More like 2 wks, I'd say, if it was going to happen at all. What is reconditioned soil please? It's always better to leave some of the original soil around roots to lessen the shock of transplanting - there are other ways to get rid of 'nasties' if they show up.

The only "safe" thing to do with a Bonsai is look at it.

Everything you do when treating and caring for a tree stresses it out to one degree or another. Water the tree isn't even safe as water, or the lack of is the number one killer of all potted plants, regardless of type.

Lucy is right, it wouldnt take years to die, it would die almost immediately - or begin to and finish within a few weeks.

Removing all soil fromteh roots of a tree (or any plant for htta matter is dangerous for several reasons:

1) lots of potential to damage the rotts through tearing, smashing, etc.

2) It is more stressful for hte tree (as Lucy said) as removing all soil can shock the plant more due to complete sudden changeto new conditins (soil ph, moisture level, chemicals, etc.)

3) When you remove all the soil, the roots tend to get clumped together when repotted - as a result, they are not spread throught the soil, they are just directly below the tree or they are all on the same level in the soil instead of spread out both vertically and horizontally- making it harder to absorb moisture.

Is what you did safe? No
Is what you did rcommended? No
Is what you did the end of the world? No
Will the tree survive? Hopefully and probably

but dont expect it to be very strong, or exhibit significant new growth fora while. For now make sure you are watering it sufficiently, but not overwateing - and make sure you get all the soil damp - not just the top.

There is probably not a single person on this entire site who has not donewhat you did and had their plant survive - you'll lose some doing this, but plenty will live.

don't overworry yourself.

Good Luck!!!

Hi, Lily. I don't know how this translates to your climate, but in temperate climes, dormant trident maples are extremely tolerant of both bare-rooting and aggressive root pruning - thus, (along with their small leaves & tendency to bud back on old wood and ramify quickly) their extreme popularity as a bonsai candidate. Even large dormant specimens are often shipped with all soil removed and with all roots removed save for perhaps a few short stubs, and essentially treated like cuttings upon reaching their destination.

I may be wrong, but isn't it mid-summer there & weren't the plants in leaf & growing aggressively? I'm operating at the limit of my knowledge here, but it would seem that in your locale, any radical work like bare-rooting or hard pruning of roots or canopy would best be performed in early spring, so it's not the practice I question, but the timing.

Al

Removing all of the soil from an established and healthy tree during repotting is common practice. Don't worry about it, you did nothing that isn't done by most practitioners routinely.

Trees are shipped bare-rooted all the time while dormant and planted in entirely new soil.
It will be fine. No worries, Mate.

If you had reason to suspect that the vendor of your saplings was also harbouring something like root mealies or vine weevils then there's not much choice about whether to clean out the root system or not. If you don't there may be a droopy decline anyway.

The main thing now is the after-care: filtered light, wind protection, a touch of coolth (put it on the south side if you can) and enough water without excess.

Did you put a pebble mulch over the surface at all? That does help to keep the soil cooler.

If you lost a lot of the root mass then you will also have to balance up the top. If you kept most of the roots but they are still at the spindly stage then I hope you had plenty of 3mm grit in the potting mix - and NO water crystals.

I just removed a trident from a pot of Dendrobium kingianum and it has beautiful roots. Thriving well in the orchid mix and the regular watering. Gives you some idea of 'free-draining'.

On this side of The Ditch we quite often use Dorothy Koroshoff's books as a useful reference for the Southern Hemisphere. Saves on having to reverse the seasons!