In this video, I make my own muck to create a root over rock bonsai on a piece of limestone using a hawthorn tree
Пікірлер: 104
@smokyhillbonsai-gerrettmor6373 Жыл бұрын
I really enjoyed this video from start to finish!
@TonysBonsai Жыл бұрын
Thank you. I'm glad you enjoyed it. I really enjoyed putting this one together.
@sagebonsai Жыл бұрын
Nice one!👍 The other day I created a rock planter with some virginia pine. Eventually them roots will spread over the stone. The moss I've wild collected was growing on a steel slab all ready used to Utah's hot dry climate.
@TonysBonsai Жыл бұрын
You definitely have a different climate in Utah to us over here. We get it very wet here especially in spring and autumn. A bit of your sun would be nice from time to time though!
@kiwibonsai23557 ай бұрын
Missing your presence. ✌️❤️🇳🇿
@scotthogbin613 Жыл бұрын
A nostalgic trip back to my mud pie making days... this will be a interesting planting to watch Tony. I was a little stunned to see you cover that lovely rock with muck, i know you'll eventually expose it so its all good.
@TonysBonsai Жыл бұрын
Who doesn't love a trip down memory lane! I'll enjoy washing that off a little at a time over the next couple of years to expose those roots.
@phillipwaterman5721 Жыл бұрын
Bonsai phill very good video nice shape tree looking good nice job Tony thanks mate
@TonysBonsai Жыл бұрын
Thanks Phil. Providing this works, I think those curving roots will look great.
@tacobonsai Жыл бұрын
nice job changing the seat to make sure the tree has a good chance. It really nestles in there nice. I hope this works nicely for you. I've never tried but it looks like what you did will work!
@TonysBonsai Жыл бұрын
I'm pretty confident about this technique, but the mix possibly had too much clay and was a bit wet. The stuffer mix I used today was much easier to use. I suppose it's all part of the learning process.
@raymondplodzien7459 Жыл бұрын
I can’t wait to see how this one develops.
@TonysBonsai Жыл бұрын
Yeah me too Raymond. It should be really nice if everything works out as planned.
@chrisswales1174 Жыл бұрын
With that bag of clay, there HAS to be a sculpture coming soon! Tony the Renaissance man.
@TonysBonsai Жыл бұрын
For now, I'll be happy with a bonsai pot, but I do like your thinking. When I build my kiln, I'll definitely have to put a sculpture in there too!
@lewis24666 Жыл бұрын
thx for sharing this technique i like it.
@TonysBonsai Жыл бұрын
Cheers mate. I love this kind of stuff.
@kevinwilkes5969 Жыл бұрын
Nice one Tony. I can see where you're going with this one. Confident that them roots will grow. Alls good.
@TonysBonsai Жыл бұрын
Yeah I think the way those roots sweep backwards, this will be a beauty in a few years time
@mmjnice97 Жыл бұрын
Every time you try a Technique I just read about it in one of my many books on bonsai. But this technique involved using muck to ball around roots to make them easier to do a forest composition or group planting.. I really think your root over rock experiment will turn out amazing.. Excellent choice in the rock you used btw good luck with it as always 👍
@TonysBonsai Жыл бұрын
I love the idea of sitting down in the evening with a coffee and a bonsai book. Just one problem for me though, and at the risk of sounding like an idiot, I don't really like reading books 🤣
@mmjnice97 Жыл бұрын
I'm watching this in my car and the sound system is really good.. I can hear a mouse fart in this car😂
@TonysBonsai Жыл бұрын
🤣🤣Nice. Sounds like a nice motor!
@keepingitkoi Жыл бұрын
Looks like an interesting technique look forward to seeing this one in the future 👍😊
@TonysBonsai Жыл бұрын
Cheers mate. It was a bot too sloppy really, so in future I will be using a mix with some extra ingredients. I tried it today and it worked a lot better
@XaviersBonsaiRetreat Жыл бұрын
Really good to see you try this technique. I remember that Ryan Neil planting very well. I think he also used a combination of akadama and sphagnum to bind the soil in place. Not having any knowledge of clay combinations I shall wait and see. I do have a couple of slab plantings I want to try but finding the right (affordable) muck is definitely the thing that has been holding me back. Full marks on this one...again
@TonysBonsai Жыл бұрын
Cheers mate. That planting of Ryans is another one I'd love to see now. As for the muck, I did another one today with an updated recipe, and it was a lot better to use. More moss and some peat with a lot less clay. It still held together and gripped, but it was far easier to use and had much better holding power. I think I'll post it Friday as I'm off to my local bonsai society this evening.
