Root Over Rock
How can I grow a root over rock style bonsai with my ficus benjamina? Do I have to grow aerial roots first? or are they two seperate things? I looked at one website, and this guy shared his teechnique on growing root over rock, and his process was to take the bonsai out of the pot, and tape the roots to the rock until the two have bonded. then he re-planted the bonsai in a shallower pot. The whole process took about two years. Is there an easier way to do this? Does anyone have any advice or links to root over rock/aerial roots, because it seems like a very attractive style, and I have been reading online that my ficus is a very good species to do this with.
From my experience Ficus are easier bonsai to work with. Ive enjoyed more success with them than anything. Even Juniper...go figure hehe.
But it depends on the particular tree. I have a ficus that would be ideal to do Root over rock with. It already has some great arial roots and ive been gradually bringing it up with each repot. I don't think its a quick process but in fact most of the joy of bonsai are results over the long term.
But it depends on the particular tree. I have a ficus that would be ideal to do Root over rock with. It already has some great arial roots and ive been gradually bringing it up with each repot. I don't think its a quick process but in fact most of the joy of bonsai are results over the long term.
Joe,
Depending on the rock that you want to use, you may need an even deeper pot, not a shallower one. Also, I wouldn't really suggest tape. Just pick out your rock, get a pot that will allow the rock to be under the ficus and the ficus to be covered by as much soil as it normally would, and let it grow like that for a while, with the rock under the soil and the ficus directly on top of it. Then you can slowly start to raise it up out of the soil or transfer it to shallower pots. Just be very careful not to do it too quickly or it will dry out and kill the newer, tender roots and probably the whole ficus.
Ficus look great as root over rock, but be prepared for a long term commitment before it looks the way you want it.
fem
Depending on the rock that you want to use, you may need an even deeper pot, not a shallower one. Also, I wouldn't really suggest tape. Just pick out your rock, get a pot that will allow the rock to be under the ficus and the ficus to be covered by as much soil as it normally would, and let it grow like that for a while, with the rock under the soil and the ficus directly on top of it. Then you can slowly start to raise it up out of the soil or transfer it to shallower pots. Just be very careful not to do it too quickly or it will dry out and kill the newer, tender roots and probably the whole ficus.
Ficus look great as root over rock, but be prepared for a long term commitment before it looks the way you want it.
fem
No, It takes time.JoeLewko wrote: The whole process took about two years. Is there an easier way to do this?.
Here are some crappy old pics of some crappy little [Really undeveloped
] trees. All from Serrissa cuttings. Alltogether I think my total investment in all of this was maybe $15 and that was all for the pots.
ROR I
[url]https://s7.photobucket.com/albums/y291/novusordo1/Serrissa/Root%20over%20Rock/[/url]This page is all pics of the same tree.
ROR II
[url]https://s7.photobucket.com/albums/y291/novusordo1/Serrissa/Root%20over%20Rock%20Yes%20Another%20One/[/url]
Another [underdevelod] one, Kind of a photo process type thing. From last year [It is still going in the same pot.]
ROR III
[url]https://s7.photobucket.com/albums/y291/novusordo1/Serrissa/RORIII/[/url]
This one I had going in the blue pot you see it in for a while until I found a nice rock...
It looks very different now as I have split the trunk into two plantings on the rock. I might grab a pic of it I have posted elsewhere.
Last edited by ynot on Wed Sep 20, 2006 2:42 pm, edited 1 time in total.
OK, Try it now
Please keep in mind I am well aware of the fact I should have developed the top more on the first one prior to stuffing him in a small pot.
Impatience, It gets the best of all of us at times
They were just sort of fooling around 'Lets see what we get here' type projects.
The third one now looks radically different in fact.
Please keep in mind I am well aware of the fact I should have developed the top more on the first one prior to stuffing him in a small pot.
Impatience, It gets the best of all of us at times
They were just sort of fooling around 'Lets see what we get here' type projects.
The third one now looks radically different in fact.
Last edited by ynot on Fri Oct 27, 2006 9:42 am, edited 1 time in total.
OK,
Try here,
https://s7.photobucket.com/albums/y291/novusordo1/Serrissa/RORIII/
Click the slide show and it will walk you through the process [From August 2005]
For size Re: the saucer in the 3rd or 4th pic is 8" iin diameter. The blue pot at the end of the slide show is the pot I had this serrissa wasting some time in before it made it to the rock.
These are from one year later- A notable difference, I am somewhat satisfied with the branching but I need to adjust their angles wrt each other. I am lettiing that sprout on the left there just G_R_O_W [It is over 2' at the moment] to thicken the base of that tree. [It will then be cut off and rooted]
The final three pictures are as of July of this year. Current height off the rock 4.5"{sorry about the size??}
The first picture is of the roots spreading over the rock [I didn't brush too much soil away but you get the idea. ]Note the size of the soil particles by the way, AND the root growth it has inspired in one year.
