New boxwood planting

[rockm]

I had to get a mame Kingsville out of its tiny pot to avoid it drying out all the time. I had this long narrow Tokoname pot lying around for years. Didn't really have a chance to use it.

I thought this tree would look good as an "oak in a pasture" kind of thing. The pot will also solve the drying out problem. It will look better once the moss takes old a bit.

The kingsville is hard to see in the photo, but it has thick short branches with tiny spurs of leaves on them. Since I've given it alot of room to push roots, it will probably lose all that tight refinement though

 

[berobinson82]

Nice box. Have you considered giving it some friends in that big ol' pot?

 

[rockm]

Nope. Alone is the point.

May add two or three small ibigawa rocks that juuust peek above the soil on the right side though. Have to find some decent rocks though.

 

[DaveV]

I agree with Rock. A couple of rocks partially buried would look good.

 

[tmmason10]

I like it a lot. It's unique and really dos evoke the feeling of a large tree in a pasture.

 

[Stan Kengai]

. . . Since I've given it alot of room to push roots, it will probably lose all that tight refinement though

I helped my mentor do something like this about 18 years ago, but it was a bigger tree (about 18", can't remember species) and planting. To keep the roots of the tree confined, here's what was done: A planting mix of fine sand and pine bark chips (at about 2:1) was used under the "field" area, while normal bonsai mix was used under the tree. To keep the soils separate, a piece of plastic screen was cut to stand on end the width of the pot, and it was lined on both sides with 1/2" rocks. I should have asked, because I'm not sure if the rocks were to hold the screen or to help separate the soils. There was a drainage hole underneath the screen fence, maybe just a coincidence, but I don't think so. In the "field", he planted a mixture of moss on larger bark chunk islands and miniature rush, which is a grass-like bog/wetland plant, in the sand mix. The moss was continued under the tree. The sand mix stayed wet except in mid-summer, so wet in fact that algae grew on it. The tree on the other hand had to be water almost normally, but there did seem to be some moisture migrating from the sand.

The tree kept its shape very well, not like it was overpotted. After a few years, it was root pruned. The tree had sent out a few "exploratory" roots into the sand mix, but they were all fine white roots with absolutely no branching. The rootball did, however, have a mass of fibrous roots towards the "field" side.

Granted, this isn't exactly what you're doing here, but I hope you can get an idea of two from it.

 

[rockm]

Thanks Stan,

I had considered the seperate growing media and root restriction, but got lazy and just used regular soil and no extra effort . I am a bit concerned about it saying too wet, but I've used a pretty quick draining mix. I also plan on thinning the moss in the future to allow better air exchange. The pot is a bit problematic. I tested its drainage before putting anything in it. It does have a tendency to retain some water at the corners, since there are two smaller drainage holes at either end and and one large one in the middle. I've planted the tree directly over one of the smaller hole and its root mass doesn't reach the bottom of the pot.

Hopefully, between the soil, planting height and drainage holes, this won't turn into a bog planting...

 

[davetree]

Real nice, I like stuff like this, very pastoral feeling. You could tilt it a bit and I am sure you would have no problem draining.

 

[Dav4]

I like it too...we don't see enough landscapes. It would look great if the pot was a bit shallower but you gotta work with what ya got.

Dave

 

[rockm]

"It would look great if the pot was a bit shallower but you gotta work with what ya got."

I thought about doing this on a slab that I have, but the slab was too big. The tree looked pretty lost on it.

This pot is too deep for the image, but it is what it is and it was just sitting on my bench for the last decade or so...

Dave,

the "tilt the pot" idea is a good one. I am a bit slow and didn't think of it immediately

 

[sean f]

this will look cool when the moss spores come up

 

[Toshi]

This is such a cool planting, i'd love to see how it's doing today.

 

[rockm]

This is such a cool planting, i'd love to see how it's doing today.

had to move it out of this pot and into a smaller one after a year. Like I feared soil wasn't draining enough

 

[Toshi]

Aw, shame.

 

[sorce]

had to move it out of this pot and into a smaller one after a year. Like I feared soil wasn't draining enough

I put a near dead one into my Eli pot . ....
The roots took up only about 1/12 of the footprint.
I used all pumice with a moss topper and a check below the deck the other day proved many roots...lol..(.im holding a spot for a crane and just ordered a gyro sausage from..)

Pumice!

Block off some of the pot?

Love that planting!

S

 

[rockm]

I put a near dead one into my Eli pot . ....
The roots took up only about 1/12 of the footprint.
I used all pumice with a moss topper and a check below the deck the other day proved many roots...lol..(.im holding a spot for a crane and just ordered a gyro sausage from..View attachment 207945)

Pumice!

Block off some of the pot?

Love that planting!

S

Has more to do with the pot than the soil, unfortunately. Long, low container with two average sized drain holes placed where there are considerable dead drainage areas. It's been a "killer" pot ever since I got it. It's an unusual 70's or early 80's Japanese pot though. Just have to find the right thing to put into it. Currently it's killing some dwarf hostas planted in pure pumice...Soil STILL stays wet...

 

[Carol 83]

gyro sausage

Is that Vegan?

 

[sorce]

Is that Vegan?

Nah! I quit but stayed Milk and lactose free!

And 2 months no cigarettes!
??

S

 

[sorce]

Is that Vegan?

Lol ...
Speaking of smoker!

How long was I gonna last looking at those pictures!?

S

 

[Carol 83]

And 2 months no cigarettes!
??

That is seriously awesome, wish I had the gumption.