how to go about creating a raft style

[Naimul]

So this season i have managed to strike quite a few ficus cuttings and i thought i might give the old raft style a go, seeing as though a few of the cuttings i have a fairly thin, long and flexible. I have had a bit of a poke around but i couldnt really find a "definitive" guide as how to best go about making one. I found a video on youtube that briefly shows someone laying a young sapling flat into a new pot to get an idea of the shape, then cutting off all the cambium on the side that would be in direct contact with the soil (essentially creating a flat surface) and then burying it in the soil mix. i imagine this would create a long, linear root ball. Is this ideal?

[Boics]

Depends on what you are after.

You can also cut out "windows" in places that you might wish to promote roots.
This means that you don't have to bury the whole tree under the soil.
I think raft styles look great when there are gaps as well..

Ie this: http://bonsaibark.com/2012/05/16/restyl ... ts/raft-3/

There is some great discussion on this in a Peter Adams Bonsai book "the art of Bonsai"........... if I'm not mistaken.

[alpineart]

Hi Naimul , there are several methods to try .

1/ take a sliver of bark along the underside of the trunk as you suggested .

2/ cut windows/blocks or section out of the underside of the trunk to be buried as biocs has stated

3/ bury a trunk complete after removing the leaves/branches from the underside and burying the trunk .

4/ cutting flap slices into the underside of the trunk where branches or leaves were removed and inserting small pebbles to hold the slices apart then burying the trunk .

I have done all 4 of the above and most work on material from figs to cedars and junipers . No 2 works well on junipers , No 3 works well on Tridents , No 4 works well on most species if you slice from the base upwards .

For me I have never had great success slicing all the way up a trunk however i do bury the entire length of the trunk used , retaining the original root mass , the apex and side branches wired up for future tree's .

Best of luck .

Cheers Alpineart

[Naimul]

Thanks for the information, the image linked by Boics is pretty much the style i was going for. ill try make a little progression thread about this when i get a chance