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Separating roots.
I found this really cool rock that I want to use to do a root-over-rock
style bonsai with. With this in mind, I went out and bought a chinese elm. When I got it home and took it out of the pot though, the roots were so overgrown that they were like one of those things you scrub your dishes with. I tried squirting the root ball with a hose to try and wash some of the dirt out of it, but after 20 minutes of that it still just looked like a bunch of roots compressed into the shape of a pot. There was no way I was going to be able to untangle the roots without ripping half of them. What should I do? Plant it in the ground for a year and let the roots losen up? Or will that not help anything? |
On 7 Mar 2005 at 15:11, Scooter the Mighty wrote:
I found this really cool rock that I want to use to do a root-over-rock style bonsai with. With this in mind, I went out and bought a chinese elm. When I got it home and took it out of the pot though, the roots were so overgrown that they were like one of those things you scrub your dishes with. I tried squirting the root ball with a hose to try and wash some of the dirt out of it, but after 20 minutes of that it still just looked like a bunch of roots compressed into the shape of a pot. There was no way I was going to be able to untangle the roots without ripping half of them. What should I do? Plant it in the ground for a year and let the roots losen up? Or will that not help anything? You don't say how large your elm is, but they are VERY tough trees. If it's a decent size tree, comb out the soaking wet roots with your fingers. If some or many roots break off, it won't matter at this time of year. If it's a small, skinny tree, plant it outside for 4-5 years. Next coat the stone with muck -- mud with a lot of peat mixed in -- really slather it on. Separate the roots over the rock and press them into the muck, hopefully with some heavy roots on all sides. Be sure some of the root ends hang down below the rock. Then slather more on over the top and plant rock and all into a pot filled with bonsai soil. Plant the rock fairly deep. Root over rock takes a few years. If your wife/girlfriend/mother has an old pair of pantyhose, cut it up and wrap the rock with the panty hose. Tie it on with some kind of organic (cotton, raffia, hemp, etc.) string, then treat the whole thing like a regular bonsai. The top of the tree undoubtedly will want fairly hard pruning in 3-4 weeks and, like all elms pinching every day thereafter. In a couple of years, the muck will wash away from the rock and you should find nice roots clinging to it. Jim Lewis - - Tallahassee, FL - Nature encourages no looseness, pardons no errors. Ralph Waldo Emerson ************************************************** ****************************** ++++Sponsored, in part, by Gregory Brenden++++ ************************************************** ****************************** -- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ -- +++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++ |
Another approach is to tie the roots to the rock with raffia and bury the
whole thing in a prepared garden bed. I think this would produce the desired result a lot faster. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jim Lewis" To: Sent: Monday, March 07, 2005 7:28 PM Subject: [IBC] Separating roots. On 7 Mar 2005 at 15:11, Scooter the Mighty wrote: I found this really cool rock that I want to use to do a root-over-rock style bonsai with. ************************************************** ****************************** ++++Sponsored, in part, by Gregory Brenden++++ ************************************************** ****************************** -- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ -- +++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++ |
Jim Lewis wrote: On 7 Mar 2005 at 15:11, Scooter the Mighty wrote: I found this really cool rock that I want to use to do a root-over-rock style bonsai with. With this in mind, I went out and bought a chinese elm. When I got it home and took it out of the pot though, the roots were so overgrown that they were like one of those things you scrub your dishes with. I tried squirting the root ball with a hose to try and wash some of the dirt out of it, but after 20 minutes of that it still just looked like a bunch of roots compressed into the shape of a pot. There was no way I was going to be able to untangle the roots without ripping half of them. What should I do? Plant it in the ground for a year and let the roots losen up? Or will that not help anything? You don't say how large your elm is, but they are VERY tough trees. If it's a decent size tree, comb out the soaking wet roots with your fingers. If some or many roots break off, it won't matter at this time of year. If it's a small, skinny tree, plant it outside for 4-5 years. The tree is a bit over 2 feet tall, and probably an 1.5 inches thick at the base of the trunk. I don't think I could comb out the roots with my fingers. They're like a Loofah sponge. I might be able to do it with an ice pick or something. Next coat the stone with muck -- mud with a lot of peat mixed in -- really slather it on. Separate the roots over the rock and press them into the muck, hopefully with some heavy roots on all sides. Be sure some of the root ends hang down below the rock. Then slather more on over the top and plant rock and all into a pot filled with bonsai soil. Plant the rock fairly deep. Root over rock takes a few years. If your wife/girlfriend/mother has an old pair of pantyhose, cut it up and wrap the rock with the panty hose. Tie it on with some kind of organic (cotton, raffia, hemp, etc.) string, then treat the whole thing like a regular bonsai. The top of the tree undoubtedly will want fairly hard pruning in 3-4 weeks and, like all elms pinching every day thereafter. In a couple of years, the muck will wash away from the rock and you should find nice roots clinging to it. Thanks! Jim Lewis - - Tallahassee, FL - Nature encourages no looseness, pardons no errors. Ralph Waldo Emerson ************************************************** ****************************** ++++Sponsored, in part, by Gregory Brenden++++ ************************************************** ****************************** -- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ -- +++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++ |
Hello - I have a couple different Betula I would like to air layer this
season. I searched the archives but didn't find much. Anybody out there got any wisdom they would like to share? I am in Zone 5 with buds popping and am getting anxious to do anything that has a tree involved! ************************************************** ****************************** ++++Sponsored, in part, by Gregory Brenden++++ ************************************************** ****************************** -- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ -- +++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++ |
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