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How does kimura use the roots as the apex?
Posted: August 21st, 2013, 8:44 pm
by Paulneill
I just watched episode 10 of bonsai farm tv.
It's the one with kimura and Ryan Neill.
Kimura points to a trees jined apex and explaned that this was the roots and the base was the top.
He then said nowadays everyone knows how to do this.
I was wondering does anyone know how this is done?
I can only guess that he split the trunk or something.
It an awesome episode.
Re: How does kimura use the roots as the apex?
Posted: August 21st, 2013, 8:51 pm
by MoGanic
I am only guessing, but would assume root grafts at the old apex then simply flipping it upside down when the grafts have taken.
-Mo
Re: How does kimura use the roots as the apex?
Posted: August 21st, 2013, 8:54 pm
by shibui
There are several possible ways but it being Kimura it is likely he split the trunk and bent the live part with roots down so it is in the pot. In the article I saw the live part was coiled up in a bundle to get it into the pot.
Other possibilities are layering new roots or grafting some on at the desired place on the trunk but both would take a year or more before the change could be made.
Re: How does kimura use the roots as the apex?
Posted: August 21st, 2013, 9:06 pm
by Olivecrazy
its in my bonsai book i have but cant find it right now
Re: How does kimura use the roots as the apex?
Posted: August 21st, 2013, 9:08 pm
by Damian79
can you post a link
Re: How does kimura use the roots as the apex?
Posted: August 21st, 2013, 9:20 pm
by Davehsydney
It's in his book "the magician" it was done because the tree when it came into his possession was very weak and dying (in it's original planting position). After examining the existing root system at the time, he discovered it had virtually no roots and he only had one chance of having the tree survive. That was to turn the tree upsidedown, and using the small amount of live foliage he scraped away some of cambium and buried it in the soil. After a few days it started to develop a new root system. The rest is history as they say. A lot of the exact details are missing or not exactly clear, but that's the basic story.
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Re: How does kimura use the roots as the apex?
Posted: August 21st, 2013, 9:26 pm
by Olivecrazy
Davehsydney wrote:It's in his book "the magician" it was done because the tree when it came into his possession was very weak and dying (in it's original planting position). After examining the existing root system at the time, he discovered it had virtually no roots and he only had one chance of having the tree survive. That was to turn the tree upsidedown, and using the small amount of live foliage he scraped away some of cambium and buried it in the soil. After a few days it started to develop a new root system. The rest is history as they say. A lot of the exact details are missing or not exactly clear, but that's the basic story.
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yeah thats the one

Re: How does kimura use the roots as the apex?
Posted: August 22nd, 2013, 12:28 am
by Paulneill
I can't post a link Damian. U tube , episode 10 bonsai farm
So you are saying he scrapped the cambium near the folage and planted the foliage under the soil
That would mean the flow of everything is reversed which I thought wasn't possable.
There mush be more to it. I'm confused.
Thanks for the replys.
Re: How does kimura use the roots as the apex?
Posted: August 22nd, 2013, 8:10 am
by Newbie.mia
Some trees just seem to have the ability to do this, my mother had a tree stump in her front yard that she dug up and replanted roots up in the air as a feature at her gate within 12 months the tree had sprouted branches out of the root system and started growing again. This was not my mothers intention and she did nothing to help it along. I never found out what species it was though.
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Re: How does kimura use the roots as the apex?
Posted: August 22nd, 2013, 8:19 am
by Damian79
Is it on season 1 or 2

Re: How does kimura use the roots as the apex?
Posted: August 22nd, 2013, 9:06 am
by Ninegrain
Paulneill wrote:I can't post a link Damian. U tube , episode 10 bonsai farm
So you are saying he scrapped the cambium near the folage and planted the foliage under the soil
That would mean the flow of everything is reversed which I thought wasn't possable.
There mush be more to it. I'm confused.
Thanks for the replys.
Without watching the video, to me it sounds like he just treated it like a cutting, disregarded the existing (but failed) roots or did it as one would do to create a raft. HTH
Re: How does kimura use the roots as the apex?
Posted: August 22nd, 2013, 12:17 pm
by MoGanic
Paulneill wrote:I can't post a link Damian. U tube , episode 10 bonsai farm
So you are saying he scrapped the cambium near the folage and planted the foliage under the soil
That would mean the flow of everything is reversed which I thought wasn't possable.
There mush be more to it. I'm confused.
Thanks for the replys.
The flow you refer to is, I assume, the direction of sap flow vs carb flow through the cambium?
If so, I have always understood this to be dependant on the location of foliage and location of roots.
Using existing branches as "cuttings" and burying them in the soil would cause the roots to sprout - hence causing a new flow to be created. The old flow from the now exposed roots would stop as the roots die off, in fact anything above the foliage line would die. Then over time energy from the current foliage mass would be redirected to the new root system.
I'm sure Kimura is insane.
Re: How does kimura use the roots as the apex?
Posted: August 22nd, 2013, 1:13 pm
by Paulneill
My bad is episode 4
Yes I was referring to the direction of sap flow and what ever else flows.
When you take a hard wood cutting you need to remember which end is the top
Or the cutting has no chance. Or so I think.
Re: How does kimura use the roots as the apex?
Posted: August 22nd, 2013, 1:16 pm
by Paulneill
Re: How does kimura use the roots as the apex?
Posted: August 22nd, 2013, 3:40 pm
by Andrew F
"So I reversed the sky and the earth."
He is god as far as I'm concerned.