@thenaturecreater8906 Жыл бұрын
Clay is clay
@jbmckean Жыл бұрын
the only thing i would have added to this mixture would have been some bone meal or some other kind of feed for the roots/tree i wish you the very best of success on this composition Tony and i for one will be trying this method at some point in my bonsai journey.
@TonysBonsai Жыл бұрын
Ah yes, perhaps some of that fertilizer in balls that you sprinkle on the top of the soil would have been a good addition.
@markweaver3497 Жыл бұрын
That rock would have made a great Scotch Pine. Interesting choice.
@TonysBonsai Жыл бұрын
Cheers Mark
@joegarland4885 Жыл бұрын
Good job well done mate, should work well Tony.
@TonysBonsai Жыл бұрын
Cheers Joe. I've got a feeling that this one will work out really nicely too. I love those two thick roots and the way they curve around the rock.
@joewarrick60435 ай бұрын
Pretty cool
@rebeccahunter725 Жыл бұрын
I built a mudbrick house, so this certainly looks like fun to me! ROR compositions are some of my favourite, and I have a few on the go, but generally just tied on rather than using muck. One question that I would ask (and I didn't ask myself with some of my early RORs), is why did the seed grow there in the first place? This is exciting and has a promising future, but that question niggles at the back of my mind when I look at the tree on the corner. Of course, bonsai is not necessarily a copy of reality, but an idea and representation.
@TonysBonsai Жыл бұрын
You make a great point there Rebecca about why the tree would be there in the first place. My initial plan was for it to sit on the ledge below, but perhaps this seed germinated in a tiny crack just next to that corner and somehow the tree made it? I'm clutching at straws a bit there, but it doesn't seem impossible to me.
@guysolis5843 Жыл бұрын
Wow! Good job going for it, you could've used a potato masher when breaking up the clay but you took ''making a mud pie'' to another level, friend! All joking aside, I think what you did was inspiring and right. Can't wait to see all these projects you've been working on a year later. Your attention to detail like making sure the buds on the small, wired branch were pointing up is something I think everyone would've missed. Keep making your videos, friend, we're watching and learning..Cheers!
@TonysBonsai Жыл бұрын
Cheers Guy. I made a decision a while ago, that I wanted the future of my channel to be based around projects as well as individual trees, so there is a lot of learning and experimentation, and I'm glad to share what I'm learning on my journey.
@guysolis5843 Жыл бұрын
@@TonysBonsaiYou look like you're having fun and the videos you're putting out along with your enthusiasm have inspired me...Note: I'm still camped out in front of the nursery waiting for that first truck to arrive! Haha!~
@jazzrat2000 Жыл бұрын
I put my newly mucked tree out on the shelf outside and then we had two inches of rain. For some reason I had covered the muck with a plastic bag, and it didn't rinse away. This is one of those rare instances where something I did was a good idea!
@Tybold63 Жыл бұрын
Don't want to be picky but am pretty sure it is not true sphagnum moss (has a more water absorbant texture and denser growth)😉. My wild guess it could be Rhytidiadelphus squarrosus or related. True Sphagnum moss can probably be substituted with other moss for use in bonsai context so no worries in that aspect. Apart from that I am very interested in future development on this technique, wish you luck Tony ☺. Looks to be quite fun to get hands dirty playing with mud 😂
@TonysBonsai Жыл бұрын
Yes, I agree. I don't think it is true sphagnum, but as you say, it should be close enough to do a similar job I hope anyway.
