To start, hello to whoever sees this. I am new here and very much new to Bonsai in general. My discovery of Bonsai was recent and I have spent a lot of time researching, using all sources from books to videos on YouTube, and great websites such as this one. I decided that a great help would be to have direct communication to others who practice Bonsai, and so here I am with my first question!

Earlier in the spring, I purchased a Cotinus coggygria "Golden Spirit" from the nursery I work at. I have been so fascinated with these trees/shrubs and knew I had to buy one for myself. While l prefer the more popular and common "Royal Purple" cultivar and its rich, dark purple foliage, they only had "Golden Spirit" in smaller, and cheaper, sizes at the time. This was all before I knew much about Bonsai and the purpose was to simply plant it and let it grow. This is where I finally get to the point and ask my question.

I would like make the smoketree one of my Bonsai subjects. I figured I would wait until this coming spring, whether be the late fall or early spring. By then, it will have been about a year since I had planted the smoketree in the ground. Would I be able to dig it up and prepare it for repotting in an appropriate bonsai pot, as in removing much of the root mass, cleaning the root ball, etc.? Or do I have to plant it in a large pot, following the steps as listed on this site or similar, and wait another year? I eagerly await any response at all, even if it is not an answer!

Thank you,
Joseph

Hi Welcome to the forum.

If you post a picture, it might help.

Why did you plant it in the garden, if not to grow brigger? One year in the ground does not help much in thickening. I would wait a few years.