Nice job Brian, I have a similar ror issue. Would you do anything different next time?
I was thinking I might scratch the underside a little and paint some clonex on the entire underside before packing. Would you recommend trying this?
It's my second ror and it's well formed around most of the rock and taped with grafting tape.
Did both alone and totally hear you on needing a hand. If I try again alone I think I will include a small vice and rubber pads.
Very curious about timing exposure properly this winter. I was thinking 1"~1/2" every 2 months but this will be a first. Plan to read up more this winter but would be interested in your thoughts on exposure too.
They already have 3 nice palm sized pads of fibrous root so I want to be as speedy as possible on the exposure.
Consider starting a new thread to discuss your specific tree.
From the photos, it looks like you have quite a gap to close, but it’s difficult to really tell what all is going on. If it’s still pliable, you might consider resetting it, splitting roots and trunk a little if necessary to help close the gap.
You didn’t say what kind of tree it is...looks like some type of euonymus. If so, they have fibrous root systems, are slow to trunk up and even slower to close wounds. These are traits that make their use for ROR very challenging. You want something that grows strong roots, bulks up quickly, and closes wounds.
You asked what I would do differently? I’d leave the roots covered a year or two longer to ensure better adherence to the rock.