Littlejoe919
Shohin
Going into a training box very soon.
What do ya's think?
What do ya's think?
Red Maple raft project
- Thread starter Littlejoe919
- Start date
jk_lewis
Masterpiece
Interesting and with some potential, but one sideways trunk does not make a raft.
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Littlejoe919
Shohin
Red line represents the training box.
M. Frary
Bonsai Godzilla
Is this a Japanese red maple? Or one of those huge leaved native red maple? Is it growing inside?
Native red maple are really not the greatest bonsai candidates. Large leaves that are hard to reduce down to believable size. And long internodes between leaves.
Native red maple are really not the greatest bonsai candidates. Large leaves that are hard to reduce down to believable size. And long internodes between leaves.
coh
Imperial Masterpiece
Think it might be better as a semi-cascade, though I don't love the current crop of surface roots. Those could be improved over time.
Chris
Chris
Littlejoe919
Shohin
Littlejoe919
Shohin
Not really sure I guess. Here's a picture of it when I got it:
and no, it's not inside. Just brought it in to take pictures in better light.
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coh
Imperial Masterpiece
Those sure look like Japanese maple (A. palmatum) leaves to me! As for the roots...I can only go by what I see in the picture, and they don't give me the impression of a tree that was blown over/fell down. Maybe they look more like that in person.
edprocoat
Masterpiece
Generally a raft needs the trunk laying on the soil with roots growing from the trunk into the soil along the length of it and branches coming up along the trunk looking almost like separate trees. This really looks like a cascade as it is.
ed
ed
Littlejoe919
Shohin
Littlejoe919
Shohin
coh
Imperial Masterpiece
That's a neat tree. I guess it would be considered a raft, though there may be another term since so much of the trunk is above ground. That tree has a very interesting trunk, the one you are proposing to use doesn't look that interesting so I don't think you'll get the same effect. But given enough time, it might turn out well.
Littlejoe919
Shohin
I thought that was how bonsai worked. See what the tree wants to be. I had seen the previous picture before I bought this tree, but that's what I saw in it and that's why I bought it. Don't you think it's more interesting to go for "the Raft", rather then the more common cascade?
Once again, I don't know any better and I kinda like it that way
edprocoat
Masterpiece
That's actually raft as its laying on the ground and rooted where the trunk touches. The middle is above the ground but you can see where both ends are rooted. Also it has multiple trunks rising from the raft to form separate upright trunks.
ed
jk_lewis
Masterpiece
Why? That long, wide, shallow box will never dry out with one little tree in it. What are you trying to do with this tree. It may have some potential a a semi cascade, but it never will be a "raft."
jk_lewis
Masterpiece
So, you are going to lay that long trunk down, cover it with soil, and hope for roots AND new trunks? IF it did produce any roots (with or without rooting hormone) you are 20 years from the model bonsai.
Normally, you lay a one-sided tree on its side so branches become trunks to make a raft.
I think this will be much better as a semi cascade literati -- not at all common.
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Zach Smith
Omono
You've picked a good model for your project, Littlejoe. I think the style of that tree is what they often refer to as "dragon style."
As for how well this specimen may do in the future, by all means do not give up hope before you start. If you bury part or all of the recumbent trunk it should root given enough time. Just be sure to bury deeply enough to ensure it doesn't dry out. You may also get new buds to form along the recumbent trunk, providing you with the additional "trunks" you need.
Here are a couple of photos of a project I did over the past five years using an American elm. It wasn't working out as an informal upright, so I decided to lay it down and bury the trunk to see what would happen. It rooted and threw new branches, allowing me to create a seven-trunk raft. Not bad for a not-so-great specimen.
Zach
Littlejoe919
Shohin
Thank you for your support Zach and nice tree!
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Great Falcon
Yamadori
Going into a training box very soon. <-------this is what it says on the pic, it does not say is a raft, but soon to be. If I don't help why will I be on the way.
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sorce
Nonsense Rascal
Of the roots. The pic. Is how I see roots go If wind blown over.
Looks more like it started life that way. .....And I Like It !
I also like your long term project to create a raft.
I've had a ficus Ben bent over with the section to be rooted in Sphagnum for a year and it JUST rooted.
No reason you can't graft roots where you want them.
Just don't cut it at all for a while, you (or your grandkids) will get there!
Sorce
Looks more like it started life that way. .....And I Like It !
I also like your long term project to create a raft.
I've had a ficus Ben bent over with the section to be rooted in Sphagnum for a year and it JUST rooted.
No reason you can't graft roots where you want them.
Just don't cut it at all for a while, you (or your grandkids) will get there!
Sorce
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