First ever root over rock attempt

[KyBonzai]

Hey Everyone
i posted this around a week ago but it got lost due to the website playing up
Anyway i decided to start a root over rock bonsai
i used a collected port jackson fig seedling and a rock i found in the garden
i secured the tree to the rock with florists tape
now to just wait and see if it works !

The rock

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The seedling

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All wrapped up before being potted up

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Feedback would be helpfull as im still learning
i will post pictures here in about a year when i check whats going on under the soil

[Boics]

G'day Ky.

From what I can see there is actually not going to be a whole lot of root over rock going on..

Reason being is that it's positioned as more a root on the side of a rock...
The roots and start of the root flare is in my opinion a bit too low down the rock.
This should bulk up in time and be held nicely in place with the tape but IMO the tree could have been positioned a fair bit higher up to really get the roots out there!

Check out Shibui's website for some great tips on ROR.

And also look at this thread here viewtopic.php?f=104&t=3510&start=0
I think you'll end up looking a lot more like an Alpineart "cliff dweller" than a ROR!

Keep us posted!

Cheers,

[KyBonzai]

Hey boics
i agree that it will probably end up with just roots on one side of the but oh well can't get it perfect the first time i just want to see if i can get it to stick to the rock haha
i quite like that "cliff Dweller" look after looking at that thread haha kinda like a seed that has germinated in a crevice on the side of the cliff

i'll post pictures of the growth above ground in a few months and a few pics of the roots in a year

[anttal63]

10 points for havin a CRACK !!! Should still be interesting to see where it goes. Now go find one with more roots and cling them to both sides this time !!!

[KyBonzai]

10 points for havin a CRACK !!! Should still be interesting to see where it goes. Now go find one with more roots and cling them to both sides this time !!!

Dont worry ive collected around 6 more rocks and most of them have tons of little nooks and crannies
now to look for more little figs

[KyBonzai]

We have been having some crazy rain lately and this thing is going nuts with aireials! i will try and get some photos up soon

[Jason]

Nice work, this makes me want to give it a shot with my little PJF I have at home.

[KyBonzai]

Just give it a crack denaz! im pretty sure its impossible to kill these haha

[Bougy Fan]

Hi Khan have you seen Len Webers technique for training figs as ROR ? Basically you plant the fig in a tube of sand that sits on a pot of normal mix. The roots grow down through the sand and into the mix. The tube can be quite long and in a year or two you have some very long roots that have grown straight and can be grown over the rock

[KyBonzai]

G'day Tony
i have heard of that technique but can't remember where
i can see the logic in that technique the tube would force the roots to grow straight down and into the pot at the bottom so that when you remove the tube there would be long roots that could easily be wrapped around a rock...yeah ?
may give this a go one day as i love the root over rock style

[KyBonzai]

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[KyBonzai]

So three years later and it turns out the tree didnt really "secure" itself to the rock
Although there are still some roots crawling over the rock and once they thicken up i think they will look quite nice

The Main trunk Got really fat and looks kind of odd from certain views but i dont have to look at from those views so

Time for pics !

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[KIRKY]

Kybonzai, just came across this post. With regards to your first ROR. It is better to use a biodegardable string to tie your roots down. This will allow roots to grow and develop, they will break thru rotting string over time. This will stop trunk thicken more than roots, like what happed to your first tree. Florist tape restricts root develpment, you dont need to use so much. Its not going to escape you only need to use enough to hold roots in place. you will also get thinker roots if you bury them and uncover in 12 months or so later.
Still well done.
Cheers
Kirky

[kcpoole]

shibui uses aluminium foil to wrap the roots and I have tried it too. It works well.

And yes you usually need to bury the roots to make them attach to the rock and thicken.
this being ficus you may be OK to.

Ken

[KIRKY]

Hi Ken, just to clarify. With the Aluminum foil do you create a pocket and place soil in with the roots? Or do to just wrap roots in foil?
Cheers
Kirky