Gravel in the bottom is unneeded.

How long were the roots exposed to air when you were doing the repotting? (Sounds like you did not pot up).

If roots are exposed for too long and not kept wet, they will die.

True. But I figured I'd ask as that's been an issue for people before. Leaving the roots exposed for too long. And, the tree would be in a drought response just as it would if its being over watered.

But looking at the mix, from what I can see (and what the op stated) it's most likely far too water retentive anyway.

My best guess, because your soil lists loam topsoil as the primary ingredient, it's going to be very difficult to achieve the type of results most of us hope for. I'd get it out of the bigger pot and back into the original pot for now. I say this because the added limitation of your plant being over-potted and soggy for extended periods of time is going to be far more limiting than an underpotted or appropriately plant with the same level of root congestion (in either case).

Bark of the size pictured doesn't do much for drainage or aeration, though it does somewhat reduce the amount of water the soil can hold; still, it's a very small plus, especially when weighed against the potential improvement pine bark of appropriate size and in appropriate volumes can offer

This is the plan I'd stick to:

* Examine closely for bug problems with a loupe or magnifying glass.

* Put it back in the pot it was in. If you like, you can saw off the bottom 6" of roots and loosen roots around the perimeter of the pot.

* Flush the soil thoroughly, in case a high level of TDS (salts) is a problem. This is like hitting the fertilizer 'reset' button.

* Initiate a nutritional supplementation plan and stick to it unless soil or watering habits change.

* Make sure you're watering appropriately. This is very important.

* Move your plant outdoors as soon as temps allow.

* Dedicate some time to learning what your plants cultural requirements/wants are, and (especially important) learn what it takes to keep the plant's root system happy. W/o question, the overwhelming % of issues folks come here seeking resolution for are related to poor root health, which is almost always the product of soils and watering habits that need a good measure of improvement.

These are general comments. Specifics are available if you're interested ..... no sense in going into deep detail if you have another plan you'd prefer to follow.

Al

Dave, the plant was only out of a pot for 15 minutes max.

Al, I've read so many of your comments and really want to do what is best for the plant. I will put it back in the original plastic pot. Can you give me the specific info on potting medium. I think I'd like to do a 5:1:1 mix. I know I can find peat moss and perlite. It's the bark I'm having problems finding. Any advice on where I can order online or find a place other than a nursery?

My local nursery sells Hyde Park Professional Mix made from milled sphagnum peat moss, vermiculite and Perlite. Thoughts on this?

Many thanks for all your responses!

could this work?

Thank you for the kind words, Alysia.

The bark products at 3, 6, and 9 o'clock are from 3 different concerns that package pine bark. All are well-suited as the primary component of the 5:1:1 mix, which you see in it's dry form in the middle of the image. Pine bark is sold as any of several descriptors. It is called Clay soil conditioner, soil conditioner, pine bark mulch, landscape mulch, ground cover ....

The product immediately above is at the upper limit in size. If the mean size was any larger than what you see, I'd screen it through 3/8 mesh and use the largest pieces that don't pass as mulch for the raised beds I use for growing potential bonsai subjects. Below, see what the soil looks like made from the product immediately above.

I'd call this ^^^ about ideal for indoor plants, but maybe a bit coarse for outdoor plants that use water quickly. To fix that issue, I'd simply add a couple handfulls of unscreened Turface to a gallon of the soil pictured.

My best advice is, don't get obsessed with the 'need' to make a better soil tomorrow. Bark is where you find it. Even my sources change from time to time. One year I bought a whole pallet (a ton) of pine bark from a nursery wholesaler I'd bought from dozens of times. It ended up being half peanut shells. Fortunately, it worked fine for soil AND mulch. Just keep your eyes peeled. Whenever you're at a place that sells mulch and other plant stuff, check for pine bark. If you have a place near you that sells landscape materials (mulch), call to see if they have pine bark fines. The product in your picture appears to be primarily sapwood and heartwood, so it would work poorly for several reasons. The product made from milled peat, perlite, and vermiculite will be very water retentive. This can be predicted with a great deal of certainty because at least 90% of the medium will be made of fine material, and particle size is what drives water retention and supports tall perched water tables.

If you have questions about/need help with a 'plan', let me know.

Al

Wow, this is the fourth time in the last several days that I've written a long eloquent post that got lost. Any chance my parts are being nixed somehow?

Dave, she did pot up:

"I figured I was over watering and that the plant needed to be in a bigger container. I potted up two days ago. I tired to remove as much soil from the root ball as I could and untangled the root mass. I did not root prune. I placed in a larger pot with a drainage hole with gravel on the bottom. My local nursery recommended a potting soil that was mixed with perlite and vermiculite. I also added orchid bark as I couldn't find pine bark. I tried to water thouroughly but it seemed to take so much water for any drainage to appear. I'm worried that the soil I used is still absorbing too much water. Is the bark I used too large and absorbing too much water? Thoughts and advice are so appreciated."

Alysia, here's the most recent of a series of threads by tapla (Al) with tons of information about what's already been said, including the physics behind the unintuitive idea that a 'drainage' layer like gravel actually impedes drainage.

The larger pot is going to stay too wet for root health much longer than the old one, because it'll take a while for the roots to colonize the further reaches of the pot, any along the way the plant will waste energy on new roots that die the next time the soil is saturated.

Orchid bark is usually pine or fir; often it says what it is in small print on the back of the bag. I think the bark is the least of your troubles, though, because it absorbs water far more slowly than the water-retentive mix, though it will eventually get saturated when surrounded by saturated soil.

Anyway, take Al's advice to heart. In the seven months since he's been my plant guru my sad looking little collection of plants has gone from looking dad and dejected to pure vibrancy. Your plant has started off in far better shape, so I'm positive that a little more work will give it exactly what it needs to thrive.

Lenore

Oops, I lied--here's the link I meant to post:

http://forums2.gardenweb.com/discussions/2842847/container-soils-water-movement-and-retention?n=8

Hi Litterbuggy,

If you're going to write lengthy posts, perhaps it's best to copy & paste them into a Word Doc of your own in case something goes wrong in your posting. I know, bummer ... sigh.

That way you still have the writing (learned the hard way to do this after losing several posts of my own).

I know, I know...I've learned that the page won't post the reply after a lot of time had passed, so if I'm paying attention I select/copy the whole post and refresh the page every little while and repeat the process before I hit Submit. Then I just space it out... which is what probably happened, so I have nobody else to blame but myself. Sigh!

I lose posts on occasion, and they always seem to be the long ones. My problem is, I never know which posts are going to go long when I start. I see the answers in my mind, but always neglect to consider how much qualifying has to be done to make the post of any value. Call it a spin-off of Murphy's law - the longer the post is, the more likely it is to vanish as you approach the finish line.

Al