Forest Training Pot?

[johng]

While your trees are growing out and the roots are pliable go ahead and create some small groups... clusters of 2 or 3 trees. Different sizes and i will typically look for ones with similar movement and plant them with their bases touching....very close together. Then spend a couple years developing the clusters and singles as JKL suggested.

I have the footage to create a progression video of some Japanese maples that I developed as described but also planted them through cds to develop better bases....took about 4-5 years from one year old seedlings to first arrangement....but there is absolutely no way that i would have the same quality forest now if i had put them together as seedlings. Ill try to get it together and post sometime in the near future.

Cheap pots for groups...use seedling trays...stack two together to improve rigidity... I also use plastic oil pans with holes drilled.

But, in my opinion you are far better off developing the material individually....particularly in respect to achieving a flat and thin root pad....much easier to assemble than seedlings with no roots...when i have had forest or trees in groups fail, it has almost always been due to fact that the roots were not adequately secured.

 

[JoeR]

Heres the tridents:




They all have good flare buried under the soil and more girth. Despite not showing it in the pictures they all have some sort of nice wiggle down low, not so much up top.

John you hit it on the head exactly with what I was going to do. There are ten to choose from (only nine in photos) and I planned on putting them in groups of two and three (Growing out one in the ground or colander). I wanted trays for the seperate groups to go into. I also have eight japanese maples I am doing the same with.

 

[JoeR]

@JoeR

Did you happen to See @Maros forest that was collected as is.

There's more than one way to "obtain life goals 3 and 4"

I agree you have to have some surface root work done, but you can grow it out anywhere.

The best thing I like about that Material, you can pretty much shape it anyway you wish. Any depth.

Once I find a pot and tree match, I will make a basket to mimic it, So slip potting is close to seamless.

My trees will Probly live in these 90% of thE time.

Sorce

No I havent seen his forest, link?

 

[JoeR]

And as you can see, there is quite a bit buried under the soil on some of them.

 

[sorce]

No I havent seen his forest, link?

http://belanmaros.blogspot.sk/2015/04/story-of-my-bonsai-carpinus-betulus-no2.html?m=1

Sorce

 

[JoeR]

http://belanmaros.blogspot.sk/2015/04/story-of-my-bonsai-carpinus-betulus-no2.html?m=1

Sorce

Wow now thats killer material.

I have never seen his blog before. Good stuff.

 

[jomawa]

What can I use or make for a training pot or dish for a forest?

JoeR, I needed a similar container for a couple vine maple "forests" I managed to bring back from the woods. So I took a lid from a large 2'x3' plastic tote and placed two "forests" on it until I can acquire two large suitable bases. I believe my two "forests" are more technically called rafts because the trees are still attached to the "seed log" still in the soil in these photos. The white board backdrop is only there to separate the two groups for the photos. I would encourage you to think outside the box when pondering need. My lid is only "temporary", 6-8 months, and since the maples do well in shade, the lid is not being broken down by UV rays.

 

[lieuz]

When you build a forest, typically you start it in its final pot.

I haven't grown much forest style bonsai; however, after visiting a local nursery and found a pretty cheap forest pot with pre forest bonsai material; I had to. Really glad to hear I have what I need right here. I could potentially let it grow in the tray for a few more growing seasons but my only concern is the soil. Looks like potting mix. Definitely want to get it into the forest shallow pot ASAP. Sorry didn't want to hijack thread. So my question will also tie into OPs question, is this an acceptable pot that OP could use because these are super cheap at home depot. Also, is this training pot to just get these trees to grow in a conglomeration together so their roots will more or less "fuse"?
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