Root over driftwood or rock

[Bush bunny]

Hi again, I just thought to ask, root over rock. Can you use a big black old driftwood instead.
I haven't got any nice rocks, other than a huge tufa, all my other rocks are smooth. But this is an old aquarium black rather nice piece, with looks like a mountain with other twists. Or should I go to the aquarium shop and buy a small piece of volcanic rock.

Thanks for any thoughts on this.

I would say the drift wood piece is almost rock hard itself and black.

[shibui]

Your driftwood may feel hard but it is till wood and will slowly rot. You can grow a root over driftwood bonsai if you like (and probably learn a lot about the process which will be good for the next one) but what happens when, eventually the wood does rot away?
better to wait for a good rock and do it properly.

[Bush bunny]

Yes I agree, I showed my son, and he said the driftwood was very good shape and interesting, be a shame to cover it up. But thanks again. I'll go to the pet shop and buy a small piece of tufa or volcanic rock. It's warming up again here on the Northern Tablelands, but still prone to 0-3 minus.

[Jason]

Can definately be done, but as Shibui said, it'll eventually rot away.

Here is a pic of one from a recent show over here



Or, if you decide not to use it, you can always create a deadwood accent:



I've always been curious about them, because if you created it knowing it would rot away, you could end up with a interesting exposed root design.... or you could just end up with a really odd looking bonsai haha

[Bush bunny]

Way out! I like very much. Thanks but today while tripping around the garden I came across a small rock with a bit of lichen or moss on the surface, about the size of a large man's fist. I asked my son what type of rock it was, and he thought it was concrete. But - it's black. It could be as it has a flat bottom, but lots of crannies.

Now the book I read, said place the tree on the rock, spread its major roots, which won't be big, and wrap with plastic. Then bury it in sand, I have some proper propagation sand. Bury it to the trunk level, leave it for a year, watering only. No feed, just sand. Leave the fibrous roots intact. Maybe trim a bit and below the plastic cover. Bit hard not to feed it though even with low nitrogen liquid fertilizer?

I've got a young trident or is it a Japanese maple, can't remember. So I hope this would be a suitable candidate for root over rock. What do you think?

Pat from Armidale

We got some rain today? Whoopee.

[Bush bunny]

Talk about odd bonsai designs. I bought a Jade from the Armidale Bonsai stall at our Autumn festival 2010. I was told it didn't like frost, so kept it inside. Well - when I bought my Zygoes in, I completely forgot to water it as it was hidden behind one of them. Well the trunk didn't grow, and eventually finding it again, I started to water it, and it got more leaves. It looks like an octopus with cascading branches hardly any trunk. It liked being summered out too. So this will be an unusual bonsai creation won't it? What would you call it full cascade?

[Bush bunny]

This rock I miraculously found today, almost sent by the bonsai fairies I think, it is a igneous rock possibly basalt. I don't think the green is lichen or moss, I think it is the natural skin of the rock.
Well isn't that interesting. I've walked that path so many times to empty the garbage, and never spotted it before. We are getting good rain, are you?

[Bush bunny]

Well I have closely researched that mystery rock, it is volcanic basalt with possibly green mineral olivine skin. What a find, eh? I mean I stepped over so many times and didn't notice it? I did study a bit of geology at UNE for archaeological purposes. So did my son, concrete indeed.