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John Thompson Demonstrations
John Thompson's demonstration at the February 2000 GENERAL MEETING featured transplanting from a nursery to bonsai growing container. John discussed how
nursery container-grown plants tend to develop roots at multiple levels within the container, and the steps that need to be followed to identify the best root level and prune most effectively.
John's diagram at right shows how he will isolate the root system to the desireable radial roots, while pruning out the roots that tend to
grow directly downwards into the container. The red outline shows a rough profile of the training container overlayed on the black outline of the pot.
 Here John explains to the Midori membership
the strategy he'll be following in order to reduce the depth of the root system and create more order in the ball of roots he's likely to find.
 John slips the pine out of its growing container
 John
demonstrated an apparatus constructed of two planks of wood that allow him to work on the inverted tree's roots easily and without assistance. It takes a lot of work with a pair of root pruners and a root hook to untangle this mess of roots. Don't allow the root mass to
dry out!
The plastic mortar pan in front of John's feet catches most of the mess.
 John has reduced the tangle of roots to an orderly, flat radial spread. Some top pruning has also been done, but John has
allowed the large "escape branch" at the lower right to remain for some time. This will help thicken the trunk. The escape branch will be sacrificed at some point in the future.
 John
begins the repotting process in a shallow growing container constructed of wood. The shape of the container will encourage the roots to develop laterally, rather than downward.
The wide surface area of the soil will collect sun and encourage additional roots to develop.
 John ties the tree into the container to secure it against movement that might tear the fine
roots as the tree regenerates its root system.
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