@Tybold63 Жыл бұрын
@@TonysBonsai thanks for staying positive - sometimes I express things in a very Swedish direct way. Cheers!😁
@digitaIgorilla Жыл бұрын
Tony joins Pottery Throwdown 🤣
@TonysBonsai Жыл бұрын
🤣🤣 So far I've had 100% firing my pots! 100% have cracked! 🤣🤣
@digitaIgorilla Жыл бұрын
Keep at it, it's only practice 😉 And there are never enough bonsai pots available
@TonysBonsai Жыл бұрын
yeah, I'm going to have a go at building my own wood-fired kiln in the summer!
@digitaIgorilla Жыл бұрын
@@TonysBonsai Sounds like the start of a second channel!
@StevesBackyardBonsai Жыл бұрын
Bravo Tony! You have the start of a terrific RoR Bonsai. I wish I was there to assist you, but I’m sure you can find an able-bodied and willing dad type person to help out with the larger planting.
@TonysBonsai Жыл бұрын
Cheers Steve. Yes, my dad would help, but I've got another KZbinr visiting later this month, so I think I'll rope him in!
@shahrafiq2165 Жыл бұрын
Three handed person can be a very good bonsai artist but unfortunately I didn't find any one 😀🌱
@TonysBonsai Жыл бұрын
🤣🤣Maybe if you look near Chornobyl? 🤣
@mattbrennan647 Жыл бұрын
Interesting muck recipe. Job done! I cheat with my ROR. I use ficus’😂. It will be interesting to see how those roots grow into that clay muck. A recipe I learned from Nigel is composted manure and bonsai soil. Looking forward to seeing your larger project and who gets the honor of being another set of hands. Thanks, keep growing
@TonysBonsai Жыл бұрын
Yes, I'm really looking forward to putting the big one together. I thin I'll be adding some compost into my much going forward to make it a bit more soil like.
@mattbrennan647 Жыл бұрын
@@TonysBonsai ,,, see Nigel’s muck recipe at 10:38 kzbin.info/www/bejne/nYfYaHV8ppKGqbM Good luck with your large project
@TonysBonsai Жыл бұрын
Cheers Matt. An interesting mix that. I think there is quite a difference between the type of muck needed to build up a hill in a pot and to attach roots to the side of a rock. It needs to be a lot more sticky to really allow me to push those roots in. It will be interesting to see how it gets on. With it being grey it looks very artificial and strange looking, but if it was orange I'm sure it would appear a lot more natural. I'm hoping the addition of a bit of compost/peat will help it not be quite so soft.
@mattbrennan647 Жыл бұрын
@@TonysBonsai ,,, ahhhh, yes, hadn’t thought of that. Well, now you have a hill recipe for future projects 😊. ✌🏻
@danieldalton8125 Жыл бұрын
Think this is going to be great Tony, look forward to seeing it progress. I think the roots will contour the rock as they thicken. If you don't mind what's the name of the Mirai vid? Not sure I've seen that one. Can't wait for the big project.
@TonysBonsai Жыл бұрын
Cheers Daniel. I think those roots that loop around are going to look fantastic in years to come. here's the Mirai video. Very interesting. kzbin.info/www/bejne/maKxl3mOeNWsiMU
@danieldalton8125 Жыл бұрын
@Tonys Bonsai a lot of people giving their 2 peneth worth today I see. Thought you were making a crumble at one point 😃 thanks for the link, gonna watch it now.
@TonysBonsai Жыл бұрын
🤣🤣Has to be gooseberry crumble for me!
@GrowingBonsai Жыл бұрын
Not sure this is a great way to go about it, tbh. Ideally you use much younger material to really have the roots cling the rock.
@TonysBonsai Жыл бұрын
Yes, I get what you are saying, but the two videos I used as references by Peter warren and Ryan Neil both use mature trees with already developed roots which they manipulated around the rocks. It's definitely challenging, but I think this technique has a lot of potential to create some really interesting compositions.
