Raft style reading material

[12345_yes]

So my X-Mas tree (spruce, Picea pungens) survived the holidays. It was grown in a pot and I gave it lots of water. It's about 1.40 meters high and I'm planning in making a raft of a portion of the trunk. I was wondering if any of you had some good reading material on how to create a raft? Also, am I wasting energy trying this, or is a spruce a suitable species? I already had a look around on the internet ofcourse but any more good info is always welcome. I live in the Netherlands, zone 8b. Thanks!

 

[Stan Kengai]

Conifers are not generally seen in raft/root connected form, though I have seen a few nice examples from Japan. There is certainly nothing wrong with trying. Deciduous trees are more apt to root from the trunk contacting the ground, and many fine examples exist.

Species that tend to produce root suckers (shoots from the roots) are the most conducive to raft form. In my experience, crabapples and Japanese flowering quince are the easiest.

 

[sorce]

Welcome to Crazy!

You can follow all the same rules, read all the same material, as you would for forest, clumps, 2fers and 3fers.

Just add the trunk they come from, which, if straight, the new trees should also be straight, if curvy, curvy new trunks.

Then it's all the same.

Sorce

 

[12345_yes]

Thanks! I'll try to remember to post an update somewhere in spring.

 

[12345_yes]

Update! I went for it. Turned my X-mas tree into a raft style pre-bonsai. I basically followed this tutorial I found online. Made my own (very large, 90 cm) wooden training box. The right part of the box has the originial root ball .Used rope to pull the branches vertical. At the moment there are 18 trunks/branches. I'm quite happy with the result so far. Of course it needs a lot of work and development over the years. My plan is to leave it as it is for now and do some more structural pruning in fall. Something along these lines would be my envisioned end-goal, but I'll see where it ends up. I'll learn and have fun along the way.



The before picture (dec 2019):



Comments and advice are welcome !

 

[Paulpash]

For a good raft try and vary the trunk widths so let some run free and reduce others. Getting some depth in the composition by bending some back and others forwards would be advisable - you can use guys and anchor to your box very easily. Establish your intended silhouette which could take several forms, eg centre high and sloping down, left and right sub groups with gap between the two, end high and sloping down. It's a good idea to sketch out a silhouette you want to create.

 

[12345_yes]

Thanks for the good advice! I've already used guys on each trunk to get them vertical for now (not that well visible on the picture), but bending some back or forward seem like a good plan for the future. I'll also start thinking about a silhouette. Maybe some trees will have to go to make a gap.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

For the first year, I would just keep the planting as it is. You can wire, train, thin out the raft later, a couple years down the road. First business is to get it stabilized in the new position.

 

[12345_yes]

For the first year, I would just keep the planting as it is. You can wire, train, thin out the raft later, a couple years down the road. First business is to get it stabilized in the new position.

Thanks for your reply!

 

[papkey5]

Hope I am not too late to offer this advice. Follow the link for an informative lesson on creating a raft style. Maybe this will help for the next attempt.

Raft Style – Ground Layering Techniques | Bonsai Learning Center

 

[HorseloverFat]

What’s this guy looking like, these days?

 

[BobbyLane]

good work, you posed a question and didnt get much if any help. but you went for it anyway. you did the research yourself and executed, its a very good start in my opinion. those trunks all look like trees, they just need some styling work. what Paul said, and if you treat the raft like a forest and try to arrange the trunks in ways that give depth and perspective, where possible try to get some movement in you will find tons of images on google when searching raft style/raft bonsai. Walter pall has some great conifer clumps and forest plantings that look very convincing.
you want the viewer to imagine walking into the forest, maybe you can incorporate a sweet spot somewhere that invites the viewer in. have a look at some forest design articles and you will understand what i mean.
i also agree with Leo about giving this one time, Spruce can be finicky

 

[12345_yes]

Thanks Bobby Lane. This is what it looks like right now. Not the best picture, but to heavy to remove for a better picture. Looks a bit bushy right now, cause I recently removed the guy wires because they were biting in. Trunks are leaning out a bit. Have to re-apply them. However it grew really well this year, with sort of two flushes, because it was kind of confused after spending the Xmas weeks indoor (at room temperature) thinking it was spring and then in January back out in the winter and then spring again in April haha. Did some minor pruning on the very vigorous trunks, to balance energy. Watered and fertilized. Fingers crossed for repotting season to see if there are any roots

 

[sorce]

Fingers crossed for repotting season to see if there are any roots

Just look up the drain holes for roots!

You should have a plan to leave this for at least 4 years, maybe a decade.

Damaging the bark some where you want roots may help. Do dig around in spring and check on the condition of the tissue, you should be able to tell if it is changing into "rooting" tissues, or still just a fallen tree.

Anyway....before I got that repotting scare....

I just wanted to say that I love these projects where most people might be like....WTF?, But then with persistence, the shit ends up looking killer, and surely original.

Bravo!

Sorce

 

[12345_yes]

Thanks for the tips and kind words! I'll be patient.

 

[12345_yes]

Reduced the (lower part of) root ball of my raft style Colorado spruce. I'm happy with the amount of fine roots. Did not disturb the (hopefully!) new roots that are forming along the trunk. Planning on doing that next year. Plans for this year is let the indivudual trunks grow and balance vigour. Also plan to reduce the lenght of some of the longer side branches en reduce/ eliminate inwards growing branches. C&C are welcome.

 

[Minnesota Madman]

Nice! It's still kickin'

 

[12345_yes]

Yes it is! Had a nice vigorous flush of growth this spring and I did some relatively minor pruning. I'll post some update pictures soon.

 

[12345_yes]

Well, a bit later than I was planning: but another update. Still going strong. Just finished some fall pruning. Focussing on pruning back to interior buds and branches to work toward the classical spruce silhouet in each tree (17 in total at this point). Trees are about 50cm (20 inch) tall. I did some rootball reduction in the spring (see earlier pictures) but havent yet looked to see if roots are sprouting from the trunk (fingers crossed they are). Next spring I'll check. I realise it all still looks like quite a mess but I'm happy with the direction it's going in, espacially comparing it to the dec 2019 picture .

Comments en critiques welcome!

 

[12345_yes]

BTW, any way to change the title of the thread?