ColinFraser

Masterpiece
Messages
2,370
Reaction score
5,698
Location
Central Coast, California
USDA Zone
9b
[Juniper nana]
So starting it in the pot in the first place would have had more or a better effect?
I don't think anybody said that. I switched to a pot because I didn't want to tease long roots out of a ball of sphagnum (potentially breaking them) at separation. It is my suspicion that the sphagnum method might get roots going faster, so there maybe a trade off. That's why I switched part way through. Also, in a pot it needs to be watered daily/regularly, so I use the sphag-N-bag if the tree isn't in my backyard.

[Juniper nana]
Interesting because I'm air layering a juniper raft in a pot.
I couldn't use the spagh method on it though because the pot shape and size was shallow. What difference do you think that will make if any?
Mine has a timed drip watering schedule "me". Greenhouse circulation + ceiling fan on low during the sunniest and hottest hours of the days.
Perhaps you should start a thread. Some pictures would be useful, and you could keep track of it and solicit more advice.
 

ColinFraser

Masterpiece
Messages
2,370
Reaction score
5,698
Location
Central Coast, California
USDA Zone
9b
And for the last 2 weeks the bright green foliage hasn't changed, so that tells me it's rooting or at least the rooting is starting to take.
The lower half below the pot foliage, changes shades constantly, and is back budding in the strangest places.
A pine tree can stay bright green in a living room for the entire month of December, but that doesn't mean it's rooting ;). Two weeks would be pretty darn fast to see much action. With a layer, the main roots are still feeding the upper foliage, so it could grow and stay green for a long time (like over a year), even with no roots at the layer point.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Vin

Eric Group

Masterpiece
Messages
4,554
Reaction score
4,854
Location
Columbia, SC
It's pushing more roots above the moss level - silly tree! At least it bodes well for its vigor:
View attachment 107185

View attachment 107186

The tips are looking good too, so I'm hopeful for its survival.
Layers seem to do that often... Especially with the layer of Sphagnum on top, it is basically like the tree doesn't realize it has even been separated yet! Which is another reason I do not like the sphag-bag technique as much! I wind up with a mass of roots all tangled up in the sphagnum when I repot it, and generally the tree keep throwing roots higher up the trunk, which can ruin the nice radial nebari I was trying to achieve in the first place! The roots you got on this one using the pot method are a clear example of the benefits of layering with a pot and using a coarse substrate. GREAT roots all around the tree and the substrate comes right off the new roots with no damage, showing you exactly what you have to work with!

Looks like you have more that sufficient roots to support this tree if you ask me! I have separated layers with much less that survived. Might take a couple months for it to thrive, but I bet it will be fine. I have always looked at it like this- the layer is just a way to try to jump start a CUTTING. I do them with threes I generally have decent success taking cuttings from, so if I get ANY roots prior to separation, the tree has simply started with a head start over other cuttings! I just layer when it is a little larger, more desirable branch I am trying to take to lessen the chance of failure. If I get some good roots started, I separate and the tree doesn't usually miss a beat!

All that to say- yours should be fine!

I do not generally repot straight to a Bonsai pot, but I cannot say that this is necessarily a bad idea...

Good job man! Keep us posted!
 

Gunstock

Mame
Messages
186
Reaction score
59
Location
Massachusettes
USDA Zone
6a
I don't think anybody said that. I switched to a pot because I didn't want to tease long roots out of a ball of sphagnum (potentially breaking them) at separation. It is my suspicion that the sphagnum method might get roots going faster, so there maybe a trade off. That's why I switched part way through. Also, in a pot it needs to be watered daily/regularly, so I use the sphag-N-bag if the tree isn't in my backyard.


Perhaps you should start a thread. Some pictures would be useful, and you could keep track of it and solicit more advice.
I have a it posted but it's been a month since anyone looked at it, and it's buried under newer posts. I can't even find it.
 

ColinFraser

Masterpiece
Messages
2,370
Reaction score
5,698
Location
Central Coast, California
USDA Zone
9b

ColinFraser

Masterpiece
Messages
2,370
Reaction score
5,698
Location
Central Coast, California
USDA Zone
9b
The recut and sphagnum has done the trick on the second layer:

image.jpeg

I'm going to do the same thing I did last time - transition it into a pot in an effort to get more/better roots:

image.jpeg

There is sits for now:

image.jpeg

I'm looking forward to having everything separated by spring, so I can move on to repotting and working the base . . .

image.jpeg
 

Eric Group

Masterpiece
Messages
4,554
Reaction score
4,854
Location
Columbia, SC
Looks like you will have three nice little trees Colin, great job! The base has some nice movement now it seems and it looks like you left some good sized stubs for deadwood... Will be a dramatic improvement over what you had!
 

ColinFraser

Masterpiece
Messages
2,370
Reaction score
5,698
Location
Central Coast, California
USDA Zone
9b
Looks like you will have three nice little trees Colin, great job! The base has some nice movement now it seems and it looks like you left some good sized stubs for deadwood... Will be a dramatic improvement over what you had!
Thanks. The middle tree won't be much to look at, so it will probably go in a grow pot, but it seemed like a waste to cut it off!
 

sorce

Nonsense Rascal
Messages
32,908
Reaction score
45,579
Location
Berwyn, Il
USDA Zone
6.2
Summers eve!

Sorce
 

ColinFraser

Masterpiece
Messages
2,370
Reaction score
5,698
Location
Central Coast, California
USDA Zone
9b
I separated the middle one from the bottom a while back, and at some point it got blown/knocked over and out of its pot, so that one may be a loss (though there is a chance it will bounce back). No big deal, as the middle piece was kind of an afterthought anyway.

In this picture from below, you can see the long stub I left on the back of the bottom tree where the middle layer was removed:
509176357.373632public.jpeg
 

ColinFraser

Masterpiece
Messages
2,370
Reaction score
5,698
Location
Central Coast, California
USDA Zone
9b
Time for a repot on this one - that deep chunky rectangle was just way too much for this little tree . . .

511890455.591697public.jpeg

Ah, free at last! #DontTryThisAtHome
 
Last edited:
Top Bottom