Wee Trees Bonsai Help Forum Advice for all
http://weetrees.co.uk/phpBB3/

Raft didn't root
http://weetrees.co.uk/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=219		 Page 1 of 2
Author:  Furrag [ 03 Jan 2010, 20:47 ]
Post subject:  Raft didn't root
Hmm, unfortunately my Chinese Elm raft, which was turned on its side 10 months ago, has not rooted from its trunk. The windows of bark and cambium removed have scarred over.

Where now? Persist and try once more? I am however tempted to graft, drilling through the trunk and taking my cuttings through - gain root once taken, and added trunk where I wish for it to be. Has anyone done this to make a raft?
Author:  Jerry Norbury [ 03 Jan 2010, 21:50 ]
Post subject:  Re: Raft didn't root
Strange. Chinese Elm usually root so readily.

You'll need to make sure that the trunk is quite deeply buried in the rooting medium.

Had you left a lot of roots ?
Author:  Furrag [ 03 Jan 2010, 21:56 ]
Post subject:  Re: Raft didn't root
Jerry Norbury wrote:
Strange. Chinese Elm usually root so readily.

You'll need to make sure that the trunk is quite deeply buried in the rooting medium.

Had you left a lot of roots ?

I know, I was disappointed when I lifted it - it was buried with only the upper surface of the horizontal trunk on display.

I left all the original roots when I laid it down. Should I have trimmed them back hard? That said, I'm still quite favourable towards grafting.
Author:  Jerry Norbury [ 03 Jan 2010, 23:32 ]
Post subject:  Re: Raft didn't root
I've never tried this personally, but my books show the roots being cut back quite a bit. They also show that the bark is removed in patches and not as one long strip.

Did the bark regrow?
Was there any callusing?

In the worst case, since it's Chinese Elm - you just chop ALL the branches off and grow them as cuttings...I'd wait till April though.
Author:  Furrag [ 04 Jan 2010, 15:51 ]
Post subject:  Re: Raft didn't root
Callusing. I definately made it wide/deep enough so the cambium wouldn't recover to bark over - just like an air layer.

I never considered the consequences of the worst case scenario. As there will be no roots growing soon, I'll see what I can do around March.

I want to know how John's Lonicera is doing, as we turned ours on its side around about the same time if I recall correctly.
Author:  Jerry Norbury [ 05 Jan 2010, 02:15 ]
Post subject:  Re: Raft didn't root
Lonicera will ALWAYS root. They are the absolute champions of rooting. I've had clippings fall onto open ground and root just lying there in the open...
Author:  John M [ 05 Jan 2010, 19:36 ]
Post subject:  Re: Raft didn't root
I haven't touched the Lonicera since I layed it down to raft, but it has grown prolifically, in its 2' X 1' box, hanging over the sides in all directions by about 6-12". I keep meaning to cut the branches back to see what's happening down below, but have never had the impulse strongly enough to actually do it. Something tells me leaving it alone might be the best policy.

No photos I'm sorry to say. SJ.
Author:  John M [ 06 Jan 2010, 10:28 ]
Post subject:  Re: Raft didn't root
Like your avatar Gareth - it reminds me of a famous rock LP from years ago, but I can't remember which - Pink Floyd maybe.

Rock on! I'm a Bach man myself.

SJ.
Author:  Furrag [ 06 Jan 2010, 10:46 ]
Post subject:  Re: Raft didn't root
Your Lonicera has certainly grown since I last saw it! In the tray it's in, surely you could lift it up and be able to see any formed roots though the sides or bottom?

On the avatar front, tres bien! It's Dark Side of the Moon. It was in the American Billboard chart for 14 years before being knocked off once and for all when the format changed (something like when you're out of the top 100, you're out forever). Unsurprisingly, the third highest selling album of all time, behind Michael Jackson's 'Thriller', and the fantastic 'Rumours' by Fleetwood Mac. :201thumbup:
Author:  John Farnan [ 07 Jan 2010, 21:47 ]
Post subject:  Re: Raft didn't root
Did you put any sort of hormone powder on the cut?
What about moss, both these things will increase the likelyhood of it taking
If all else fails you could thread graft whips at the point you wish the roots to be then once established strat restricting the flow from the main roots and allow them to take over

but as Jeremy says everyone i have spoken with reckons they should root easily, but trees dont read books...
Page 1 of 2 All times are UTC [ DST ]
Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group
http://www.phpbb.com/