For several years I used the "wedge cutting" proceedure, having
read somewhere
"...cut out pie shaped sections..."

Undoubtedly, I lost some trees as a result of (pie slicing)
messing up the root
systems. Then I heard "...carefully remove the soil from wedge
shaped
sections...disturb the roots as little as possible..."


As with all general statements, this one has some problems. I
have forgotten what tree species prompted the original query, but
for many trees, (and for azaleas, especially), CUTTING out
pie-shaped sections may be exactly what needs doing. Azaleas in
particular grow mats of very fine roots. These mats of hair-size
(or smaller) rootlets do not survive more than a year or two.
After they die, they leave an almost impenetrable (to water) mass
of dead material behind. This MUST be removed when repotting and
replaced with soil. If a few larger roots go too, that won't
hurt. At the time of "minor" repotting, the best way to do this
is to cut out wedges that extend to the base of the tree, then
re-fill those spaces with appropriate soil. (For major
repotting -- about every third time -- all of the fine roots
should be removed. This means total bare root.) The azalea will
quickly grow a new mass of hair-sized roots.

A major reason for repotting (of any bonsai) is to cut back large
roots that have filled the pot. You can't do that without
"disturbing" the roots. The disturbance, in fact, _promotes_ the
regrowth of the finer roots that do all the work and lead to a
healthy tree. Of course, you don't _indiscriminately_ cut out a
wedge every 33 1/3 degrees around the perimeter of the root ball.
You look first. You often _do_ decide that one of the wedges
should be made where that big, old root (and therefore fairly
useless as a "root") is, but just as often, you will pick places
_between_ larger roots to provide space for the smaller roots
you hope will grow from them.

So, giving your tree an occasional "wedgie" is often the right
thing to do.

Jim Lewis - - Tallahassee, FL - Our life is
frittered away by detail . . . . Simplify! Simplify. -- Henry
David Thoreau - Walden

************************************************** ******************************
++++Sponsored, in part, by Evergreen Gardenworks++++
************************************************** ******************************
-- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ --
+++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++