Nebari development

[bonsairxmd]

Hi everyone. I've been away busy at work for a while and finally back on the forum and playing with my trees....

Can anyone post a few good links to nebari development since this is the time for repotting and root pruning? Is anyone root pruning and repotting junipers yet near zone 7?

I'm also looking for advice on how to develop nebari from nursery stock trees that have absolutely no thicker roots without doing an air layer if possible. How long does it take for the fine feeder roots at the trunk base to become thicker in time if left above the surface exposed to air?


Thanks!

 

[Cypress187]

5 years? I am a bonsai noob so i can't say, i just placed my roots as radial as possible back in the pot (and pruned long one and some thick semi-long).

 

[Paulpash]

I did a (sort of) photo walkthrough of ways in which to develop nebari on a Pyracantha. The principles are solid for most species. It's here if you want a gander....

http://bonsainut.com/index.php?threads/pyracantha-progression-a-beginning.18028/

 

[0soyoung]

(It depends on what you are after. Here's an example of the roots on one of my acer palmatum air layers.



The layer was first grown in a big pot of sticky organic soil (Ace topsoil, specifically) - for 3 years IIRC. This produced the classic few thick roots radiating from the trunk. This morphology is characteristic of most in-the-ground growing.

Subsequently, it has been in nothing but Turface MVP which produced all the fine rootage. Likely any non-compacting soil will have a similar effect. Because root growth is far superior in MVP, I have habitually potted my layers in MVP with the consequence that the nebari is lots of thin roots radiating from the base of the trunk (which only thicken slowly in time).

Mr. Ebihara (sp?) is famous for his 'pancake' nebari. One well-known aspect of his technique is to screw the airlayer to a board. Most people seem to then pot it in a non-compacting bonsai medium. I think potting/planting in a sticky organic soil, instead, would be better for this purpose. It will just take another 3 to 5 years to demonstrate this, AFAIK, but this example certainly implies this.

 

[Treeguy]

Awesome nebari! I love that pancake style and am trying to develop a few jap maple air layers in the coming months and hope to have results like yours. If the Bonsai Gods will it!!!!?

 

[jk_lewis]

And that is one really, really green tree trunk.

 

[Adair M]

No, no, no... Don't strive for the thick roots if you want a pancake nebari, you want the fine feeder roots encircling the entire tree. The nebari will develop slowly, true, but correctly.

Keep the nebari buried. Exposing it to the sun will slow it's development.

 

[0soyoung]

if you want a pancake nebari, you want the fine feeder roots encircling the entire tree. The nebari will develop slowly

How slowly? How many years does it take (Ebihara or anyone else) to get a recognizable/'nice' pancake?

 

[0soyoung]

And that is one really, really green tree trunk.

You should see it at night!

BTW, that trunk is also really, really straight = I've got a big challenge to make use of that fairly nice nebari for a bonsai.

 

[Adair M]

How slowly? How many years does it take (Ebihara or anyone else) to get a recognizable/'nice' pancake?

Frankly, I don't remember. We studied the technique at Boon's, it was in Kinbon. I'll ask Boon next time I talk with him.

 

[0soyoung]

Frankly, I don't remember. We studied the technique at Boon's, it was in Kinbon. I'll ask Boon next time I talk with him.

Thank you, Adair.

 

[leatherback]

I find I am having trouble to NOT get the roots to become too thick and keep them in line with trunk *& branches, when growing them out in the ground.. As an example have a look at these pictures. They are 24 months apart, for a malus seedling. First image I removed the 3 main ugly roots, and replanted, left the plant alone to grow for 2 years, and lifted again a few weeks back:


Pics source

If you feel the removing all roots step is too drastic (Which it would be for most species!) you could add a tourniquette to the lower roots, which will push growth to upper roots.

True pancake nebari I have no experience with (And I am not aiming for it as I do not like them too extreme )

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

You need to drastically the coarse roots, while preserving the fine ones. Like this:

 

[leatherback]

You need to drastically the coarse roots, while preserving the fine ones.

I know, which was what I did before replanting. It was more meant as an example of how quickly thick roots regrow.

 

[bonsairxmd]

And that is one really, really green tree trunk.

Looks like the use of the same radioactive fertilizer mix that House of Bonsai uses. Have you seen the pictures of their trees on eBay? My Arakawa from them didn't glow in the dark as I hoped it would. Lol