Boxwood ROR seeking critique

[bonsai barry]

I dug this buxus out of the ground. It had some interesting roots so I tried to take advantage by planting it as a Root over rock. I was able to separate the roots stick the rock in, tie it down and bury it in the ground again..

In the end I was able to get the tree trunk totally flush with the rock, although I didn't like the angle as well. Guess I'll have to tilt the rock a bit in the final planting. Any suggestions?

 

[Poink88]

I like it. How deep did you plant it?

I wish you planted it in a pot instead of back in the ground though.

 

[Don Blackmond]

I dug this buxus out of the ground. It had some interesting roots so I tried to take advantage by planting it as a Root over rock. I was able to separate the roots stick the rock in, tie it down and bury it in the ground again..

In the end I was able to get the tree trunk totally flush with the rock, although I didn't like the angle as well. Guess I'll have to tilt the rock a bit in the final planting. Any suggestions?

boxwood are not the best candidates for ror plantings. they do well planted in rock cavities etc but they grow slowly and the roots don't form as well as some other species. their roots are better suited for clinging than melting. i'd bind the roots tightly to the rock, plant it in the ground and feed it heavily for a few years, then dig it up and remove unwanted roots, and see what you have.

 

[bonsai barry]

I like it. How deep did you plant it?

I wish you planted it in a pot instead of back in the ground though.

It is in the ground with a bit of the trunk and all leaves above ground.
Why do you think a pot is a better choice than the ground?

 

[bonsai barry]

boxwood are not the best candidates for ror plantings. they do well planted in rock cavities etc but they grow slowly and the roots don't form as well as some other species. their roots are better suited for clinging than melting. i'd bind the roots tightly to the rock, plant it in the ground and feed it heavily for a few years, then dig it up and remove unwanted roots, and see what you have.

I agree that it is not normally used. The large amounts of fine feeder roots found on most buxus aren't attractive. I didn't intend to make it a rock planting but the roots were unusual enough that I thought that I would give it a try.

 

[Poink88]

It is in the ground with a bit of the trunk and all leaves above ground.
Why do you think a pot is a better choice than the ground?

Easier to slowly lower the ground level, exposing the root as you go. Planted in ground, most of the fine roots will grow at the top few inches of the ground...not something you want when doing ROR. You want main roots to thicken and have the fine roots low.

FYI, some people doing ROR actually plant them on pots then use heavy plastic bag (as sleeve) for the top then slowly roll it down over time removing some soil and fine roots leaving only the big main roots.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

I'm with Don on this. Hopefully you can get some heavy roots to grow in the ground. Ideally, you wrapped everything tightly before planting so the only way the roots can grow is down. I do like the composition and how it's seated on the stone. It reminds me a little of my first bonsai book, by Sunset, that had a ROR spruce similarly placed.

 

[Don Blackmond]

Easier to slowly lower the ground level, exposing the root as you go. Planted in ground, most of the fine roots will grow at the top few inches of the ground...not something you want when doing ROR. You want main roots to thicken and have the fine roots low.

FYI, some people doing ROR actually plant them on pots then use heavy plastic bag (as sleeve) for the top then slowly roll it down over time removing some soil and fine roots leaving only the big main roots.

with a maple or the like, I'd agree with you. but, in this instance, I think its better to put it in the ground. its going to take a lot to get the roots fused to the rock, and i think its better to put it in the ground for maximum growth. it might take 7 years in the ground, whereas it might be 15-20 in a pot. because of that, i'd put it in the ground for a long while, then dig it, and if ready, plant in a pot, and only then start the process of lowering soil level and exposing its privates.

 

[discusmike]

Is it growing on black lava rock?

 

[bonsai barry]

Is it growing on black lava rock?

I would call it red lava rock. I'm hoping it is strong enough.

 

[edprocoat]

Barry, I had a Juniper I planted on red lava rock 14 inch tall, tapering from 8 inch at the top to 14 inches at the middle to a flat 5 inch base. I had covered the lava rock with soil/peat muck, draped the roots over the rock. I wrapped it tight with with jute twine, covered it with burlap, my plan to let it grow and cling to the rock like in a root on rock piece. I left it alone for two years watching the Juniper grow, dreaming of the roots welded to the craggy porous rock. When I unwrapped it the roots had grown away from the rock and into the muck and burlap, only the top of the piece was open an inch around the base of the trunk. I replanted the Juniper as a Tanuki which I still have and its thriving. Later I thought about it and it dawned on me the roots had air pruned themselves like an anderson flat or a mesh sided grow pot. To verify this I soaked the large chunk of lava rock in water overnight and the next day hit it with an air hose, it was amazing how the air bubbled water from nearly the top of the piece to the bottom. Wherever I hit the air hose on the top where it was open, air would blow through the passages in the piece and come out from the top to the bottom bubbling water out in the process. My conclusion, it worked like an air pruning pot, the air through the pores repelled the roots causing die back and they grew away from it.

ed

 

[bonsai barry]

Barry, I had a Juniper I planted on red lava rock 14 inch tall, tapering from 8 inch at the top to 14 inches at the middle to a flat 5 inch base. I had covered the lava rock with soil/peat muck, draped the roots over the rock. I wrapped it tight with with jute twine, covered it with burlap, my plan to let it grow and cling to the rock like in a root on rock piece. I left it alone for two years watching the Juniper grow, dreaming of the roots welded to the craggy porous rock. When I unwrapped it the roots had grown away from the rock and into the muck and burlap, only the top of the piece was open an inch around the base of the trunk. I replanted the Juniper as a Tanuki which I still have and its thriving. Later I thought about it and it dawned on me the roots had air pruned themselves like an anderson flat or a mesh sided grow pot. To verify this I soaked the large chunk of lava rock in water overnight and the next day hit it with an air hose, it was amazing how the air bubbled water from nearly the top of the piece to the bottom. Wherever I hit the air hose on the top where it was open, air would blow through the passages in the piece and come out from the top to the bottom bubbling water out in the process. My conclusion, it worked like an air pruning pot, the air through the pores repelled the roots causing die back and they grew away from it.

ed

That could very well happen with boxwood since their roots tend to grow in that manner naturally. We'll see.