@thenaturecreater8906 Жыл бұрын
Spoiled today almost 30 min of Tony fun! I am going to give you a tip that I don't think much used in "old" Bonsai school rule book. I have been doing aquascaping for ten years now. Been competing in world championships not to brage 🤣 but if you use aquasoil. Substrat for aquarium. Ada or tropical is good and a great pH. And a little water mix with very fin cutting of sphagnum moss. And mix it. You gest best "mukk" than money could buy. I have done many wabi kusa and the plants are doing amazing. I understand you want cut roots. But I had used a thin layer of mukk in the cracks in the stone. And sorted the best roots. And placed them in the cracks. Cover by the aquasoil muck.
@TonysBonsai Жыл бұрын
Interesting stuff. I've just been doing some research on aquasoil, and there's so much choice. I had no idea that it was such a big thing. Sounds like a good ingredient, but it's certainly not cheap.
@thenaturecreater8906 Жыл бұрын
@Tonys Bonsai no its not cheap if you use 500 liters of soil in the month 🤣🤣🤣
@jazzrat2000 Жыл бұрын
When my kids were young we had a pitching mound and a home plate in our backyard in a net, so they could practice pitching and hitting for Little League baseball. Why am I telling you this? It's because the mound was made of red clay, wonderful red clay which would make such colorful muck! (I just have to dig it up)
@deepanjanbanerjee3491 Жыл бұрын
Lovely stuff but some comments if I may. 1. The tree is probably a bit too old for this; am sure you would have taken this into consideration 2. Limestone has lovely cracks but is not chemically inert. May react adversely with the roots 3. Limestone will decompose with time I used to do this with ficus (banyan) in India. A thin layer of muck on the rock first, drape the roots and tie with jute or coir rope, spread muck over the ropes liberally, pot and bury it inside a larger pot. As an extra precaution during summer, a wet gunny sack to cover the root base would ensure success! Keep us posted.
@TonysBonsai Жыл бұрын
Thanks for the information Deepanjan. Much appreciated. regarding the limestone, hawthorn is very tollerant of alkaline soils, and naturally grows in the UK on limestone all the time so that should be fine. I will definitely be wary about tletting it get too dry in the summer though and the sack is a good idea.
@Bonsaicrazy Жыл бұрын
Not sure how you’ll get it away from the roots in the end. Interesting method hope it works for you, Im a bit scared for you in it changing the colour of the stone. That would be disappointing for you. 👍👍👍👍👍
@TonysBonsai Жыл бұрын
Cheers mate. it's just clay, so It will be easy to wash off with water, and I cant think of why it would stain limestone.
@Bonsaicrazy Жыл бұрын
@@TonysBonsai good luck with it dude
@Tinoshke07 Жыл бұрын
I would have gone also with younger material so the roots are easier to move into the right shape but I hope this project turns out well for you Tony, I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you ! 🤞
@TonysBonsai Жыл бұрын
Yeah, the trees I'm using on the proper planting are younger and should have better roots, but I always think it's better to practice on challenging material then when it comes to using the proper trees it will seem easy.
@Tinoshke07 Жыл бұрын
@@TonysBonsai That's a great strategy but the one condition is that you have a lot of trees 😃 Of course, like you already said in previous videos, in your area, hawthorns are abundant. so you can go ahead and experiment .
@TonysBonsai Жыл бұрын
You're nor worng mate. One thing I'm not short of are hawthorns. The things are everywhere!
@chaddamp2894 Жыл бұрын
Looks great Tony,where can I get the wire from?
@TonysBonsai Жыл бұрын
I just buy it online. I buy 500g reels as it's quite a lot cheaper in bulk
@catabaticanabatic3800 Жыл бұрын
Shape the rock to suit your tree. Show it who's boss. The rock can be easily shaped and sculpted to suit your material.
@TonysBonsai Жыл бұрын
Wow, I like your style. This limestone has been shaped by nature over a very long time, so cracking it open would be a big move!
@oneeyemoon7789 Жыл бұрын
Some patient chiselling / rasping would be the way to go
@patjones356 Жыл бұрын
Tony I am inspired to try a root over rock. Can I ask what type of clay I need to get to make some muck please. Thanks Pat Jones
@TonysBonsai Жыл бұрын
Hi Pat. I'm glad you're going to have a go! I'm just editing another root over rock video where I show you how I make my new updated recipe for muck. Apparently, you can use any type of clay. Red clay from the ground, grey potting clay that I use, or akadama fine particles will also work well.
