First aerial root questions.

[Michigan Tree Murderer]

Got my first aerial root today, kind of surprised as it's indoors in Michigan. I recently got the plant from Wigerts (two months ago) so, maybe it was already in the works. After searching the forum, on how to handle aerial roots, I see a few different methods of training them into the soil. Is the straw method still the preferred method? Any advice as to how to keep it would be appreciated, as I was resigned to this growth not happening because of my climate. I've kept it in a room with the door shut, under grow lights for 13 hours a day. Temps are 68-78 & humidity averages 55%.





Proud father!

 

[Shibui]

Proud father!

Looks like a healthy boy too.

Straw works but that will give a very straight root which I don't think looks attractive.
Given you already have 55% humidity I'd try misting with water once or twice a day just to boost that humidity a little more and keep it growing.

 

[hemmy]

When I grew them outdoors in a drier climate, I would wrap the trunk with damp spaghnum moss and plastic wrap. Remove it occasionally to reposition the roots as you see fit.

 

[Michigan Tree Murderer]

I put the tree on a humidity tray this morning, and I do have a small room humidifier that I could put on a timer. Do you think putting sphagnum moss on it without the plastic & just misting the moss would work? Now I'm wondering how fast or slow aerial roots grow, will it be weeks or months before it touches the soil? And I'm guessing the answer to that question involves many factors.

 

[Matte91]

Read this thread.

Ficus in The cold north ( Denmark)

Hi everybody This my 3 "ficus Natasha" trees. In 1989, I bought them as 3 small seedligs in one miniaturepot, in a supermarket. This was my very first trees. Fr

ibonsaiclub.forumotion.com

 

[Michigan Tree Murderer]

Read this thread.

Ficus in The cold north ( Denmark)

Hi everybody This my 3 "ficus Natasha" trees. In 1989, I bought them as 3 small seedligs in one miniaturepot, in a supermarket. This was my very first trees. Fr

ibonsaiclub.forumotion.com

Very nice read. Learned a lot, thank you Are you Yvonne from Denmark?

I did end up wrapping the AR in sphagnum moss & misted it a few times today. I can see the plastic wrap or tenting is needed now.

 

[19Mateo83]

Very nice read. Learned a lot, thank you Are you Yvonne from Denmark?

I did end up wrapping the AR in sphagnum moss & misted it a few times today. I can see the plastic wrap or tenting is needed now.

I had one develop and reach soil over the course of this summer. I know that’s not an exact timeframe but it did happen in a couple months time, once they reached the soil they do thicken up quite quickly.

 

[Michigan Tree Murderer]

I had one develop and reach soil over the course of this summer. I know that’s not an exact timeframe but it did happen in a couple months time, once they reached the soil they do thicken up quite quickly.
View attachment 464801

Nice! I saw you bought that cool grow tent this fall. Do you over winter the ficus in this? If so... Does it have it's own lights? What's the humidity in that sucker? Tenting seems to be the best way to me. Whether it's a homemade cheap plastic tent or a store bought one that may last longer for my Bladesofgrasses collection.

LMK if you want me to send you a Grassisgreenis cutting.

 

[19Mateo83]

Nice! I saw you bought that cool grow tent this fall. Do you over winter the ficus in this? If so... Does it have it's own lights? What's the humidity in that sucker? Tenting seems to be the best way to me. Whether it's a homemade cheap plastic tent or a store bought one that may last longer for my Bladesofgrasses collection.

LMK if you want me to send you a Grassisgreenis cutting.

I put an AC infinity ventilation fan and and one of their 6” oscillating fans. Both are automated by the controller that came with the ventilation fan. I also put two el cheapo amazon “1000w” led lights that are actually 150w out of the wall. It seems to do well. It holds its humidity pretty good and the lights are a touch strong for ficus at full strength but I am seeing growth, also a few yellow leaves here and there. But that was expected bringing in ficus for the winter. I’m actually thinking about adding a humidifier in there to keep my humidity around 70%

Any time your ready to send some of those rare grassisgreenis cuttings let me know

 

[Mapleminx]

I had one develop and reach soil over the course of this summer. I know that’s not an exact timeframe but it did happen in a couple months time, once they reached the soil they do thicken up quite quickly.
View attachment 464801

Is it terrible that the first thing my eyes zoomed in on was that pot? Lovely color/glaze seems I like a blue pot regardless of shape.

