Did I just create a new way to get quick nebari?

[@HerbandRoots]

Great idea for an experiment. Can't wait to see what happens!

[@arnoldmmbb]

I thought you were crazy with the mesh then you explain it and it makes totally sense 😂

[@bakedarea3885]

SAME! 😂😂 Made sense enough to me that I'm going to give it a try too! 🤷‍♂️

[@smalltrees]

I didn't see this comment until now. I may yet be crazy, but it made sense in my mind! I'm sure there are better materials than this mesh for this idea, but hopefully we can refine it into something that works really well.

[@smalltrees]

I am already planning several different iterations of this so that hopefully this idea can be refined quickly into something viable. There is another comment that had some really good ideas for other materials to try. I'm going to give them a shot as well and hopefully we come out with a winner!

[@b-lÿfe420]

One the best with nebari growth at a young age!

[@mymikeysbeefarm3606]

Use a small flat washer on top of the C D. for smaller diameter trees

[@mattygroves]

I'll be interested to see how the hardware cloth works. I have a ton of that stuff!

[@miketabback2635]

I really enjoy your innovative ideas please keep thinking and bringing them to us. BTW, that Trident Maple fusion is looking good. I’m hoping the handwear cloth works out, that technique looks very interesting. In the mean time the hole in a small sheet of metal will be my go-to method. Mike T PS: I was asked about your logo on my T-shirt. When I told him about Small Trees, he was already familiar with you and your KZbin channel. It`s a small world when it comes to Small Trees.

[@b-lÿfe420]

Do the seedlings roots completely cover the CD? Do you remove the cd once the tree outgrows it so the trunk can continue to thicken with out the cd interfering with growth? Also how have the mesh projects turned out so far! Definitely sounds like a fantastic experiment that could end up with great results

[@gregdrew5345]

2 thoughts, 1have you considered your plate metal idea with 2plates each having a U shaped slot fastened together so it could tightly fit any sized trunk and not have to slide over roots or branches. 2 has this technique been tried for air layering?

[@smalltrees]

1) how would you fasten the two plates together? It might be time for me to learn to weld, but that would be awfully close to the tree. 2) I actually haven't, but if I could implement what you said for question 1, it should be a nice way to do it!

[@gregdrew5345]

@@smalltrees if you were using aluminum, maybe a couple of small drill holes and pop rivets or maybe an epoxy like JB Weld or something like that.

[@mikelongley785]

Thanks for doing these vids and experimenting with new techniques.

[@smalltrees]

No problem! They're fun for me to do and they give me (and hopefully you) something to look forward to.

[@SillySalmon94]

What if you used a larger fender washer so the tree had more metal to swell over.. I feel like that would almost save the issue of the washer tipping and giving you the one strong root

[@smalltrees]

I normally plant my trees through larger metal plates, so this was more of an experiment than anything. I agree though, a larger washer should yield better results.

[@redghost5705]

I love seeing people try new stuff with bonsai. Do you brush rooting powder around the base of the swell to help promote rooting there?

[@smalltrees]

I usually do, yes. Thank you, I enjoy trying different things as well!

[@Dave_en]

You can do the same without rooting hormone. Use tea leaf compost and sand to loosen up the soil. Apply Aloevera gel but thats even optional. Whenever a part of the tree touches this kind of soil, rooting occurs within a week. You dont even need to scratch the trunk. Just make sure to keep the soil loose by poking a screwdriver and pulling up the soil. Some fine roots may break off during the process but its a healthy exercise to stimulate root growth. If you can cover the plant with plastic cover then you can expect overall growth of your plant throughout the year round.

[@b-lÿfe420]

Do the seedlings roots completely cover the CD? Do you remove the cd once the tree outgrows it so the trunk can continue to thicken with out the cd interfering with growth?

[@huguescarpentier4367]

Experiments drive progress, had the metal mesh one happen by accident on Carpinus years ago, the bark would bridge the wire after chocking for a bit, no roots were produced but the large swelling in the area was used later for layering by removing a ring of bark and applying a wire tourniquet, maple is more prone to root so maybe they will play ball... nice videos

[@smalltrees]

Thank you! That's kinda what I expect, but I'm open to make a layer if needed.

