Repotting a Bonsai

These photos show the repotting of a bonsai (wild lime) which I did this mid-morning.  In the process I also trimmed the roots of the bonsai. This is the same bonsai that I deleaved in late January 2014 but did not repot at that time in order not to shock the tree too much.

1. The empty bonsai pot after the bonsai was taken out.

2. The bonsai removed from the pot.

3. Close-up of the roots of the bonsai, tightly intertwined.

4. Loosening up the soil around the roots with my trusty blunt screwdriver.

5. Bonsai with a good amount of the soil removed from the roots.

6. Another view of the bonsai with the soil removed from the roots.

7. Loosening out more soil with the bonsai lying on its side.

 

8. The bonsai lying on its side with the roots straightened out.

 

9. The bonsai with the roots trimmed (about the bottom 40%).

10. Front view of bonsai with trimmed roots.

11. Pot with stones on the holes (to prevent excessive soil running out over time).

12. The soil that was removed from the bonsai.

13. Mixing some fresh composted soil with the old soil (about 2 to 3 parts 

of the new soil to the old one (retaining some of the old soil to 

supposedly help the tree settle down a little quicker).

14. Mixing the new soil with some of the old until it looks more uniformly mixed.

15. Filling up the pot to about half full with the mixed soil.

 16. Positioning the bonsai into the pot ensuring that the roots are 

all facing down and preferably not intertwining with each other.

17. Filling the pot with more soil until all the roots are covered.  

You may wish to have the top of the main roots showing but this is a personal choice.

18. Giving the bonsai a good watering to let the soil settle down as much as possible.

19. View of the soil in the pot after  good watering.

20. Another round of watering after topping up the pot 

with a bit more soil to fill in the spaces where there were less soil.

21. The basic tools I use for my bonsai.  

Once in a while I may use a knife or razor to shape or prune parts of my bonsai 

but the above 3 are my basic tools - blunt screwdriver, pair of garden scissors 

and a trusty spade (this one is already bent on the edge but still usable).

 Have fun repotting your bonsai.  

My Bonsai Garden viewed from above the Mango Tree

Most gardens appear to have straight rows of plants and trees and sharp corners.  I prefer mine to have curves and bends and looking more organic.  These are photos of my garden taken from up the mango tree that dominates the garden.  I would caution that doing this stunt can be dangerous and every precaution must be taken that you do not slip and fall or drop your camera in the process.  Do enjoy the photographs.

1. The area near the garden tap and hose.

2. Moving towards the left to show the view 

near the common fence with my neighbour.

3. Moving a little towards the left.  

The slippers below give some idea as to how high up I am on the tree.

My feet are about 5 feet above ground and the camera is about another 5 feet 

making the view about 10 feet above ground.

4. A view of the bricks that were scrubbed of moss just yesterday.  

Having bricks like this I can remove and bury kitchen waste below them 

without fearing rodents coming to mess them up.  

Also I can rearrange the bricks to some other pattern 

when I get fed-up with the present pattern.

 5. A view to include the guardian of the garden, that is happily chewing on a bone.

6. Another view of the garden below the mango tree and the guardian of the garden.

7. A closer view of the plants near the pillar of my home.

8. Moving more towards my left and facing the driveway of my home, 

this photo captures a bit of the truck of the mango tree that I am standing on.

9. A closer view of the bonsai below.

 10. Completing the circle from above the mango tree, showing two pots of hibiscus

 on the left hand side of the photo and more bonsai under the mango tree. 

Housekeeping Trivia 2 - Making a origami paper box

This is one piece of origami that I've found very useful over the years - good for keeping some trash temporarily before you throw it in the garbage bin, to contain sweets or cookies when you want to take them away and you have no container to do so, or simply to keep small items on hand until you decide what you want to do with them later on.

1. Place a rectangular piece of paper on a flat surface.

2. Fold the paper in half lengthwise.

3. Unfold the paper after creasing the middle where the fold was made.

4. Fold one of the lengthwise edges to the middle.

5. Fold the other lengthwise edge to the middle 

so that both edges at in line with the crease in the middle of the paper.

Turn the paper on its back as shown in the above photo.

6. Bring the two shorter edges together and crease where the fold is made widthwise.

7. From where the middle crease (widthwise) has been made, 

bring one corner to the middle of the paper, and then the other as shown above.

8. Bring the pointed edge to the centre as shown above.

9. Unfold the paper as shown above so that it is as in step 6 but now with the extra creases.

10. Life the inside corners so that they are positioned as above.

11.  Bring the top edge over and flatten the paper as shown above.

12. Bring the two sides to the middle as shown above.

13. Fold the bottom edge over to secure the folds down.

14. Flip the paper over and do steps 10 to 13, as shown in the following photos.

 15. The result of the above folds will give you something like the above photo.

16. You can now open the folds from the middle and get a box.

17. With some practice you would be able to make these boxes 

anywhere and in quick time.

Happy folding!