 

[19Mateo83]

Is it terrible that the first thing my eyes zoomed in on was that pot? Lovely color/glaze seems I like a blue pot regardless of shape.

That was actually bought from a local renaissance fair from a local potter. It was a cup/bowl shaped kind of piece. The diamond hole saw converted her rather quickly. I don’t care what anyone says, there’s a ton of beautiful blue glazed pottery out there and I will keep collecting it

 

[Matte91]

Very nice read. Learned a lot, thank you Are you Yvonne from Denmark?

I did end up wrapping the AR in sphagnum moss & misted it a few times today. I can see the plastic wrap or tenting is needed now.

No i'm not Yvonne. But Denmark is a small country and the bonsai community is even smaller. But Yvonne know what she talks about, when it comes to ficus.

A have a ficus myself. I have owned it for 8 years and suddenly a couple of months ago, it started sprouting aerial roots all over the trunk and all the roots has gone into the soil without help. I dont do anything different to promote those roots to grow.

 

[Michigan Tree Murderer]

Two weeks later.....



Progressing nicely. Didn't realize the aerial roots formed other roots like normal roots do. I noticed the other AR in this pic (blurry) had the same reaction but seemed to dry up.

 

[Michigan Tree Murderer]

Update & questions. I just finished watering this before I took this picture.
The original aerial root (AR) is circled in red & not looking very good. Thoughts? The end of it looks like it dead or dying to me, & it's potential landing spot doesn't look ideal.

On the 2nd AR from the right. What's the thought of the aerial root growing out of the aerial root? Is that a thing?

 

[penumbra]

Is it terrible that the first thing my eyes zoomed in on was that pot? Lovely color/glaze seems I like a blue pot regardless of shape.

You read my mind friend. That was paramount in my thoughts as well.

 

[amcoffeegirl]

I used a piece of air line tubing from my aquarium. Same principle as the straw though. I removed it when it reached the soil.

 

[SWfloirda]

I didn't move the tree to get a better background or anything......

But if you zoom in, yes aerial roots get aerial roots. These formed during the wet season, there was a lot more of them. They dry up this time of the year.

 

[19Mateo83]

@Michigan Tree Murderer i figured out a quickly way to grow aerial roots….and I did it in 2 weeks! I wrapped the base of one of my ficus in a cone of bubble wrap. It extends from the trunk of the tree and hangs over the edge of the pot. (Basically the bottom portion is in its own little greenhouse). I watered the tree well before I put it on and mist inside every few days. I’m already getting 6 aerial roots forming. I didn’t expect it to work this quickly…. I’m thinking you could just bag your whole tree and see what happens.

 

[Michigan Tree Murderer]

@Michigan Tree Murderer i figured out a quickly way to grow aerial roots….and I did it in 2 weeks! I wrapped the base of one of my ficus in a cone of bubble wrap. It extends from the trunk of the tree and hangs over the edge of the pot. (Basically the bottom portion is in its own little greenhouse). I watered the tree well before I put it on and mist inside every few days. I’m already getting 6 aerial roots forming. I didn’t expect it to work this quickly…. I’m thinking you could just bag your whole tree and see what happens.

Wow! Great minds do think alike. I did the same thing to mine about five days ago, and the new AR are happy and growing fast. I also put some sphagnum moss on the roots, and gently sealed the bag with Velcro so I can open it up and mist the moss. I haven’t seen any new ones but that would be awesome. Now a want another TBF. I’m going to start calling you "Mateo the mad scientist." Post a picture of the bubble green house so in a hundred years from now you'll be remembered.

 

[19Mateo83]

Wow! Great minds do think alike. I did the same thing to mine about five days ago, and the new AR are happy and growing fast. I also put some sphagnum moss on the roots, and gently sealed the bag with Velcro so I can open it up and mist the moss. I haven’t seen any new ones but that would be awesome. Now a want another TBF. I’m going to start calling you "Mateo the mad scientist." Post a picture of the bubble green house so in a hundred years from now you'll be remembered.

View attachment 471510

Here you go