[@MsSaudm]

Trees you are a genius ! I'm trying this one

[@haidafella8651]

Ive done a bunch of deer enclosures with fencing that looks like what you are using. They are zinc coated and all the plants die along the drip line. That could be a potential issue.. tree might be hardy enough to weather that... the other issue i could imagine is that the plant growth will just push the mesh out of the way... but i will be looking forward to your results

[@b-lÿfe420]

So does the washer help promote horizontal root growth vs vertical?

[@percyacutt3110]

Try tying a thick wire tightly around the trunk you can then use any trunk any size and a lot easier

[@thelazybonsai]

Wow... that is crazy! Can’t wait to see the results!

[@smalltrees]

Same here! Should be interesting no matter how it turns out!

[@radrickdavis]

I think you are going to get embossed square textured roots that grip along the cloth. Interesting idea.

[@smalltrees]

You're probably right. I should have thought of a way to put a logo in there for the world's first logo'd tree haha.

[@radrickdavis]

@@smalltrees That would be a marketable idea. Branding your trees.

[@bakedarea3885]

I'll be giving this a try for sure! Brilliant idea by the way.

[@jaychet]

love this idea. I will definitely be giving it a go. I may try something a bit more sturdy tho? cant wait to see how it turns out 👍🏼

[@smalltrees]

Yeah, someone suggested that I secure the edges of the wire with a ring of wood. Anything that would keep it from flexing would be good!

[@Tybold63]

That is an exciting idea with the mesh. I will follow with great interest what experience you going to have with that method.

[@johnlambe2912]

I think the double strength is a good idea. The single has a lot of play in it.

[@smalltrees]

I agree. I think I'm going to take some suggestions I've gotten and get several different perforated materials to try.

[@markwoodard4012]

Good idea with the mesh. I’ve also thought about epoxy putty. You could easily cut a hole with a drinking straw or what ever.

[@marielovevlogs4042]

Great

[@avocado-toast7617]

love your experiments, learning by doing, discovering new ways.. awesome!

[@jjasperchan]

A little speculation on the mesh experiment, having experience in unkempt gardens where roots were growing around garbage, wire fencing etc, and it seems like the the wire was thin enough that the girdle swells enough on both sides to envelop the wire instead of issuing new roots on the top side, although what happens after that would be interesting!

[@smalltrees]

I think you are probably right, but if we get a fat base out of it, we can work on surface roots after!

[@joeboom9084]

I think an expanded metal might work better than that mesh. It's typically thicker and you can also find it with smaller openings. I'm definitely going to try it this coming spring. Also, u think if you were to thread the tree through the CD then through a washer you won't get the roots that come out half an inch then drop, they'll have to keep going outward.

[@smalltrees]

@@joeboom9084 I have some metal similar to what you're talking about but it's in a big sheet. Would have to find a way to cut it. Regarding the washer and the cd, why not just use a cd in that case? Sorry if I'm missing something, I'm a little sleepy

[@joeboom9084]

@@smalltrees the idea with using a combination of CD and washer is because the washer has a smaller opening than the CD. Probably only do this for smaller trees though.

[@smalltrees]

That is my forte! Lol. But yeah, I wouldn't force a tree through a washer, I'd make sure it had a little room on each side.

[@paulkendeffy8893]

Morning, I’m in Pennsylvania and would like to buy a trident from you....what is the best way to connect with you so we can review your inventory? Thanks, Paul

[@smalltrees]

Hey, you can shoot me an email at [e-mail] with your price range and what you're looking for. Thanks!

[@backbudbonsai]

Is the dirt u use for the seedlings just regular store bought compost? Or is it a custom mix of ur own?

[@smalltrees]

In these little pots, it's just regular compost. They only stay in the pots until it's warm enough outside for them to go in the ground. In the ground, it's a mix of potting soil, compost, and something like turface to keep the soil from compacting too much.

[@KennetDeBondt]

Good plan! Any updates? grts Kennet

[@smalltrees]

I'll get some this spring. Growth on these trees wasn't very good because of soil conditions, so they may need to be moved if there isn't a whole lot going on underneath when I dig them this spring.

[@rifkolosi]

i think this could work with a metal plate with a grid of holes, but the mesh will probably be pushed apart and be broken by the growth of the tree / roots.

[@peterthoms2725]

I have the same sized mesh in thicker grade wire. It’s stiff with no flex. Better option?

[@stormdrifter7904]

Any news on the next video? Love your stuff

[@smalltrees]

Life keeps me busy right now but I'll try to get some updates once I have enough growth to show progress!

