Have you seen a fairly-flat, porous rock in your garden or even, an interesting slab of stone that has a natural planting area carved into it? It is possible to slab-plant your Bonsai trees, in much the same way you may see wind swept cedars clinging to the side of a stone bluff in nature. Planting your own Bonsai tree grove is possible, but getting your plants started can be the most difficult part of the process.
Slab planting your Bonsai trees will require a stone slab, plumber’s epoxy putty, long-grain sphagnum moss, Bonsai wire and wire cutters, besides your plant and clay based fertilizer. Anchoring your Bonsai tree to the slab, while the roots spread and grab hold involves mixing the plumber’s putty in a glob around a wire, to anchor your plant to. This ball of putty should be placed where you plan to center your plant and it will need to harden for half an hour or more.
In the meanwhile, you will need to mix water and clay based fertilizer with the moss, in order to form a dough-like mixture to contain your Bonsai tree, plant or shrubs. This can be rolled into loaf like rolls, to be molded around the roots of the tree, once it has been wired to the hardened putty and wire anchor. By molding these rolls around the root ball, you are forming a planter, in which to place fresh soil. You will need to cover the soil with moss, in order to hold it in place, but as the soil and dough like mixture dries, the roots will start to spread across the stone slab, adding artistic interest to your Bonsai.
For the first few months, you will want to water gently, in order to prevent erosion, but you may prefer to mist the moss and the tree’s roots, depending on how deeply your tree or shrub is placed. You can continue to prune new growth and larger leaves or branches, training your Bonsai tree to the shape you desire.
If you plant multiple trees on a large slab, you may want to add other pieces of natural miniature landscaping, such as small pieces of driftwood, pebbles and natural elements. The creative Japanese art of Bonsai planting allows you to create a peaceful and relaxing slab planted grove of miniaturized Bonsai trees or a single, unique specimen with interesting, gnarly twists and wind swept, cascading shape.
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