Which comes first Repot or style

Should a tree be pruned and styled first or repotted? And why?

Depends on what you are trying to accomplish.

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I believe that Ryan suggests styling yamadori and similar trees first since that will often dictate the potting angle and you are trying to build strength after collection. Nursery stock is often repotted first since it is generally quite strong so it can handle potting into a small container. I like to repot nursery stock first to get the roots arranged since these trees often have very poor roots (I like a nice nebari). In addition, I prefer to lose a tree early rather than after lots of styling if I go to far.

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I have a tree field grown trees. The structure hasn’t been set . It has been chopped down in previous yrs to build taper and thicken the branch

Typically I do styling first. This helps ensure that you pot it at the correct angle for the optimal design (which you will have already determined if you style first).

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I know that in a Juniper video, he mentioned repotting junipers first, then styling. That way the tree can use the vigor in the foliage to create new roots. Don’t think there’s a hard and fast rule.

I think it all comes down to the health of the tree, and what you’re trying to accomplish. I definitely wouldn’t do both in the same year, unless it’s an extremely healthy tree, and you can give it amazing after care.

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