Ground layer with concrete

[szelelaci]

In 2021 I took some of my one year old chinese elm saplings I grew from seed and gorund layered them using yoghurt plastic lids and concrete. Lids were used to hold the concrete until hardening. Made the concrete conical, because I dont like totally flat nebaris. Stuffed sphagnum around the trunk, and let it grow for a year. Unfortunatley could not find any photos from the beginning, but the one from 2022 shows how they looked after one growing season. The one on the first photo (plus few others too) were planted into the ground. The rest was left in the containers. One of them in the containers has started to break bud, so took the oppurtunity to repot it. Loads of roots formed above the concrete collar. pruned the ones on top of eachother and weakend the too heavy ones then planted it back into zeolite+pond basket. I love zeolite, it produces fine fibrous roots, keeps water well while well areated. Plus as a bonus: you can reuse it as many times as you want. Only downside that it is too heavy.
It might have been better to repot them after the first year. This one was a bit out of control, but I think it will turn out great. I have a few more in containers. After seeing this one I definetely have to repot them this spring too.

 

[BobbyLane]

Thats a nice start on the roots

 

[michaelj]

...Loads of roots formed above the concrete collar. pruned the ones on top of eachother and weakend the too heavy ones then planted it back into zeolite+pond basket....

I don't think I've ever seen this technique before. It looks like you did nothing to the trunk above the concrete. No scoring or anything, is that right? You just applied the moss to intact trunk and let the roots come out like any ordinary ground layer?
Did you cut off and discard the lower roots and whatever trunk was left above them or did you keep that as well and grow it out like a root cutting?

 

[szelelaci]

I don't think I've ever seen this technique before. It looks like you did nothing to the trunk above the concrete. No scoring or anything, is that right? You just applied the moss to intact trunk and let the roots come out like any ordinary ground layer?
Did you cut off and discard the lower roots and whatever trunk was left above them or did you keep that as well and grow it out like a root cutting?

Actually I made a hybrid of three layering methods:
1. the tourniquett - choking the plant with wire resulting in new roots above the wire
2. the threading the plant trough a board and wait until it thickens and chokes the plant (new roots above board)
3. and my favorite: the radial layer by @sorce (https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/radialayer™-a-season-saver.17046/)
Right, I did nothing to the trunk, just put concrete tightly around it.
Discarded the lower parts of the roots. They were a mess.