Aerial roots help

[Kevster]

I have a few trees I'm trying to promote aerial roots. I am doing so with a great outcome. The problem I'm having is when the roots hit the substrait they don't grow into it. They run across the top of the soil hit the lip of the pot circle back in and bounce around for a while before growing down the outside of the pot.

It there a top layer I could add to my soil that they will grow right into? I thought I read somewhere to use something small so I tried a layer of small left overs from my sifting but it didn't work.

If I catch them in time I just push them into place but they grow fast! Some as much as 6 inches over night and that's just a mess to deal with.

Also it's not as if I'm speaking of one root at a time. But dozens on a tree in particular. Many of which are very close to one another.

Thanks for any advise,
Kevin.

 

[FrankP999]

I have used a drinking straw to guide aerial roots into the soil. Split the straw lengthwise and then carefully wrap it around the root. The root will follow the straw down to the soil.

By the way, what species are you working on?

Frank

 

[Kevster]

I'm doing that on my benjimina ficus.

I haven't tried this on the schiffelara because a lot of the roots are coming down the trunk and or branches right next to the trunk. It would be very difficult to do this and not break them.

The BIG issue would be on a Ginseng ficus. It was my first tree given to me years ago and I never did much with it because what can you really do with one of them with those huge roots? So it finally hit me!!
Why not make it a banyan tree. It has a huge trunk. So I trained the branches down over the summer and now that its inside I put it in an enclosure to help push aerial roots. Well they are dropping down everywhere. Side by side, one on top of the other. Some I could get in a straw but a lot that are coming down so close together they wouldn't fit in a straw. So I guess I'd have to choose what to keep and what to cut.

That's why I was hoping for a top layer to help this problem.

 

[edprocoat]

Kevster, keep all of them. Use straws on the ones you can and let the others go, if they make it you have extra ones if not clip them later.

ed