Shibui Root over Rock

Shibui

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Posting these because I like Root Over Rock bonsai. Hope it will help get others hooked.

First up just an introduction to the ROR trees I currently have.

Starting with my oldest remaining root over rock, a trident maple on a lump of volcanic rock. Around 35 years from seed.
rorlava 2021 09 1.JPGrorlava 2021 09 2.JPG

Multi trunk trident over a low rock. Started as a row of 4 trunks with no visual depth. Someone suggested grafting an extra seedling behind to give depth. The smaller rear trunk was added around 30 years ago
multi trunk 2021 09 1.JPGmulti trunk 2021 09 2.JPG

Another trident over a low rock similar age to the others above. The roots have nearly covered the rock now.
ror low 2021 09 1.JPGror low 2021 09 2.JPG

Tridents are not the only species that suits ROR. Here's a Japanese maple. Note that JM roots do not develop quickly so allow more years to get a good result. I've used a low, rounded rock because JM do not grow high on mountain sides and cliffs but in valleys and along streams where rocks are likely to be smooth and water water worn.
The roots got sunburn a few years ago and part of the main roots have rotted. That does not affect the vitality of the tree and I'm happy to use it as a feature.
ror JM 2021.JPGror JM 2021 1.JPGror JM 2021 2.JPG
 

Colorado

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Wow, great RORs. I can only hope that some day I will have some projects like this that I worked on for 30+ years. Very impressive and inspiring, thanks for sharing!
 

Shibui

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As those earlier trials progressed I started to grow more ROR, gradually refining and improving the techniques. here are some more recent attempts still developing branches, ramification and roots.

The guys who helped with winter digging the year I dug this from the grow beds christened it 'Root over Boulder' It is not a huge tree but weighs quite a bit with the larger rock. Starting to develop some reasonable tertiary ramification now.
ror big 2021 2.JPG

Once when I posted a picture of this ROR trident one contributor suggested it looked like it is planted on a brick.
ror brick 2021 09 1.JPGror brick 2021 09 2.JPG

This trident was retained because the roots had such a great grip on the rock. Unfortunately I left a few too many shoots on the trunk which caused local swollen areas. I tried scarifying parts of the trunk in an attempt to get the thinner spats to catch up but those swellings have just continued to grow larger far quicker than the rest of thetrunk.
ror trident 3 2020 1.JPGror trident 3 2020 2.JPGror trident 3 2020 3.JPG

This trident is probably around the same age as the tree above, probably 8-10 years from seed. An attempt at a smaller ROR that I can still manage as strength declines.
Ror 9 2021 09 2.JPGror 9 2021 09 3.JPG
 

Shibui

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Now for some younger ROR I have just started to work on. A couple of years ago I set a goal of developing some really good shohin sized ROR tridents. That means growing some seedlings, finding suitable rocks, applying the young trees and growing them out to set the roots so 3 years into the project I am still working with these.
The first 4 have been in pots for a year after a year wrapped in foil in a grow box to set the roots. Don't think I can afford to plant these in the grow beds as they would thicken way too much and swamp the rocks.

ror shohin 3&4.JPG
ror shohin 3.JPGror shohin 4.JPG

ror shohin 5&6.JPG
ror shohin 5.JPGror shohin 6.JPG

A couple of new ones added this winter so a year behind above.
ror shohin 7&8.JPG
ror shohin 7.JPGror shohin 8.JPG
 

Carol 83

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I don't typically care for ROR trees, but you have some fantastic examples of what can be done with them.
 

Katie0317

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I don't typically care for ROR trees, but you have some fantastic examples of what can be done with them.
Carol, I agree. Most I've seen it looks like the tree is overpowered by the rock. I watched someone do one in a workshop recently and finally the teacher went and searched for a rock himself. The one he found made a world of difference. The scale, the shape...all of it changed the impression.

It seems most I've seen the rock is too large for the tree. You've made a good choice of rocks and I'm not distracted by the rock and am able to look at the tree without being distracted by a rock.

When did ROR become as popular as it is now?
 

James W.

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Carol, I agree. Most I've seen it looks like the tree is overpowered by the rock. I watched someone do one in a workshop recently and finally the teacher went and searched for a rock himself. The one he found made a world of difference. The scale, the shape...all of it changed the impression.

It seems most I've seen the rock is too large for the tree. You've made a good choice of rocks and I'm not distracted by the rock and am able to look at the tree without being distracted by a rock.