A picture of the soil and roots.
[url=https://img135.imageshack.us/my.php?image=7462rockplantingposssibillitiespleasehelpserrissaror7hd0.jpg][img]https://img135.imageshack.us/img135/6280/7462rockplantingposssibillitiespleasehelpserrissaror7hd0.th.jpg[/img][/url]
I had two trunks [Sadly in profile in this picture] connected by a root which was not satisfactory. [url=https://img227.imageshack.us/my.php?image=4541rockplantingposssibillitiespleasehelp3rorprocess1hf1.jpg][img]https://img227.imageshack.us/img227/9346/4541rockplantingposssibillitiespleasehelp3rorprocess1hf1.th.jpg[/img][/url]
So I divided them and moved one around to the other side of the rock. This is how they looked as I let them grow unrestrained to thicken the branches [Picture from Jan-06][url=https://img227.imageshack.us/my.php?image=4539rockplantingposssibillitiespleasehelpserrissaupdanm7.jpg][img]https://img227.imageshack.us/img227/5639/4539rockplantingposssibillitiespleasehelpserrissaupdanm7.th.jpg[/img][/url]
shot of the trees [They need a trim here to tighten up their foliage.]
[url=https://img100.imageshack.us/my.php?image=7461rockplantingposssibillitiespleasehelpserrissaror7kr9.jpg][img]https://img100.imageshack.us/img100/8431/7461rockplantingposssibillitiespleasehelpserrissaror7kr9.th.jpg[/img][/url]
Full width pot shot :Pot=14.5"l x10.5"w x5"d O/D. Yes the chopstick lives in the pot also, Though I usually just heft the pot to check it's weight.
[url=https://img148.imageshack.us/my.php?image=7460rockplantingposssibillitiespleasehelpserrissaror7kz1.jpg][img]https://img148.imageshack.us/img148/750/7460rockplantingposssibillitiespleasehelpserrissaror7kz1.th.jpg[/img][/url]
Try here,
https://s7.photobucket.com/albums/y291/novusordo1/Serrissa/RORIII/
Click the slide show and it will walk you through the process [From August 2005]
For size Re: the saucer in the 3rd or 4th pic is 8" iin diameter. The blue pot at the end of the slide show is the pot I had this serrissa wasting some time in before it made it to the rock.
These are from one year later- A notable difference, I am somewhat satisfied with the branching but I need to adjust their angles wrt each other. I am lettiing that sprout on the left there just G_R_O_W [It is over 2' at the moment] to thicken the base of that tree. [It will then be cut off and rooted]
The final three pictures are as of July of this year. Current height off the rock 4.5"{sorry about the size??}
The first picture is of the roots spreading over the rock [I didn't brush too much soil away but you get the idea. ]Note the size of the soil particles by the way, AND the root growth it has inspired in one year.
A picture of the soil and roots.
[url=https://img135.imageshack.us/my.php?image=7462rockplantingposssibillitiespleasehelpserrissaror7hd0.jpg][img]https://img135.imageshack.us/img135/6280/7462rockplantingposssibillitiespleasehelpserrissaror7hd0.th.jpg[/img][/url]
I had two trunks [Sadly in profile in this picture] connected by a root which was not satisfactory. [url=https://img227.imageshack.us/my.php?image=4541rockplantingposssibillitiespleasehelp3rorprocess1hf1.jpg][img]https://img227.imageshack.us/img227/9346/4541rockplantingposssibillitiespleasehelp3rorprocess1hf1.th.jpg[/img][/url]
So I divided them and moved one around to the other side of the rock. This is how they looked as I let them grow unrestrained to thicken the branches [Picture from Jan-06][url=https://img227.imageshack.us/my.php?image=4539rockplantingposssibillitiespleasehelpserrissaupdanm7.jpg][img]https://img227.imageshack.us/img227/5639/4539rockplantingposssibillitiespleasehelpserrissaupdanm7.th.jpg[/img][/url]
shot of the trees [They need a trim here to tighten up their foliage.]
[url=https://img100.imageshack.us/my.php?image=7461rockplantingposssibillitiespleasehelpserrissaror7kr9.jpg][img]https://img100.imageshack.us/img100/8431/7461rockplantingposssibillitiespleasehelpserrissaror7kr9.th.jpg[/img][/url]
Full width pot shot :Pot=14.5"l x10.5"w x5"d O/D. Yes the chopstick lives in the pot also, Though I usually just heft the pot to check it's weight.
[url=https://img148.imageshack.us/my.php?image=7460rockplantingposssibillitiespleasehelpserrissaror7kz1.jpg][img]https://img148.imageshack.us/img148/750/7460rockplantingposssibillitiespleasehelpserrissaror7kz1.th.jpg[/img][/url]