Developing new Fukien tea roots...

Hello all -

New to the forum here - thanks for taking the time to read my post.

Loading up several photos here for you to see most angles. Fukien tea I picked up from some home improvement place several years back - mainly because this one had a little better shape than most - but still the dread “S” curve. I know it will never be a display-worthy specimen, but I still want to do what I can because it’s so darn healthy. (Knock on wood.) Removed all the moss and pushed back the soil so you get a good look at the root base.


Problem is - as you can see - base is puny and trunk hooks out immediately. Front /back angles - are either inverted back or pigeon forward. I fear I am too inexperienced to attempt something like the tourniquet - I would probably kill it. I did have a wild hare idea to slice out a rectangular section of the bark+cambium under the overhanging low trunk, cover it with root gel, keep a soaked sea sponge attached to it and see if any roots might develop. Is that crazy? Would the cambium just close up on this type of tree?


My thought was if I could get roots growing out there - I may have a shot with turning this into a root over rock style or maybe attempt a penjing setting.

Appreciate any experience or advice with a similar situation. Thanks, all...

Ysobelle

ysobelle said:

Ysobelle

Click to expand...

Is that your real name?

Tree sure IS healthy!

I bet you can grow new roots.

Welcome to

ysobelle said:

crazy

Click to expand...

Sorce

Welcome.
What you're talking about is called ground layering. I guess you would like to get new roots somewhere at that knee...to get rid of that straight portion of the lowest trunk.

Fukien tea is not so difficult to propagate. "Not so" means if you can keep it alive, you can propagate...cuttings and air-layers work well, best if done in spring-early summer when the tree grows actively. What you need is to learn how to air/ground layer, find the line for new roots, peal the ring of bark properly, use some rooting hormones, raise the soil level (you can use a plasgtic pot without bottom ) and wait.
This is what you need...
https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/the-science-of-air-layering.27034/

sorce said:

Is that your real name?

Tree sure IS healthy!

I bet you can grow new roots.

Welcome to


Sorce

Click to expand...

Real name is Kathryn. This used to be my

petegreg said:

Welcome.
What you're talking about is called ground layering. I guess you would like to get new roots somewhere at that knee...to get rid of that straight portion of the lowest trunk.

Fukien tea is not so difficult to propagate. "Not so" means if you can keep it alive, you can propagate...cuttings and air-layers work well, best if done in spring-early summer when the tree grows actively. What you need is to learn how to air/ground layer, find the line for new roots, peal the ring of bark properly, use some rooting hormones, raise the soil level (you can use a plasgtic pot without bottom ) and wait.
This is what you need...
https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/the-science-of-air-layering.27034/

Click to expand...

Hi Peter -
This is SUPER. Thank you for sharing - I now have some homework. Once I set a plan, I will update the post and pics. Maybe will have some "free time" over the holidays.

sorce said:

Is that your real name?

Tree sure IS healthy!

I bet you can grow new roots.

Welcome to


Sorce

Click to expand...

Real name = Kathryn. Ysobelle is my old character name when I was addicted to online gaming. Haha - it kinda stuck.

Hello all -
Have joined the local bonsai society in the Triangle (Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill) area... and saw an actual demo of air layering. So I got up the courage to try the ground layering technique and promised to post some photos here as it progresses. So here I go... posting a few pics of my slice removed and then the layered area in a cup packed with damp sphagnum and some soil in the center... (root hormone smeared on the top 1/4 inch of the cut area). Please ignore the dead moss - that is just to keep moisture in the larger pot. The tree is doing well so far over the last month (pushed a lot of new leaves), and I am being good although tempted to peek and see what's going on.