Boreal Forrest Idea

[Wulfskaar]

You are looking in the wrong places. I have geodes, crystal clusters, holey limestone, lots of jasper, hunks of kyanite, riolite, petrified wood, quartzite, blue quartz, gniess, unakite and much more all found in Virginia.

Cool. I've got a decent collection myself! This makes me wonder if any of them might look cool with bonsai?

 

[Shogun610]

I’m

View attachment 397537 Rabbit hole entrance...

stealing this

 

[Forsoothe!]

You win.

 

[ShadyStump]

You are looking in the wrong places. I have geodes, crystal clusters, holey limestone, lots of jasper, hunks of kyanite, riolite, petrified wood, quartzite, blue quartz, gniess, unakite and much more all found in Virginia.

Darn right I was. To be fair, we lived in Suffolk; half swamp and the half split between cotton and peanuts. At least what wasn't paved.

 

[penumbra]

Darn right I was. To be fair, we lived in Suffolk; half swamp and the half split between cotton and peanuts. At least what wasn't paved.

That part of the state is rock poor but there are conglomerates of shells and parts of the coast that look like holey limestone.

 

[Shogun610]

After much contemplation, I’m going to use American Hornbeam instead of American Beech. I have about 9 A hornbeam to use on the upper portion with maples , and birch / alder at the flood zone area. The American Beech I’ll use for their own projects…. I have some ideas.. just don’t want them to die on me one day in case Beech leaf disease spreads into my county.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

Have you ever worked with Swamp Azaelea (rhododendron viscosum) are these difficult to dwarf of keep small? Is that why you suggested the latter azaelea? Would like to incorporate this too bordering the big plants and the source/ larch ( one in the foreground other in the back ground so you can see between the larch / spruce clumps). Im reeeeally going into a deep rabbit hole trying to fill in understory /accents now. This bog forest idea is a burden I just compete (but the right way)

I tried Rhododendron viscosum before I fully got my head around azalea and blueberries. R. viscosum does not tolerate my municipal water in combination with a Turface and pumice potting media. It crapped out by the end of my second summer. Probably to alkaline a reaction from the combination of my medium hard water and the Turface & pumice potting mix. If I were to do it again I would use either 100% kanuma, or my blueberry mix, fir bark & sifted Canadian peat, with no more than 50% pumice or other mineral component. Zero Turface. The fir bark and peat blend becomes quite acidic as it ages and will compensate for my 225 ppm as calcium carbonate municipal water.

The leaves of R viscosum are about 2 inches, and don't reduce a lot. That is likely why Arthur Joura substituted R. kiusianum for R. viscosum in the planting, better sense of scale. Similar issue with Kalmia, the leaves are small enough for 2 to 4 foot tall bonsai, but when trying to work it into a forest planting if it is to represent an understory tree, the leaves need to be smaller.

So the substitutions are really for sense of proportions. If one were to actually use sugar maple and hemlock, the forest planting might have to be 4 to 6 feet tall, because leaf petioles and leaf reduction of sugar maple is simply not very good. Leaf petioles pretty much stay the same length. WIth Acer rubrum you end up with small leaves at the ends of long, normal size leaf petioles. It looks weird, like flags stuck out all over. Got to "go big" to get past these problems.

 

[Shogun610]

I tried Rhododendron viscosum before I fully got my head around azalea and blueberries. R. viscosum does not tolerate my municipal water in combination with a Turface and pumice potting media. It crapped out by the end of my second summer. Probably to alkaline a reaction from the combination of my medium hard water and the Turface & pumice potting mix. If I were to do it again I would use either 100% kanuma, or my blueberry mix, fir bark & sifted Canadian peat, with no more than 50% pumice or other mineral component. Zero Turface. The fir bark and peat blend becomes quite acidic as it ages and will compensate for my 225 ppm as calcium carbonate municipal water.

The leaves of R viscosum are about 2 inches, and don't reduce a lot. That is likely why Arthur Joura substituted R. kiusianum for R. viscosum in the planting, better sense of scale. Similar issue with Kalmia, the leaves are small enough for 2 to 4 foot tall bonsai, but when trying to work it into a forest planting if it is to represent an understory tree, the leaves need to be smaller.

So the substitutions are really for sense of proportions. If one were to actually use sugar maple and hemlock, the forest planting might have to be 4 to 6 feet tall, because leaf petioles and leaf reduction of sugar maple is simply not very good. Leaf petioles pretty much stay the same length. WIth Acer rubrum you end up with small leaves at the ends of long, normal size leaf petioles. It looks weird, like flags stuck out all over. Got to "go big" to get past these problems.

Interesting, thank you for your detail oriented response per usual. Since I switched to hornbeam from American Beech , my only problem is the Ace rubrum , but I can’t replace those so I’ll keep that. The yellow birch reduces and has small leaves too… leaving the white spruce and larch close to the bog section( that will be closed off w it’s own peat and pumice mix with no drainage.

