sandman
Cool Member
Posts: 60
Joined: Thu Feb 15, 2007 8:17 pm
Location: hilmar california

a few question about rooting hormones and penjing rocks

what kind of rooting hormone seems to work the best ?
and were can I find some rocks suitable for penjing ?
and what type of rock is prefered ? would lava rock be ok or should I go to a landscape place and see what they have to offer ? what about petrified wood ?
thanks again for helpin out a newbie
jacob

ynot
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Posts: 1219
Joined: Tue Sep 19, 2006 8:49 am
Location: USDA Z:5a Sunset Z. 41 IL

sandman wrote:what kind of rooting hormone seems to work the best ?
Jacpb,

I hear good things about [url=https://www.hormex.net/news.php]Hormex [Use the 8 or 16][/url] though I have never used it, I just use the everyday stuff you can get from any 'Low-depo-mart store' Works fine for me. [ I don't even usually use it for Ficus.]
sandman wrote: and were can I find some rocks suitable for penjing ?
and what type of rock is prefered ? would lava rock be ok or should I go to a landscape place and see what they have to offer ? what about petrified wood ?
Good question, I am glad you brought it up actually.
I have been dying to post some Penjing links in the gallery and now I have an excuse...;) :lol:

Often they are found. The type you use is dependent on what is natural to the landscape of the scene your doing. {IE: Shumu, Shanshui, or Shuihan - That's the Tree, Landscape, And Water & Land forms of Penjing respectively.}
If lava rock fits within that for your aims, Certainly.

You could try a landscape place but most of those places are striving for consistency throughout their rock offerings [Hey, It is what most people want.] and this strikes me as a bit incongruous with what you would be seeking in Penjing.

Petrified wood is an interesting idea although I wonder if the grain [If showing] wouldn't be a distraction and possibly ruin the scale as well.

I am going to post a couple links to some of my favorite Penjing sites in the gallery tonight. :D

Tell us more about your plans please.

ynot
Last edited by ynot on Sat Feb 24, 2007 2:15 am, edited 1 time in total.

sandman
Cool Member
Posts: 60
Joined: Thu Feb 15, 2007 8:17 pm
Location: hilmar california

don't really have any plans yet but I just took a bunch of ficus cuttings and was gonna do some research before I was sold on anything. although I would like to do something with land and water or maybe an island but nothing is in plan form yet
thanks again for all your help
jacob

sandman
Cool Member
Posts: 60
Joined: Thu Feb 15, 2007 8:17 pm
Location: hilmar california

I also have a ton of weeping willow cutting I was gonna mess around with just because I have them

ynot
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Posts: 1219
Joined: Tue Sep 19, 2006 8:49 am
Location: USDA Z:5a Sunset Z. 41 IL

sandman wrote:I also have a ton of weeping willow cutting I was gonna mess around with just because I have them
:lol:
Those root very very easily! Even in just plain water. :) [And you cannot drown them. ;)]

They are difficult to use for bonsai though as they grow roots like crazy and push right out of the pot

Google 'willow water' and you may find something useful for your willow cuttings that will help your ficus cuttings though. Not that ficus need much help really.

ynot

sandman
Cool Member
Posts: 60
Joined: Thu Feb 15, 2007 8:17 pm
Location: hilmar california

I have already rooted all of the willows except one that has been in water for about two months now that is just starting to root but it is alot larger than all the others around 4-5 inchs thick or so. I will take a pic of it tomarrow. I plan on hollowing the trunk of it because a few years ago I had pruned it while it was still on the tree at about 4 inchs high then let it grow for another year then checked it this winter and it was looking pretty neat so I figured I would try to make like a willow grove possibly in a swamp type setting (with the roots running into the water plus it would make it a little easier to rootprune without having to dig it up twice a year) with it being the center piece with a few smaller willows surrounding the water feature. and maybe even a couple differ type of trees that can be grown in the same swampy enviroment.
maybe not a good idea and not very traditional but I think it would look pretty cool.
again thanks for all the help
jacob



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