@brucedeacon28 Жыл бұрын
👍👌👌
@andrewbeattie5245 Жыл бұрын
Hmm... going to have to try and check out messrs Warren and Neil. At the moment i don't see how this is any different from just putting the roots in place and covering with sphagnum? 🤔 i realise that the ends are in the potting mix below the rock but will the clay not just harden and kill the roots? If you could firmly fix the trees to the rock before you start laying the roots, you may get away with doing it single handedly. Going to be a great composition if it survives.
@TonysBonsai Жыл бұрын
Hi Andrew. I'm normally a bit dubious about stuff like this, but I'm pretty confident that this will do really well. I'll be watering the soil, and also watering the clay to keep it moist, and the moss with help in that regard. The Peter warren video is a beech tree, and the bonsai Mirai is a large planting of junipers on a couple of tall rocks. they are both older videos from a few years ago, and well worth a watch.
@martifish Жыл бұрын
That won’t kill the roots but they won’t flourish either.
@TonysBonsai Жыл бұрын
@@martifish I think I will be changing the mix going forward adding some compost to it so it's got less clay in there. It will be interesting for me to see how this tree gets on. I've got a feeling that it's going to do well.
@japanesemaplesbonsai7133 Жыл бұрын
Turn the rock vertical ?
@TonysBonsai Жыл бұрын
The bottom of it wasn't the best, but that could have been interesting in terms of getting the roots to grow down the striations in the rock.
@snoekhoek Жыл бұрын
Also not something I’m gonna try 😂 Nice going again mate!
@TonysBonsai Жыл бұрын
🤣🤣I think you're in denial mate. You'll be buying a big bag of clay this week!
@lougriffiths Жыл бұрын
I think I would have definitely removed a lot of the fine roots from the top of the roots. Just to make the root path clearer
@TonysBonsai Жыл бұрын
Yeah, I did think about that Louise. I'm just hoping that they all work their way downwards and the finer roots will just die off over time.
@markjunemiller Жыл бұрын
I've tried this method a few times before using Keto and Sphagnum moss but always had bad results and in most cases the tree dying. The last two years I've been trying a different method which has been much more sucessful. First I mix (very wet) long strand Sphagnum moss with Akadama dust and fine particals (The stuff you find at the bottom of a Akadama bag) then I create channels for the roots to follow, and as the Sphagnum is long stranded and wet it holds quite well. I then adjust the roots to follow the channels of Sphagnum channels, using cable ties if needed, then apply another layer of Sphagnum over the roots. I then mix up a batch of Keto and Sphagnum moss which is placed over the last layer of spahagum to hold everything together and cover the spahagnum. It creates a very easy channel for the roots to develop in and also travel down to the pot. It's also very easy to gradually remove over time and reval the roots. - It's fun experiementing and I hope the method you have tried in this video works for you!
@TonysBonsai Жыл бұрын
Thank you for sharing your technique Mark. That sounds like a superb method and from the sounds of it it all makes a alot of sense. I've just this moment sat down after creating a large group root over rock, and it was a lot easier after I added a lot more moss and some compost to the clay. It was a much more stodgy consistency and seemed to hold much better. like many of my projects, I will be seeing how they got on this year, and I will be looking to change and adjust my techniques if they don;t work out as I want, and I will definitely return to your suggestion if they all die 🤣
@bonsaikastur Жыл бұрын
I don't like cocoa soil. When I buy a nursery tree it makes impossible to clean the roots without breaking most of them
@TonysBonsai Жыл бұрын
Interesting. I'm liking it so far. Hopefully, I won't regret it in a year or two.
@TheBonsaiGarden Жыл бұрын
I see where this is heading… 😂
@TonysBonsai Жыл бұрын
🤣🤣
@bonsaitime621 Жыл бұрын
Foist
@nigel4425 Жыл бұрын
Interesting... But, it is pronounced 'koyer' not 'kwaah'. Sorry to be a pedant! Keep up the good work.
@TonysBonsai Жыл бұрын
Thanks Nigel. Always better to be saying it correctly I agree.