Wes wrote:

Tropfrog wrote:

Wes wrote:

Tropfrog wrote:

No need to use the same mix.

So I could even switch completely to akadama? Akadama is a medium but not soil per se.

Switch completelly to akadama is not the right time of the year. I thought we were discussing uppotting. Uppotting means to plant the entire root ball and old soil into a bigger pot and fill up with new soil/substrate.

When could I switch to akadama?

when you repot with a root pruning and new soil in late winter/early spring. Is your climate similar to the areas in Japan where akadama is used a lot? I live in Germany, and don't like akadama.. it breaks down quickly, and if you don't repot in a timely fashion it turns into a brick... which makes it more difficult to repot.

tubaboy wrote:

Wes wrote:

Tropfrog wrote:

Wes wrote:

Tropfrog wrote:

No need to use the same mix.

So I could even switch completely to akadama? Akadama is a medium but not soil per se.

Switch completelly to akadama is not the right time of the year. I thought we were discussing uppotting. Uppotting means to plant the entire root ball and old soil into a bigger pot and fill up with new soil/substrate.

When could I switch to akadama?

when you repot with a root pruning and new soil in late winter/early spring. Is your climate similar to the areas in Japan where akadama is used a lot? I live in Germany, and don't like akadama.. it breaks down quickly, and if you don't repot in a timely fashion it turns into a brick... which makes it more difficult to repot.

beyond that you probably shouldn't get rid of all the old soil, as there are symbiotic funguses that the tree needs to survive.

Wes wrote:

Tropfrog wrote:

Wes wrote:

Tropfrog wrote:

No need to use the same mix.

So I could even switch completely to akadama? Akadama is a medium but not soil per se.

Switch completelly to akadama is not the right time of the year. I thought we were discussing uppotting. Uppotting means to plant the entire root ball and old soil into a bigger pot and fill up with new soil/substrate.

When could I switch to akadama?

Any big repotting activities is best done in late winter or early spring.

I only tried 100% akadama once, the tree never recovered completely and is still in a very bad shape 3 years later. Next repotting I will try a better mix for my climate. Akadama might be good in Japan, but sure not in Western Sweden on trees that are exposed to frost in winter.

tubaboy wrote:

Wes wrote:

Tropfrog wrote:

Wes wrote:

Tropfrog wrote:

No need to use the same mix.

So I could even switch completely to akadama? Akadama is a medium but not soil per se.

Switch completelly to akadama is not the right time of the year. I thought we were discussing uppotting. Uppotting means to plant the entire root ball and old soil into a bigger pot and fill up with new soil/substrate.

I live in Southern California and the climate is very warm. And because of climate change our winters are much warmer than how they used to be. Our climate is not like anywhere in Japan. It’s pretty dry much of the year in California. I actually repotted a juniper in akadama a month ago and it went through a very bad shock. I think it might be dead now.
When could I switch to akadama?

when you repot with a root pruning and new soil in late winter/early spring. Is your climate similar to the areas in Japan where akadama is used a lot? I live in Germany, and don't like akadama.. it breaks down quickly, and if you don't repot in a timely fashion it turns into a brick... which makes it more difficult to repot.

Isn't it beter to repot the cypress late spring, at the time when you see the new growth coming in?

@Leatherback perhaps you can comment on this?

Please share a picture. I doubt pot size is the problem.

Slip potting into a larger pot will also damage the roots. If you decide to slip pot into a bigger pot DO NOT change to a very different substrate. The substrate should be very similar as what the rest of the rootball has.

leatherback wrote:

Please share a picture. I doubt pot size is the problem.

Slip potting into a larger pot will also damage the roots. If you decide to slip pot into a bigger pot DO NOT change to a very different substrate. The substrate should be very similar as what the rest of the rootball has.

It's the same tree I was previously talking about. It's in a 1 gallon pot. I think that's 3.79 liters. It's about 33 inches tall or 84 cms. (Sorry, Americans generally don't understand the metric system.