WavyGaby
Shohin
For sure! I wasted a few years on the base. I planned on doing the work in 2020 but I moved and didn't get settled or get my trees back from my friends property until mid 2021.
What to do with this Japanese Maple base
- Thread starter WavyGaby
- Start date
queenofsheba52
Chumono
We do the best we can when real life interferes with our bonsai plans.
WavyGaby
Shohin
This one was pretty tight in the pot and i felt I should do some more nebaro work. I repotted and did some trimming of roots. I considered putting it into a wider oval but it was shallower so I kept the same pot.
I forgot to get before pics. Here it is after repot. Pretty much the same, just a little lower in the pot to give the roots more chance to develop.
I also have a question about another JM I repotted. I am trying to make a small JM with a nice base. It was missing roots on most of one side so I cut into the cambium in attempt to stimulate roots, then buried it kind of like a partial ground layer. Does this technique work? @SeanS or anyone else?
Overview
Area lacking roots that was cut
Buried - I took some off the top afterwards
I forgot to get before pics. Here it is after repot. Pretty much the same, just a little lower in the pot to give the roots more chance to develop.
I also have a question about another JM I repotted. I am trying to make a small JM with a nice base. It was missing roots on most of one side so I cut into the cambium in attempt to stimulate roots, then buried it kind of like a partial ground layer. Does this technique work? @SeanS or anyone else?
Overview
Area lacking roots that was cut
Buried - I took some off the top afterwards
SeanS
Omono
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I’m not sure, in those cases I just graft some roots into the bald spot. Do you have seedlings readily available for root grafts?
SeanS
Omono
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Same techniques for grafting branches apply. You can either drill holes through the trunk or approach graft the seedlings where you need them. I use polish pins or grafting pins for approach grafts
SeanS
Omono
- Messages
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Some examples
Approach graft under the trunk:
Thread grafts and approach grafts:
Approach graft under the trunk:
Thread grafts and approach grafts:
One of my bigger tridents started swelling buds so I dug it up from the grow bed and put it in a pot. 5 root grafts were added to fill in some bare spots
WavyGaby
Shohin
Thanks for the examples!Some examples
Approach graft under the trunk:
Thread grafts and approach grafts:
One of my bigger tridents started swelling buds so I dug it up from the grow bed and put it in a pot. 5 root grafts were added to fill in some bare spots
WavyGaby
Shohin
I havent gone back to the small JM in question above but I did thread graft some roots on another similarly sized JM.
The chances of success with grafting the roots is clearly better than the partial ground layer I am attempting. Let me know if you have any success with partial ground layers though.
The roots are fine and 2/3 radial
1/8" hole drilled through the base of the trunk and the seedling's roots were placed in the gap
The chances of success with grafting the roots is clearly better than the partial ground layer I am attempting. Let me know if you have any success with partial ground layers though.
The roots are fine and 2/3 radial
1/8" hole drilled through the base of the trunk and the seedling's roots were placed in the gap
SeanS
Omono
- Messages
- 1,691
- Reaction score
- 5,695
- USDA Zone
- 9b
Could you give more detail on how and where you drilled the hole? From the looks of it you drilled the hole downwards through the existing roots. I’m having a hard time understanding where that seedling is going in and where it’s coming out.
This is what I am imagining from the photo.
The seedling is going through the side that has roots and emerging on that same side with the roots tucked under the cut off base of the tree.
WavyGaby
Shohin
Sure!
I drilled through the base and the seedling whip is emerging on the left side and the roots are emerging from the right side. The red line shows the path of the seedling.
Thanks
Shibui
Imperial Masterpiece
Apologies for the late reply.
I've used this part layer to get roots on tridents. It usually works but not always as well as expected. The resulting roots also seem slow to develop. I guess that's because all the branches are already tied to existing roots so the new one's don't have much to stimulate them.
Root grafting is much more precise but I often end up with larger scars when the top of the scion is chopped. Those scars seem to take many years to heal over.
WavyGaby
Shohin
Thanks for the feedback. It looks like ill wait it out with both methods to see how they perform. Ill be doing the root grafting on the next few though.
