I have an observation/question that has sort of plagued me since i started
learning this beautiful/frustrating hobby. I am reading an article in the
latest bonsai today #82. pages 34-36 and i understand the importance of
roots being in well draining soil. and being able to "breathe" but why...
in the pictures of this japanese maple and like so many other pictures i
have seen does the rootball appear to be in a mass of dirt.. like he just
pulled it out of the ground.(this one has been in a pot) Is there not to be
well draining soil everywhere around the roots?? When he places the tree
back in the pot after being pruned, the root ball appears to be an island
of "mud" agasint the backdrop of the drainage layer. I have noticed this in
some bonsai i have seen at shows or gardens. I look at the soil these trees
are in.. and it seems at times .. the closer you get to the roots... the
finer the soil becomes.. to the point where they actually elevate out of
the pot on their own dirt island.( at least that is my perception that
needs to be corrected)I am assuming maybe becaseu trees like this have been
so well established and have such a fine root system..that they become like
a lump of organic material themselves?? and you can't bare root them.
i dunno... but i thought id finally take the risk of sounding really,
really, novice and ask....... i hope someone knows what i mean. : )

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Hi Steve,

Several things probably account for your observations:

One, over time, traditional Japanese soils break down into smaller
particles... this combined with the roots' prediliction to grow *into*
softer particles as well as around them results in the mass of soil and
roots you're seeing.

Some bonsai, even after years in a pot and repeated transplantings, still
carry a little of the original field soil right near the base... or in the
case of certain maples the base, where rootbole meets trunk (but still under
the soil line) is very dark, almost black.

Often the maples in bonsai today or other magazines are so highly refined
that what you're seeing is all fused root... even after carefully removing
all the old soil it still looks as if there is soil in there.

David J. Bockman, Fairfax, VA (USDA Hardiness Zone 7)
Bunabayashi Bonsai On The World Wide Web: http://www.bunabayashi.com
email:


-----Original Message-----
From: Internet Bonsai Club ]On Behalf
Of Steve Wolfinger
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2003 9:30 PM
To:
Subject: [IBC] speaking of roots


I have an observation/question that has sort of plagued me since i started
learning this beautiful/frustrating hobby. I am reading an article in the
latest bonsai today #82. pages 34-36 and i understand the importance of
roots being in well draining soil. and being able to "breathe" but why...
in the pictures of this japanese maple and like so many other pictures i
have seen does the rootball appear to be in a mass of dirt.. like he just
pulled it out of the ground.(this one has been in a pot) Is there not to be
well draining soil everywhere around the roots?? When he places the tree
back in the pot after being pruned, the root ball appears to be an island
of "mud" agasint the backdrop of the drainage layer. I have noticed this in
some bonsai i have seen at shows or gardens. I look at the soil these trees
are in.. and it seems at times .. the closer you get to the roots... the
finer the soil becomes.. to the point where they actually elevate out of
the pot on their own dirt island.( at least that is my perception that
needs to be corrected)I am assuming maybe becaseu trees like this have been
so well established and have such a fine root system..that they become like
a lump of organic material themselves?? and you can't bare root them.
i dunno... but i thought id finally take the risk of sounding really,
really, novice and ask

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