[@AlexBraunton]

Quite an interesting concept! Looking forward to the updated to see how this works out.

[@smalltrees]

I have a feeling it won't work, but it will be fun to see what it ends up looking like.

[@kootje4700]

The CD method is also fine with cuttings. After the cuttings rooted en fatted up, it wil grow in the cd and will give you a nice root spread.

[@Chris-oq6kn]

Great video. So i have a question on a ground layer. I want to ground layer my chinese elm to start new roots because its roots now are horrible. Should i wait for leaves to come out in spring and harden off then ground layer? And if the tree has no leaves and i ground layer could it compromise the tree? I never see any ground layering videos to start some new nebari. Thanks alot!

[@smalltrees]

You can start it in spring after leaves bud out. You can wait a few weeks until they harden as well, but the water moving from the root to the leaves won't be interrupted. It's the sugars going from the leaves down to the roots that is stopped at the site of the layer, which causes the swelling and then root growth. It's the same process as an air layer, just at ground level.

[@Chris-oq6kn]

@@smalltrees thank u soo much for the quick reply and simple answer to my question. Keep putting out vids love em!

[@smalltrees]

No problem! Glad you enjoy the videos!

[@ConductorRyan]

interesting experiment. You might end up with a weird shaped nebari if it works. My guess is that as the trunk grows and pushes against the hardware cloth it will deform it into a bowl or taco shape.

[@smalltrees]

You're probably right. I think this could probably be refined into something viable, but this is probably the rough first draft.

[@JFAquatics]

This is a cool concept but I'm curious how long it may take to do this. The hardware cloth is 80+ % open, so I'm curious if this may end up just enveloping it, and just continually swell and "approach graft" over the mesh. If this ends up being the case something more "opaque" maybe like a steel pegboard, where the holes are 1/8" and spaced on a 1x1 grid? So the tree's downward roots would be choked at 1/8" with 1" between so as it swells, it cuts the root's cambium layer off before it reaches another in the same "predicament"

[@smalltrees]

This is the exact thought that I had, but didn't want to spoil it in the description. I suspect that this is what will happen, but I'm still curious if I will end up with a wide base above, even if the actual root ball ends up a mess. I hadn't even thought of pegboard, but I think that if the gaps between holes are too large, you'll be effectively planting through a metal plate like I do now, but will end with worse roots. I'm going to look and see if there is some cheap pegboard that has the holes maybe a little closer together. If there was a prize, you'd be the winner!

[@JFAquatics]

@@smalltrees They make it, I used to work at Lowe's and they do sell steel pegboard in 2x2 sheets, if I remember correctly but a quick search also led me to Uline, which is an industrial supplier - they have a polypropylene pegboard available that could potentially do the same thing, but never truly degrade. I have some trident seeds I'm starting this season, and you've inspired me to try some fun things.

[@smalltrees]

I'll check it out! I already ordered some but I'll look at Uline too. I hope you have fun with yours, I'll definitely enjoy seeing what happens. If you remember, let me know later this year how your experiments are going for you!

[@JFAquatics]

@@smalltrees That just inspired me too - why not try something more rigid, but more opaque? They do make sheet metal that they sell as dog/cat preventatives on screen doors they call "decorative sheet metal" www.lowes.com/pd/Steelworks-24-in-x-36-in-Aluminum-Decorative/3049411 they have plenty of options, but other metal fabricators will have a LOT more, and probably cheaper too. There are so many possibilities out there.

[@JFAquatics]

@@smalltrees will do.

[@mccoymf8505]

Brilliant! 🍃

[@billavery6759]

Use two CDs on one tree. Then you could vary the size of the hole. That might be a good option.

[@smalltrees]

I've got plenty more seedlings! I'll give it a try.

[@bokujin.bonsai]

There’s a chance the tree might bridge the girdle because the wire of the mesh is so thin

[@smalltrees]

I believe you are probably right. I am taking some of the great suggestions on different ways to approach this idea and am working on a couple new versions to test alongside this one. I apologise for releasing no videos in the last few days. I had planned to work hard this weekend, but a combination of having company visiting and waiting on an important email left me a little too anxious to work on anything. I am going to get back at it tomorrow. I'm also shipping out an order that was placed a week ago and I never received a notification. I'm including some freebies for them as an apology. It's supposed to rain this week, so I'm going to have to work around that, but I still have some neat things to work on and techniques to show before spring is here for everyone.

