American Hornbeam Raft

Johnnyd

Shohin
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I have been looking around for material to create a raft for a while. A club member offered to sell me this American hornbeam. The tree had a dead area on the lower trunk. This tree looked like a perfect candidate for a raft/bridge tree.
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I was originally attracted to this maple raft I saw on bonsai Eejit.(I'm not sure who's tree this is) I especially like the way the hollows draw your eye. I want to create the same kind of drama with this native tree.
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After looking at a few books and videos on the subject I started the project.
In the fall I removed all the branches from the side I would lay down. I removed the bark and cambium from where I needed roots to grow and placed that area on a block of sphagnum moss.
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My plan is to let it grow out all year and try to bend a branch in place for a thread graft near the rootball. I did a little carving also where another hollow will be on the back of the tree.
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BobbyLane

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good potential, i would love to create one too at some point
did you watch the recent raft stream on mirai?
 
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Johnnyd

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good potential, i would love to create one too at some point
did you watch the recent raft stream on mirai?
Yes. I like what he did with that piece of material!
I think the idea of creating a 'wild bramble' effect was authentic.
 

Shogun610

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Very cool … so you just planted it on its side w rootball in same container or can you build a raft but deprecate the rootball from tree also?
 

Johnnyd

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Very cool … so you just planted it on its side w rootball in same container or can you build a raft but deprecate the rootball from tree also?
Thanks Shogun! There is a bit of a process that varies slightly according to who you ask. I'll try to note them here if may help. (This is the short version. Probably good to do research)
1) build a box
2) in spring reduce rootball in stages (yearly)
3) expose cambium and apply rooting hormone
4) place those downward exposed areas on a block of sphagnum moss. Fill the rest of the box with bonsai soil.
5) let it grow all year
I found an older Peter Adam's book with instructions. Also I watched a Ryan Neil video.
 
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