I think you could have made a mistake here. This tree is clearly from an air layering... there's still a good inch of trunk below the roots. If you chop all this out the roots will be pressed much flatter against the board. You can put sealant on it before you screw it to the board and it'll be just fine. Doing it the way I described will get more pleasing results in a much shorter space of time, and placing the roots is a much simpler process.
I agree. Those heavy upper roots needed to be pruned off. The idea is to get all the roots going radial at the same level. He still has multiple levels of footage.
sweet video! thanks for sharing! just in time for repotting season for me! I'll have to try this out. I'm assuming this technique could be used on other species as well?
I don't wish to be unkind but it seems absurd to go to all that trouble with the board and root placement, and then drop it into a bonsai pot that barely fits. As I understand it, the majority of folks who use this method either place it in a much larger pot -- or better yet -- into the ground for a few seasons. Doing that allows the roots to elongate and thicken much faster. I see no benefit to using that small pot. It won't hurt the tree but it will take so much longer to get results.
Usually, it’s placed into a wooden grow box. The roots will grow straight down once they grow out to the edge of the board. So, the technique is to plant them in a deeper box, and bury them down in the box a little deeper. If he used a board, then all he would have to do next year is pull it up out of the box, trim around the perimeter of the board and replace the soil in the box and go again another year. He’s also wrong about wanting roots to “grow up”. You don’t want that. If you want you can create undulations in the roots by placing chopsticks under some of the roots as they grow away from the trunk. Alternating going over and under the chopsticks can create undulations.
Question. Could you not just have small holes drilled in the wood and use small wire to tie them down? I suppose that would choke them out, but you could use a good stiff wire ran across the bottom of the board the same as your tie down wire then stapled to the bottom of the board holding it in place to create a peg board of sort. Can you see I'm trying to avoid the inevitable bill from the hospital I would surely receive when ever me and hammer get together.
Great video!
So Im 30 seconds in and I've already subbed!
Great job y’all
I think you could have made a mistake here. This tree is clearly from an air layering... there's still a good inch of trunk below the roots. If you chop all this out the roots will be pressed much flatter against the board. You can put sealant on it before you screw it to the board and it'll be just fine. Doing it the way I described will get more pleasing results in a much shorter space of time, and placing the roots is a much simpler process.
Sounds like Brandon has some extra work to do next repot. Thanks for commenting!
I agree. Those heavy upper roots needed to be pruned off. The idea is to get all the roots going radial at the same level. He still has multiple levels of footage.
Thanks for sharing. I will try this with my regular Japanese Maple. I used to use a styrofoam sheet to develop a nebari.
Email mail us pics of the progress! We would love to see it!
sweet video! thanks for sharing! just in time for repotting season for me! I'll have to try this out. I'm assuming this technique could be used on other species as well?
Absolutely
I don't wish to be unkind but it seems absurd to go to all that trouble with the board and root placement, and then drop it into a bonsai pot that barely fits. As I understand it, the majority of folks who use this method either place it in a much larger pot -- or better yet -- into the ground for a few seasons. Doing that allows the roots to elongate and thicken much faster. I see no benefit to using that small pot. It won't hurt the tree but it will take so much longer to get results.
Perhaps he'll put it in a bigger container next year. Thanks for commenting.
Usually, it’s placed into a wooden grow box. The roots will grow straight down once they grow out to the edge of the board. So, the technique is to plant them in a deeper box, and bury them down in the box a little deeper. If he used a board, then all he would have to do next year is pull it up out of the box, trim around the perimeter of the board and replace the soil in the box and go again another year. He’s also wrong about wanting roots to “grow up”. You don’t want that. If you want you can create undulations in the roots by placing chopsticks under some of the roots as they grow away from the trunk. Alternating going over and under the chopsticks can create undulations.
Question. Could you not just have small holes drilled in the wood and use small wire to tie them down? I suppose that would choke them out, but you could use a good stiff wire ran across the bottom of the board the same as your tie down wire then stapled to the bottom of the board holding it in place to create a peg board of sort. Can you see I'm trying to avoid the inevitable bill from the hospital I would surely receive when ever me and hammer get together.
It's expected to be there for over a year. The roots will swell. You'll undoubtedly get wire scars on the roots
Taper? I hardly know her!
Taper? You brought her.