BillsBayou
Chumono
Conventions are great for trading tips and tricks. This is a trick I picked up last year in Denver. I met a fellow artist, Oscar, and somehow we ended up talking about developing better radial roots. After discussing a particularly ugly tree of mine, Oscar mentioned pouring concrete around the base of the tree.
The technique is similar to another technique where heavy wire is wrapped tightly, once, around the base of a tree. As time passes, the trunk swells over the wire. Somehow roots are formed. I've seen this technique successfully applied ONCE.
The problem with wrapping the trunk with heavy wire is that the trunk has an irregular shape. Wrapping wire around the base is only going to work if there are no gaps between the wire and the tree. I find myself thinking about this tree from time to time, but I cannot get around that problem. The idea of using concrete would solves that problem.
I have little to no idea what I'm doing. I've already jumped out of the plane. All I need to do now is learn how to fold and pack my parachute before I hit the ground. Anyone else want to jump out after me?
Here's the tree. The upper portion was developing fine. The base, however, is so ugly, I have lost heart that this will ever be a good tree. If this technique doesn't work, the tree was going to be garbage anyway.
This is seriously ugly root distribution. When initially potted, it was buried deep to give it the best chance of survival. That's what I thought was the best idea. DO NOT DO THAT. Elms, like many other species, will grow new roots on buried portions of the trunk. There was a good base on this tree, but now it's crap.
To create the form, I used the top portion of a smaller pot. Notches were cut for existing roots.
The top of the concrete will be higher than the existing pot. That's not part of the technique, but a consequence of circumstance. New roots will look good here. This decision will likely bite me in the ass.
Concrete is heavily alkaline and has the potential to harm the living tissue of the trunk. I've coated the trunk with clay to protect it while the concrete cures.
Gaps beneath the roots were not closed off. I merely coated the roots. Clay was used to cover the soil to protect deeper roots. The gap between the side of the form and the soil was sealed with the same clay.
No photo of just concrete in the form. Sorry. After pouring the concrete into the form, I capped with with pebbles. Why? Don't really know. Maybe I like seeing trees with pebble glued to the surface of Big Box Store bonsai. Maybe I think the rocks will affect the distribution and shape of the roots.
After a week, I removed the form.
This is after cleaning around the base of the tree. It's been a few weeks and the tree doesn't seem to be adversely affected by the concrete. Time will tell.
The technique is similar to another technique where heavy wire is wrapped tightly, once, around the base of a tree. As time passes, the trunk swells over the wire. Somehow roots are formed. I've seen this technique successfully applied ONCE.
The problem with wrapping the trunk with heavy wire is that the trunk has an irregular shape. Wrapping wire around the base is only going to work if there are no gaps between the wire and the tree. I find myself thinking about this tree from time to time, but I cannot get around that problem. The idea of using concrete would solves that problem.
I have little to no idea what I'm doing. I've already jumped out of the plane. All I need to do now is learn how to fold and pack my parachute before I hit the ground. Anyone else want to jump out after me?
Here's the tree. The upper portion was developing fine. The base, however, is so ugly, I have lost heart that this will ever be a good tree. If this technique doesn't work, the tree was going to be garbage anyway.
This is seriously ugly root distribution. When initially potted, it was buried deep to give it the best chance of survival. That's what I thought was the best idea. DO NOT DO THAT. Elms, like many other species, will grow new roots on buried portions of the trunk. There was a good base on this tree, but now it's crap.
To create the form, I used the top portion of a smaller pot. Notches were cut for existing roots.
The top of the concrete will be higher than the existing pot. That's not part of the technique, but a consequence of circumstance. New roots will look good here. This decision will likely bite me in the ass.
Concrete is heavily alkaline and has the potential to harm the living tissue of the trunk. I've coated the trunk with clay to protect it while the concrete cures.
Gaps beneath the roots were not closed off. I merely coated the roots. Clay was used to cover the soil to protect deeper roots. The gap between the side of the form and the soil was sealed with the same clay.
No photo of just concrete in the form. Sorry. After pouring the concrete into the form, I capped with with pebbles. Why? Don't really know. Maybe I like seeing trees with pebble glued to the surface of Big Box Store bonsai. Maybe I think the rocks will affect the distribution and shape of the roots.
After a week, I removed the form.
This is after cleaning around the base of the tree. It's been a few weeks and the tree doesn't seem to be adversely affected by the concrete. Time will tell.