When did ROR become as popular as it is now?
Some of what I have seen it's not so much that the rock is bad but that the tree and roots weren't grown enough. ROR takes patience.

Thank you for sharing, @Shibui
 

Shibui

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Now some attempts at some history for a few of the ROR.
Unfortunately much of the development of the older trees is lost in the mists of time. Most were started BC (before camera) so my digital pics don't go back very far.

The most comprehensive photo history I've been able to find is this one starting in 2009
ror brick 07.JPG

I remember the lower left branch died unexpectedly but that just saved me the worry of deciding which section to use as the main trunk.

By 2016 the basic branches have been established.
ror brick 2016 4.JPG

By 2020 ramification has improved to the stage it has been in a bonsai pot for a year or 2
ror brick 04.JPGror brick 06.JPG

2021 after winter trim and a spring shot as leaves open
ror brick 03.JPGror brick 2021 09 1.JPG
 

Shibui

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This one has the largest rock which is aimed at giving room for the tree to express plenty of ramification while still not overpowering the rock.

It was planted in the grow beds around 2009. In winter 2011 I had a field day where a few 'apprentices' gained some practical experience while helping to dig the trees.
digging trees 2011 2.JPGdigging trees 2011 3.JPG
This tree was dug that day. The 'apprentices' dubbed it Root over Boulder due to the size and weight compared to the rest of the trees that day but I can't find photos of it then. It did have 2 parallel trunks at that stage. After hard pruning the upper trunk section died back. There is still some dead wood running down the upper side of the horizontal section of the current trunk but nearly healed over now.

2016
ror big 2016 2.JPG

A couple of the roots on the right side are further away from the rock than I wanted. I had expected those roots to thicken and fill the spaces but those ones have grown slower than expected and the gaps are still very visible 2 years later so I graft some rock on to hide the spaces.
ror big 2018 1.JPGror big 2018 2.JPG

2019
ror big 2019 1.JPG

2021 - before winter pruning
ror big 2021 1.JPG

After
ror big 2021 2.JPG
 

Milly

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This one has the largest rock which is aimed at giving room for the tree to express plenty of ramification while still not overpowering the rock.

It was planted in the grow beds around 2009. In winter 2011 I had a field day where a few 'apprentices' gained some practical experience while helping to dig the trees.
View attachment 400316View attachment 400317
This tree was dug that day. The 'apprentices' dubbed it Root over Boulder due to the size and weight compared to the rest of the trees that day but I can't find photos of it then. It did have 2 parallel trunks at that stage. After hard pruning the upper trunk section died back. There is still some dead wood running down the upper side of the horizontal section of the current trunk but nearly healed over now.

2016
View attachment 400310

A couple of the roots on the right side are further away from the rock than I wanted. I had expected those roots to thicken and fill the spaces but those ones have grown slower than expected and the gaps are still very visible 2 years later so I graft some rock on to hide the spaces.
View attachment 400311View attachment 400312

2019
View attachment 400313

2021 - before winter pruning
View attachment 400314

After
View attachment 400315
This is the one I like most in this thread.
The rock has great character (very important I think) as does the roots and trunk.
 

Shibui

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Just a quick update on the thread grafts shown in post #6.
Grafts on one tree appear to have fused to the trunk.
A couple of weeks ago I scraped bark off half the 'in' side of these seedlings to encourage more sap flow from the main trunk.
CH100100.JPG

Today I decided to go the whole way and see what happens.
CH100102.JPGCH100103.JPG

I'll leave the branches long for a few weeks to encourage better sap flow from the trunk. If all goes according to plan I'll chop the branches short later in summer to start some movement, taper and secondary branching closer to the trunk.
 

It's Kev

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i had a little ficus ROR that i gave to my mom some time ago, and i'm in the process if growing a p.afra over a rock but it's not quite ready to reveal yet. i also have an itchy feeling to do something ridonkulously small like a mame or shito root over rock, or root over pebble.
 

Shibui

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Go for it @It's Kev. Love to see people try different things.
Ficus do ROR really well. Many ficus sp grow naturally on rocks and cliffs so they are ideally suited. Ficus roots thicken quick so will really wrap a rock. Just be careful not to put too many roots on the rock. Rock completely covered in roots is no longer ROR.
Not sure about P. afra but will be interested to see if the roots thicken and grab the rock.
 
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