[@philipeconomou7039]

What would happen if you just planted on top of the mesh?

[@markwoodard659]

How has the mesh method worked so far. This video is only 2 years old and you may not have checked yet, which is understandable

[@smalltrees]

It's been very mixed with the ones i have checked so far. One or two decent ones, and a lot of bad ones. They may just need more time to grow, and then need a ground layer after that.

[@marielovevlogs4042]

Hello

[@Dave_en]

The quickest way to make dense nebari is to trap moisture around the roots without waterlogging and at the same time introducing controlled oxygenation into the roots. For this, place the plant over the topmost layer of soil with all available roots spread as much as possible. Then sprinkle loose soil mixed with well decomposed tea compost over the roots. Cover this area with the top portion of plastic bottle. Keep the soil moist by misting on daily basis. Within a week you can see tremendous amount of roots growing and forming a bunch. Keep this for 6 months till roots thicken enough not to break off while handling. Then you can decide to remove unobeying roots from the bunch and keep the rest. That way i could achieve best nebari and thick trunk within short period. Feed DAP every 15 days to the roots and keep the roots covered in plastic bottle. The tree becomes so healthy that it bursts out its old bark and the green healthy trunk gets exposed. Green trunk denotes that it contains good amount of sap and can absorb more nutrients and grow at faster rates. I have tried this on many species of plants and all of them thickened up pretty quickly along with roots bursting out within a week of training.

[@smalltrees]

I somehow missed this comment, so I'm sorry for the late reply. But this is some great information! I will probably try this out on a tree or two this spring and credit you if that's okay!

[@Dave_en]

@@smalltrees Yeah, sure. I can guarantee the success of this technique. You just need a healthy plant with sufficient roots to survive replanting. My indian banyan trees are still growing in this peak of winters though with slow pace. The main nutrient i would give credit to is humic acid from decomposed tea leaves. It works as catalyst promoting root growth and increasing the apetite of your plant. Try with new sapling, say 3 inch one and see how the tapering of the trunk occurs. The shape appears like a beautiful wine bottle. The woody part of the trunk becomes green and sheds off its bark into small bits. The wounds from hard pruning heals off quickly leaving nice patterns as we see in the nature. Results would be better if you plant your tree in large tray or in garden with flat tile or board below. The roots must freely spread horizontally.

[@smalltrees]

I can definitely do that. I use Holly-tone when fertilizing my trident maples because it's easily accessible and contains a lot of humic acid. You'll have to critique me when I do it. I'll try to reply to you here when I'm making the video so you can be on the lookout.

[@Dave_en]

@@smalltrees We will learn together faster through experiments and sharing the results. I just shared my own method which was successful. There might be other methods too which works. Also misting the plant on daily basis keeps the dust away and helping the plant in photosynthesis more efficiently. I have observed some roadside trees not growing properly due to heavy dust collected on the leaves. You can just wipe off the leaves with moist cloth once a week so that the plant looks clean and beautiful. Keep the plant at a place which recieves sunlight all the day long. My friends are complaining that their plants are dying due to lack of sufficient sunlight. I told them the reason.

[@smalltrees]

Most of my beds use misters to water, so the leaves stay dust and pollen free for the most part. The only problem that I run into is that I never expect the amount of growth that I get from some trees and they will shade out some others that are close by. I suppose the answer is to build more beds, but I'm not sure where I would build them right now.

[@stephenhogan8220]

Where are you at bro ? I hope all is well . I think we were all getting used to the regular content

[@smalltrees]

Hey man. I'm here! I've just been really busy with work and haven't had time to make videos that wouldn't seem forced. My schedule may become a lot more open soon though, and I can get back to making videos that I hope you'll enjoy. I have had a new intro made for me that I think is pretty neat, and I want to show it off soon!

[@stephenhogan8220]

@@smalltrees I'm sure I speak for all of us . We look forward to the new videos ! . That's life huh and I'm sure it's hard to balance job and a passion then have to film/produce/publish etc Thanks mate

[@smalltrees]

Thank you man. I don't want to make anything that doesn't have my full attention behind it. I'll be back soon, I promise.

[@billyckjelson]

Another great video! I have 10,000 useless CDS I know have a use for. Thanks homie! Have you ever seen how roots grow with magnets around them? Check that out. There’s videos on KZbin about it. Crazy. I’ve been meaning to experiment with magnets myself.