MeDupree's Root Over Rock 2023

[MeDupree]

I had gotten this cotoneaster late last Fall on discount at a nursery here. I have a little juniper I started on a rock last year but wanted to do something deciduous too. This contest seems like a good way to gain more info on this unique style


Today I went rock hunting and picked up a few candidates. I made some kind of a muck with the old soil,water and some shredded moss then wrapped it in plastic wrap leaving the bottom exposed. Went with this rock because you can see the effect of moving water across it and I think it will compliment the bark better than most of my alternatives


Then once in a nursery pot I just surrounded it with pine bark and compost and cut it back. Left a sacrifice branch down low and made a new apex. Good luck to everyone participating!! I'm looking forward to seeing what you all come up with. I may enter a rose bush also, jus need take a look around the nursery this weekend, I have a few more rocks to use up.

 

[MeDupree]

Sorry for the bad pics but here's a rose I picked up on the fly today hunting for some mugo.



Picked this rock because it was the biggest I had and this my turn out to be a pretty decent sized tree so hopefully it compliments this well. I didn't do much to the roots except strap them to the rock as it wasn't that many.


Started to hold off because I wanted orange or yellow flowers and they all had inverse taper to wazoo. Hoping I can get lucky and start a new canopy soon or work the bump out without too much scarring leftover. I wanted to cut a little more off now but I'd like to see a few blooms first while I decide on a further direction to take this


Will take better pictures soon.I figure 3 is the charm so I plan to grab a cotoneaster for one of the two rocks I have remaining. At least one should make it to the finish line let's see!

 

[August]

@MeDupree so strange! I was at home depot today and thinking about picking one of these up. Couldn't find any ownroots unfortunately. I'm very much a shrub rose person.

 

[jszg]

For the rose you'll have to make a chip graft towards the roots to deal with the structure. If the rootstock suckers, which this kind of training probably will encourage, it will most likely be Dr. Huey or multiflora poking through, depending on the source nursery.

 

[MeDupree]

For the rose you'll have to make a chip graft towards the roots to deal with the structure. If the rootstock suckers, which this kind of training probably will encourage, it will most likely be Dr. Huey or multiflora poking through, depending on the source nursery.

Could I cut off at the red line and start from there as an option or definitely will need start planning that chip graft?

@MeDupree so strange! I was at home depot today and thinking about picking one of these up. Couldn't find any ownroots unfortunately. I'm very much a shrub rose person.

They were definitely all grafted at the location I visited also...I was sort of talked into trying this one out so I accepted the challenge lol smh.

 

[jszg]

Many roses, especially modern ones from a certain family of lineages, actually root quite well, if one has good timing and techniques. I've had very good success with the 'plastic bag' method (essentially a gallon Ziploc as a mini greenhouse). I'd recommend going with a cutting for this project, I'm not sure if aesthetically you will be able to overcome the graft. The graft will become a large burl as it sends out more and more canes.

The rootstock itself might make a good subject: almost certainly vigorous and thornless, and if it's R. multiflora, the sprays of little white blooms would look and smell lovely. Multiflora also sets pretty fruits with sometimes good fall color, but it is an invasive.

 

[Michael P]

I have a pot of miniature yellow roses inhereted about 2 years ago, cultivar unknown. They seem to be on their own roots. I have been giving them the bonsai eye lately.

 

[MeDupree]

Many roses, especially modern ones from a certain family of lineages, actually root quite well, if one has good timing and techniques. I've had very good success with the 'plastic bag' method (essentially a gallon Ziploc as a mini greenhouse). I'd recommend going with a cutting for this project, I'm not sure if aesthetically you will be able to overcome the graft. The graft will become a large burl as it sends out more and more canes.

The rootstock itself might make a good subject: almost certainly vigorous and thornless, and if it's R. multiflora, the sprays of little white blooms would look and smell lovely. Multiflora also sets pretty fruits with sometimes good fall color, but it is an invasive.

Thanks will leave this attached to the rock its on and take the cutting sooner than later for another rock once this bounces back a little more. By the end of summer I should know what I'm working with for the most part with those two

 

[jszg]

I have a pot of miniature yellow roses inhereted about 2 years ago, cultivar unknown. They seem to be on their own roots. I have been giving them the bonsai eye lately.

Miniature roses are pretty often own-root, partly due to economics, but also due to heavy Rosa multiflora and R. wichuraiana components in their lineages, which tends to give easy-rooting plants with glossy leaves.

 

[MeDupree]

So far neither one of these are looking promising. I did score a ficus so I'll take a cutting or two to try over rock today also.

 

[MeDupree]

So far the cotoneaster is gone and the rose is struggling to even produce leaves possibly aphids attacking that one. Here's my 1st ficus microcarpa cutting attempt over a small stream stone.

Smeared a little muck on the rock only in a few select places to guide the main roots, added small amounts of sphagnum also

Dust the the cutting in hormones placed it on the top edge at an extreme angle to perform cut and grow until it is secure enough to be wired, then wrapped with foil. It's in cow compost, pine bark and a dash of vermiculite I removed the clay pebbles

 

[MeDupree]

So far the cotoneaster is gone and the rose is struggling to even produce leaves possibly aphids attacking that one. Here's my 1st ficus microcarpa cutting attempt over a small stream stone.

Smeared a little muck on the rock only in a few select places to guide the main roots, added small amounts of sphagnum also

Dust the the cutting in hormones placed it on the top edge at an extreme angle to perform cut and grow until it is secure enough to be wired, then wrapped with foil. It's in cow compost, pine bark and a dash of vermiculite I removed the clay pebbles

A lot of growing pains with little growth lol...I had to replace the cutting again already which seems more promising so far. Initial cutting still planted for reference where to cut the new one once it starts growing