Does my privet need repotting?

fizzy · White Belt Joined: 06 Aug 2006 Posts: 15 Location: Dublin

I got a 12 year old privet / ligustrum bonsai as a present last Christmas.

All the soil was covered in roots when I got it, which I thought was odd, but I assumed that this was a feature of it as it was bought in a reputable bonsai shop.

It certainly grew very well initially, and I just cut a good big handful of growth off it again this week, just before I photographed it.

My problem is that now a few roots are hanging over the edge of the pot and many of the rest look brown whereas they used to be a lighter colour. I fear that this means the roots are dying and that my inital hunch about the roots all over the soil when I first got it was right - should I have repotted it straight away? Will repotting it now save it, or does it not need much attention?

Here are photos of my tree: http://picasaweb.google.com/janinedalton/PrivetBonsai

Extra info in case it's relevant: I'm in Dublin, Ireland and I keep the tree on a window sill. I water it every 2-3 days at the moment.

Thanks in advance for your time and help Smile

Surrey John

Hi Fizzy, welcome to BH! Keep posting, and everyone here will help you as much as they can.

My own initial opinion, looking at your pics, is that the Ligustrum isn't necessarily potbound and doesn't necessarily need repotting. Others may disagree with me, of course - that's the beauty of BH! You need to look below the surface by lifting the tree and its soil gently up from the pot, to see whether the soil is packed with roots as though they have no more room. If so, then it needs a repot. On the A-Z tab above, if you look up "Privet" on p. 2, you will find a good source of basic information on looking after your tree. That says repot in early March, but my careful guess is that you could probably get away with it still this year.

Most importantly, you tell us you keep the tree on your windowsill. Privet is an outdoor tree, and should be raised outdoors. It will, indeed, survive for some time indoors, but will slowly lose its vigour and leaves and will eventually die. Hopefully you have some otdoor space where it can live

Kind regards, SJ

keithmart

Hi

I would agree, but the tree is still in it's original soil by the look of the pictures and will need to be potted into a more free draining soil. Now is the wrong time to repot as it is growing. Wait until autumn or next spring, before the new growth starts.

It should definately be outside

fizzy · White Belt Joined: 06 Aug 2006 Posts: 15 Location: Dublin

Thanks for replying so soon. I just took the tree out of its pot for the first time - it is still in the original soil. It is covered in roots - in fact the bottom of it looks a bit like a bale of straw, there is so much of it! Sad

So, I guess I should have repotted it a couple of months ago?

It has not been looking as good lately as it was when I got it. Hence my post, but should I wait until Autumn before attempting repotting despite all the roots? It is quite hefty and in a fairly large pot as it is - do I need a bigger one again?

I'm alarmed to discover that it's an outside tree. My boyfriend was told by the guy in the shop that it was definitely suitable for indoors. We live in an apartment, so he was sure to check that. We do have a small balcony but it is very dark and I would need to buy some sort of table to give it any chance of having a bit of light. Should it always be outdoors, regardless of frost in Winter etc, or should it just be out in the milder months. Is there really no hope in keeping it indoors - my apartment only has electric heating, and no heat in the kitchen where the privet is, so it's not very warm - bad news for me, but maybe good news for the privet??

Surrey John

Fizzy, I did try to keep a Ligustrum indoors - it was my first ever tree, a present from my daughter, and I managed to kill it through lack of experience by a combination of not knowing enough about watering, and overheating it, and too little light.

Since then, I've learned! Your tree definitely should be outside to be really happy, but I'm not going to be the one who tells you that if you keep it indoors you will definitely not help it, as in the end you must decide that for yourself, as we all have to for our trees.

But if I were you, I'd be investing in a small table or shelf for my balcony. First of all, it's almost certain there will be more light there, even though you may not think so, and secondly you will probably acquire more trees in due course and you will at least have somewhere reasonable to keep them!

The other solution, of course, if you absolutely have no outdoor place, is to keep semitropical trees such as Ficus. They are not indoor trees in nature, of course, but respond to warmer indoor conditions in our climate. Others on this site will tell you more about them, as I cannot - all my trees are outdoor.

Good luck with the ligustrum. SJ.

TB420