But yes I’d say understory is my next venture toward this , I have dwarf grasses and sundew plants for the bog … sedum and rock ferns for the lace / pumice rock, moss and livewort …

but yeah I like to find a few small woody shrubs propagate to fill some negative space that will exist. I need some what of a buffer switching to the conifers and the yellow birch flood zone so to speak.

 

[Shogun610]

White spruce have been wired … just primary branches … nothing crazy… will have to shorten but this opens up the pads for some development in the interiors.. I would absolutely love to find a taller focal white spruce or larch… if anyone has leads pm me. If I find a white spruce spruce or larch collecting in spring I’d be using them on their own.

 

[Shogun610]

The replacement rock the seller sent me is much better than the one I bought before it broke.. wtf.
these will be useful along with other slabs I may be able to source.

 

[Javaman4373]

I have been experimenting with Rhododendron viscosum and have several that I have collected. I find that a young one has leaves up to about 1.5 inches and a large one that budded from chopped trunks produced leaves of 3 inches or a bit more. These leaves on the new branches are not typical of what you see on the mature plants in the swamp. I collected these in the spring and I am anxious to see if next year they blossom.

 

[Shogun610]

Drilled the lace rocks today! Gotta make a few more when I get another bit, it didn’t last long. Just need a few more holes hesitant about going bigger but might have to on a couple … it’s a tough rock .. but it’s going to be positioned up so where drainage is needed , there is plenty. Got wood for the wooden forest planting. Will be assembling today or this week.. nothing like drillin rock and watching the Steelers from the window. Last pic is the angle for the big rock.

 

[Shogun610]

Watered the drill w hose too to keep cool.

 

[Colorado]

Looking good, what kind of drill bit is that and where did you get it? Had my eye on some lace rocks at the pet store when I was picking up some food for the pups and was thinking of tying/epoxying a few pieces together…

 

[Shogun610]

Looking good, what kind of drill bit is that and where did you get it? Had my eye on some lace rocks at the pet store when I was picking up some food for the pups and was thinking of tying/epoxying a few pieces together…

Yeah I will be epoxying a smaller piece to the big rock and to wood blocks to hold it in position then drill the wood feet to container.. that way when it’s transited to a real ceramic container it won’t scratch or chip it…That is a Bosch concrete, marble , brick drill bit. Where I made the mistake is letting it get too hot so when I drill more this week. The rock will be extending out of the container , it’s 34” in length x 18x width and 3” deep.

 

[Shogun610]

Drilled some more holes in smaller rock, it’s a Milwaukee concrete drill bit. Forget the size of the but but it’s alittle wider than what I was first using and more durable. There was some pieces broken off but a gorilla glue and baking soda mix was a good choice , 24 hr cure and it’s immovable. Next is to fit smaller stone to the big rock or find another use for them. Still need to anchor the stone at the desired angle pictured here as well.. maybe with the holes I drilled use chop sticks as pegs to fit smaller stone on. Still got to build the wood vessel as pieces I got are still not durable enough. Materials are all nestled in together although I just confess I want a principle larch or spruce to cap it off. The hornbeam, red maple are all here, same with the yellow birch and alder. Still gotta get muck-o to clamp the edges of roots down on the rock , but there’s good drainage with the placement of the holes drillled. Normally I’d savor the winter and holiday season around friends and family , but god I can’t wait till spring to get started. Moss is all lined up at the native nursery they are setting aside 3 trays for me, along w sedum, rock ferns and liverwort. Eat your heart out Nigel.

 

[ShadyStump]

Eat your heart out Nigel.

Yeah, but that Mars one he did was really pinging my nerdy side.

 

[Kanorin]

Cool rock! Don't forget some tie-down wires. Superglue works well for those.

Is the plan to plant one of each species? I'd love to see some kind of virtual since we have too much time left until spring anyway.

 

[Shogun610]

Cool rock! Don't forget some tie-down wires. Superglue works well for those.

Is the plan to plant one of each species? I'd love to see some kind of virtual since we have too much time left until spring anyway.

The tie down wires are going to be set in place soon. Superglue and baking soda cakes on well. The plan is to have hornbeam and red maple on the rock.w some muck on exterior roots.. red maple and hornbeam on container level for heigh difference . then yellow birch and the alder I the run off area w higher water .. separated by muck w different substrate for wire spruce and larch. Don’t have enough time for a virtual

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

You know, you probably do not need to use multiple different potting media. Just use a pumice, akadama blend for the entire planting. You will be watering frequently enough that "special mixes" for those that want more water won't be necessary. All the tree species you mentioned will thrive in a Pumice-Akadama mix. No need to over complicate the potting media.