RUSTENBURG BONSAI KAI

Sunday, April 18, 2010

Org Exley visits Rustenburg Bonsai Kai

Org evaluating this Olea africana. this yamadori will lend itself to a nice literati style.

Cutting and grinding away everything that is not part of this tree.

Working on the nebari.

Very handy with his die-grinder.

Closeup of the deadwood.

Preliminary work on the tree done. Building the pads would be the next step.

Thanks Org for a very informative demonstration- we have learned a lot about carving and the literati style.

Sunday, November 22, 2009

Root over rock demonstration by Pieter du Plessis.

The root over rock tree above is a world renowned Ficus Sycamores by Charles Ceronio.

Here follows the root over rock series done by Pieter. He plants the trees/cuttings/seeds he wants to use in 60-90cm plastic drain pipes to develop as long roots as possible. When he removes them he wash of all the soil (one third gravel, one third garden loam and one third compost) and wrap the tree in wet newspapers to keep the roots moist. He emphasize to place the rocks as found in nature and to find a natural hollow where a seed would have germinated as in nature.

The one root into a groove.

He doesn't use the plastic wrap or foil method- the roots are pushed into the grooves by elastic bands and cable ties.

Polystyrene, rubber bands and cable ties to push the roots as close as possible to the rocks.

Cable ties are used to pull the polystyrene as tight as possible.

Some more cable ties.

Putting the rock in a plastic container and filling it up with the above mentioned soil mix.

....and lastly he uses a plastic piece of lining to fill it up further. After six weeks he will remove the plastic to expose the roots gradually. After a year the roots will be fully exposed.