feather rock project

[Kvolk]

I have had this chunk of feather rock kicking around for years. I am not an artist by any means and didn't really know what to do with it but finally decided to pull it our of a flower bed and give it a shot. The little bit of greenery you see there now is just to mark where the future trees will go. They are top left, high on the right (just barely seen) and bottom front right side. I am considering cotoneaster or juniper for next spring. All three hollowed out planting cavities are connected. Top left drains to top right and op right to bottom front an therer is a drainage hole from bottom front to the bottom.
Questions--- suggestions of potting soil? I am planning pumice, lava and oil dry (in place of akadama) I may add a little pine bark to the very top one.
Would there be a problem of tucking a little spagnum moss around the openings to the planting cavities just to help keep the potting media in place and to hide the color difference of the pumice/lava a little

 

[sorce]

Russian Egg Yellow....

How large are the planting holes?

I'd use small DE.

Sorce

 

[Forsoothe!]

I think you need to make the holes first and then decide what to put there. Grinding pockets into featherstone is a lot like work. You will have pumice dust in every pore and orifice and you'l need equipment with a long enough reach to do the job. you'll be working with gloves on and that will screw-up your grip. You'll need carbide bits, too. You need to do this outdoors, and up-wind with a decent breeze.

 

[johng]

I have always found that you absolutely need a dressing for your soil so it doesn't wash as you water. Sphagnum moss will work fine but I prefer green moss on mine. I have not had good luck with granular soil in rock plantings. I use what is called muck...many recipes but mine includes potters clay(run through a cheese grater), Michigan peat(heavy peat), and long fiber sphagnum moss...mixed in equal proportions by volume. More difficult to water if you let it dry out but retains water much better than the granular soil typically used in pots. Regardless of media, it will take a concentrated effort to water effectively. I hit mine three to four times each when watering.

 

[Kvolk]

Thanks for the suggestions. The planting holes are already there as described. The greenery is tucked in just to mark the location For the pic. Probably each about the size of the pop can or perhaps a little smaller for bottom front The openings are a little smaller but I hollowed out the cavities pretty well. I used a heavy narrow chisel but very little pounding with the hammer. Just gouged it out in under an hour.
pardon the newbie here Sorce but what are DE?
thanks again. I may never get any really nice pieces but I will enjoy the journey.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

Oil dry, is a mixed bag product. Depending on your source, some brands of oil dry make an acceptable potting media component, some brands are horrible, turning into a clay paste within a few days of being watered for the first time.

If you shop at Napa Auto Parts, their product code # 8822 brand of oil dry is crushed diatomaceous earth, abrev. DE. It is fossilized diatoms, which are almost pure silica, with a tremendous amount of pore spaces in its structure.

Other brands of oil dry can be fired clay, similar to Turface, which is okay for bonsai use. Then the rest of the oil dry products are clay that has not been fired. These will go to mush, and are to be avoided.

A feather rock pot will be "dry", in that the pot itself will wick water away from the roots of anything you plant in there. The mix I would use for a feather rock planting would be a mix that holds a lot of water. Peat, chunky peat, that has been sifted to remove the fines, bark, akadama, and or chopped long fiber sphagnum moss would all be better components for a feather rock planting.

Pumice, perlite, lava, and crushed granite are all too dry for feather rock. They don't hold enough water.

 

[Kvolk]

Oil dry, is a mixed bag product. Depending on your source, some brands of oil dry make an acceptable potting media component, some brands are horrible, turning into a clay paste within a few days of being watered for the first time.

If you shop at Napa Auto Parts, their product code # 8822 brand of oil dry is crushed diatomaceous earth, abrev. DE. It is fossilized diatoms, which are almost pure silica, with a tremendous amount of pore spaces in its structure.

Other brands of oil dry can be fired clay, similar to Turface, which is okay for bonsai use. Then the rest of the oil dry products are clay that has not been fired. These will go to mush, and are to be avoided.

A feather rock pot will be "dry", in that the pot itself will wick water away from the roots of anything you plant in there. The mix I would use for a feather rock planting would be a mix that holds a lot of water. Peat, chunky peat, that has been sifted to remove the fines, bark, akadama, and or chopped long fiber sphagnum moss would all be better components for a feather rock planting.

Pumice, perlite, lava, and crushed granite are all too dry for feather rock. They don't hold enough water.

Thanks Leo. That’s a big help.