on the trunk.
This tree looks old and is old. With a trunk base of 2″, I’d estimate it’s probably 35-40 years old. It stands 25″ to the apex.