Can a bonsai be permanently in the ground and without any root pruning?

[Bon Sai]

Hi!

The other day I was clearing an area that is going to be my backyard and I found a little pine (pinus halepensis) about one meter tall that I thought had some future as a bonsai, so I spared it. It is growing on a huge rock slab and has just some inches of earth although it may have found a crack in the rock that lets its roots grow deeper.

I'd like to leave it there and just prune the branches, and never touch the roots at all.



Any thoughts, ideas or opinions?

Thanks.

 

[0soyoung]

Of course, but It is called niwaki.
Bonsai is in a pot, by definition

 

[Potawatomi13]

Also unless whole area is big stone slab sooner or later big root will find better earth and tree will grow bigger/not like today. You have reason not to want in pot?

 

[Bon Sai]

Also unless whole area is big stone slab sooner or later big root will find better earth and tree will grow bigger/not like today. You have reason not to want in pot?

Well, I just like the idea. It's in my future backyard, so no need to move it really. Also, transplanting it might kill it. The roots might be in cracks and then I'd have to cut them. Looks difficult to transplant.

 

[Shibui]

How big and what shape a tree grows is mostly up to you. If you are prepared to put in the required work you can maintain a tree in the ground even if it does have roots into good soil.
Use every similar techniques we use for pines as bonsai to maintain a compact and well ramified niwaki.

 

[Forsoothe!]

Root pruning on a regular basis is what limits growth of the upper tree. Sooner, or later, an adventitious root will escape and the game will be over, but you can enjoy it as is until that happens.

 

[Bon Sai]

Root pruning on a regular basis is what limits growth of the upper tree. Sooner, or later, an adventitious root will escape and the game will be over, but you can enjoy it as is until that happens.

You've given me an idea: I can dig a trench around it until I find the rock, and build a wall on the rock.

 

[Forsoothe!]

Yes, you'll be making a big pot!

 

[Shibui]

Roots are very good at penetrating obstacles. I doubt you could build a wall on natural rock that would stop roots. A wall may also limit the amount of moisture available to the roots. Unless you plan to water like we do for potted bonsai it could endanger the tree.

 

[keri-wms]

You could also put zip ties round each large/deep root, give it a top up of growing medium near the surface, keep it watered and in effect do a long term ground layer?

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

Even with roots in good soil, by pruning "a little off the top" every year, you should be able to keep it pretty much the same size for quite a few years, decades even. Niwaki do slowly expand, both width and height, but with pruning, that can be kept reasonably slow, on the order of decade or two before drastic pruning is needed.

 

[AlainK]

Can a bonsai be permanently in the ground and without any root pruning?

No.

 

[GGB]

There's a virginia pine tree, 2 actually, that sprouted as volunteers in Nature's way nursery. We maintain them just like a bonsai by pruning the candles back, bud selecting, and pruning off aesthetically shitty branches. As mentioned, it's called Niwaki.
But there is no reason to build rock walls or mess with the roots. The purpose of a pot is to be able to transport a tree or (own it), which you already do. The other upside to a pot is fine ramification and reduced needle size, which you don't need because it's a massive tree. And you'll get that anyway through developing the tree. Spare yourself the ground work and just stick with the tree work. You will be surprised how long it takes to do candle work on a 6 foot tree

 

[Forsoothe!]

There's a virginia pine tree, 2 actually, that sprouted as volunteers in Nature's way nursery. We maintain them just like a bonsai by pruning the candles back, bud selecting, and pruning off aesthetically shitty branches. As mentioned, it's called Niwaki.
But there is no reason to build rock walls or mess with the roots. The purpose of a pot is to be able to transport a tree or (own it), which you already do. The other upside to a pot is fine ramification and reduced needle size, which you don't need because it's a massive tree. And you'll get that anyway through developing the tree. Spare yourself the ground work and just stick with the tree work. You will be surprised how long it takes to do candle work on a 6 foot tree

Wrong, but not worth arguing about with someone who doesn't understand that the size of roots matter.

 

[penumbra]

Senseless to comment on it unless you have the experience. There are some that do and some that don't. It is nearly impossible for a doer to convince a non doer.

 

[GGB]

Wrong, but not worth arguing about with someone who doesn't understand that the size of roots matter.

The large healthy roots keep the tree happy and strong which helps offset the constant pruning and dwarfing techniques. By all means assume whatever you want about my experience and knowledge, I agree it's not worth an argument. But, have you ever seen niwaki pine? I feel like you probably have, and I'm not sure what your argument against the art is. A google search or visit to a japanese garden is all that is needed to draw a conclusion

I guess I should also add that forsoothe may not be wrong about a root escaping and ruining the tree somehow. To my knowledge, and I can double check if it really matters. The pines I'm talking about are around 35 years old/in training. Obviously every species is different and soil factors will matter too. Maybe our trees will self destruct tomorrow but I think a handful of decades is fair enough for a fun project with a little less hassle

 

[amcoffeegirl]

There's a virginia pine tree, 2 actually, that sprouted as volunteers in Nature's way nursery. We maintain them just like a bonsai by pruning the candles back, bud selecting, and pruning off aesthetically shitty branches. As mentioned, it's called Niwaki.
But there is no reason to build rock walls or mess with the roots. The purpose of a pot is to be able to transport a tree or (own it), which you already do. The other upside to a pot is fine ramification and reduced needle size, which you don't need because it's a massive tree. And you'll get that anyway through developing the tree. Spare yourself the ground work and just stick with the tree work. You will be surprised how long it takes to do candle work on a 6 foot tree

I think this is actually spot on.
I don’t want to argue either. I think it is top notch advice though along with what Leo said.