Why is it...I seem to see far more exposed root examples of Bonsai from places like Hong Kong than ones in the states

[Cajunrider]

No, no sarcasm. Azalea are easy to get good nebari. They try to send up suckers from shallow roots. (They ARE bushes, after all!). Just cut the suckers off. They’l. Send out more suckers. Cut them off. Eventually, the mass from those surface roots make a wide spreading nebari.

Crepe Myrtle does the same thing.

I got a lot of suckers from my live oaks. The nebari development will work the same way, will it not?

 

[baron]

No, no sarcasm. Azalea are easy to get good nebari. They try to send up suckers from shallow roots. (They ARE bushes, after all!). Just cut the suckers off. They’l. Send out more suckers. Cut them off. Eventually, the mass from those surface roots make a wide spreading nebari.

Hmm not sure I get it. That's on young material right?
On a tree with an already established root systeem you don't touch them right? I mean there's no root grafting or ground layering?

Or maybe I'm having the wrong idea of what you mean with wide spreading nebari.

 

[Pitoon]

Probably a lot to do with plant varieties available there, and how they tend to grow naturally. Ficus and sheffellera grow with a lot of exposed roots. The penjing style is also more encouraging of unusual features. There is a difference between good neagari and bad Bonsai where surface roots are showing that belie the appearance of age. Done right, it’s an interesting feature, but no need to build a collection of them. I have 1 neagari, and 1 root over rock, and that’s plenty for my taste.
View attachment 224329View attachment 224328

@Brian Van Fleet what cultivar azalea is that? Those flowers look superb

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

The north temperate climate makes creating extreme exposed root styles more difficult. Zone 6 and colder trees are less easily trained this way. Can be done, but not as easy.

 

[Cajunrider]

The north temperate climate makes creating extreme exposed root styles more difficult. Zone 6 and colder trees are less easily trained this way. Can be done, but not as easy.

Move south

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

Move south

But you are planning to move north?

Naw, I just try to grow what grows well locally. Except of course for the trees I love that don't grow locally, like my Satsuki, and cork bark JBP. Most things I add to my collection are locally hardy these days.

 

[Cajunrider]

But you are planning to move north?

But for the love of future grand children...
otherwise I will be kicking and screaming.

 

[Melospiza]

About half my collection has some sort of freak thing going on with the roots, possibly to much of a quirky thing. But...I do like them. I think...I may be broken in my mind set.

If there is one thing Virginia Creeper is good for, it is for rapidly developing thick, twisted vigorous roots. Here are the roots of two specimens after 1 year of growing from cuttings (cuttings were planted in fall 2017, pictures taken in spring 2019). There were planted together in a 7" container, so not much room, and yet managed to produce fairly thick twisting roots. Since this species has long nodes and very large leaves, one way of making it interesting would be to present the roots in an exposed-root or root-over-rock form.

Also, this species seems insanely hardy. The 7" pot was placed without insulation in a cold garage, where the soil froze solid for 2 months, and yet, these plants took it in their stride.

 

[Cadillactaste]

The north temperate climate makes creating extreme exposed root styles more difficult. Zone 6 and colder trees are less easily trained this way. Can be done, but not as easy.

Really...never thought on that. Have the trident in training for exposed root and a few extending further. Like this goji. Though a controlled wintering environment.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

Really...never thought on that. Have the trident in training for exposed root and a few extending further. Like this goji. Though a controlled wintering environment.
View attachment 240297

you do have controlled climate winter storage. You would be surprised that for the majority of my trees, the pots just get set on the ground, and that is it. No temperature protection at all. Some wind protection, and for some I give sun protection, but most trees just get set on the ground. Can't do it with everything, but all my zone 5 and zone 4 trees stay outside like this.

 

[Cadillactaste]

you do have controlled climate winter storage. You would be surprised that for the majority of my trees, the pots just get set on the ground, and that is it. No temperature protection at all. Some wind protection, and for some I give sun protection, but most trees just get set on the ground. Can't do it with everything, but all my zone 5 and zone 4 trees stay outside like this.

You wintered then this past winter like that. What zone are you now in? I keep forgetting you moved. How did they winter.

 

[Cadillactaste]

If there is one thing Virginia Creeper is good for, it is for rapidly developing thick, twisted vigorous roots. Here are the roots of two specimens after 1 year of growing from cuttings (cuttings were planted in fall 2017, pictures taken in spring 2019). There were planted together in a 7" container, so not much room, and yet managed to produce fairly thick twisting roots. Since this species has long nodes and very large leaves, one way of making it interesting would be to present the roots in an exposed-root or root-over-rock form.

Also, this species seems insanely hardy. The 7" pot was placed without insulation in a cold garage, where the soil froze solid for 2 months, and yet, these plants took it in their stride.

Have one of those...would not want two. People can find themselves skin sensitive and I try to keep it out of the way you of guests. Mine has a hot mess of roots...buried.

Roots do a fine job looking to support the slant of the trunk.

Before burying if for the most part.

 

[Cosmos]

Not all exposed roots tree need to have a kind of grotesque or exagerated feel. It can be subtle and suggest an old venerable tree surviving the slow erosion of the hill it is growing on, something like that. We can things like that all the time in nature.

Here is a picture of an apple, second year in training. It’s going to get potted higher than it is when it goes in a proper pot, maybe in 2 years. I hope to make the roots and the tall, elegant trunk the main features. And probably some deadwood.

 

[Cadillactaste]

Not all exposed roots tree need to have a kind of grotesque or exagerated feel. It can be subtle and suggest an old venerable tree surviving the slow erosion of the hill it is growing on, something like that. We can things like that all the time in nature.

Here is a picture of an apple, second year in training. It’s going to get potted higher than it is when it goes in a proper pot, maybe in 2 years. I hope to make the roots and the tall, elegant trunk the main features. And probably some deadwood.

See I don't see that as expected root. I see it as some wonky Nebari. Exposed root needs to be more exposed in my minds eye.
Like this...

Wonky Nebari...