AusBonsai

For those who are interested in root with rock styles I am experimenting with a new covering for these plantings:

http://lennardsbonsaibeginnings.blogspo ... nique.html

Any recommendations and comments can be posted here.

Lennard

Very nice lennard . One tip I read in a john naka book was to glue wire on to the rock using epoxy resin this way it's easy to position all the roots were u want them .

Hi Leonard

Thats an excellent idea, I will be venturing down the same path soon with a large rock I have found and think I will look at the same techique.

Very simple amd makes perfect sense since you could easily slice away the foam evey month or so to expose the roots. I would probably take your secont suggestion and maybe wrap the rock with some type of film so the Paper mache will come of easyier. Did you find it diffucult to get all the mache out of the rock or did you just soak it in hot water? Maybe even use some of that weed matting for garden beds so the mash will adhere to it? Just a thought.

How did you pack the soil behind the foam, did you have enough room at the top to fill it in.

Aother idea (Brainstoirming here ) I had especially if you doing the foam the whole way around is before you put the foam case over the tree on the rock is to slice it into 2-3cm rings. That way you could stack them and slowly fill the soil as you work your way up. You could use tooth pick or something of the like to help hold each ring together, this would also make it easy to slowly re-move sections exposing of the rock? Might get a little fiddly though.

Either way I really like your idea and am definitly going to give it a go

Cheers

Ryan

Paulneill wrote:Very nice lennard . One tip I read in a john naka book was to glue wire on to the rock using epoxy resin this way it's easy to position all the roots were u want them .

I have used superglue and small pieces of denim to keep roots in place, but the rock must be dry then. Thicker roots can also be superglued directly to the rock without any negative effects. I try and cover only the part of the roots that is touching the rock. Roots must be dry otherwise they don't take.

The rock was planted during a demonstration so cable ties was the quickest way.

Lennard

Ryan1979b wrote:
1. Very simple amd makes perfect sense since you could easily slice away the foam evey month or so to expose the roots.

2. I would probably take your secont suggestion and maybe wrap the rock with some type of film so the Paper mache will come of easyier. Did you find it diffucult to get all the mache out of the rock or did you just soak it in hot water? Maybe even use some of that weed matting for garden beds so the mash will adhere to it? Just a thought.

3. How did you pack the soil behind the foam, did you have enough room at the top to fill it in.

Ryan

Thanks for the reply and positive comments.

1. The mould fits the front of the rock perfectly so when you remove the cable ties it comes off easily.

2. The mache will still be wet when the foam is dry so it can be hosed off easily. Because the mache is wet the foam does not cling to it. The plastic wrap will be there to protect the area to the sides of the rock where the paper mache ends. You need the foam to come as close to the rock as possible there otherwise it is not going to fit closely and he medium may run out there. The cable ties do help to pull the mould as close as possible to the rock.

4. The soil is poured in because it was dried out. Tapping the rock and mould lightly help the soil to settle in.

I have two others ready for planting - will update when I am finished with them.

Lennard

Cheers Leonard,

Looks as though you have put a lot of thought into the techniques. I think I will definitly give this a go, although I have to wait a while until my stock reaches a certain health and size. I'll be keen to see the next few you do as well. Enjoy

More or less what I envisage for this planting:
Lennard

The tree is growing very fast in the planting and I am very curious to have a look at the roots:
I will rather wait till end February before opening it.

Lennard

Excellent idea

I had thought of covering the roots with plastic film and applying concrete on it, that's the same kind of idea, but polyurethane foam is a plus

Thanks for the tip Lennard

Alain

An update for those who are following:

http://lennardsbonsaibeginnings.blogspo ... nique.html



Any advice or comments welcome.

Lennard

I take it the fig is a natal fig Lennard ? Is the rock naturally one piece or has it been glued together ? I love the crevices that the roots can grow into

Bougy Fan wrote:I take it the fig is a natal fig Lennard ? Is the rock naturally one piece or has it been glued together ? I love the crevices that the roots can grow into

Yes, it is a Natalensis with reddish stems and dark leaves.

The rock is naturally one piece.

Over time the roots will grab the crevices and look very natural.

Thanks for the reply.

Lennard