Eric repots a root over rock Japanese Black Pine and discusses the work it still needs while in middle development.
00:00:36 The stone is unusual in both shape and size from the rocks Eric typically gravitates toward. He collected it in far Northern California.
00:01:00 The tree has been growing in a colander for the past two years. You can learn more about it from this article Eric wrote a few years ago: https://www.bonsaify.com/blogs/phutu-blog/improving-young-root-over-rock-pines. It escape rooted through the container and ground cover, and has grown quickly.
00:01:51 Eric separated the tree from the ground to avoid compromising the quality of the finished bonsai.
00:02:40 Sawzall in action cutting through the bottom of the container!
00:03:37 Why to avoid ragged root edges.
00:04:20 This tree is still in middle development.
00:05:24 Eric continues cutting back the roots, removing topsoil to expose roots and rock.
00:07:18 How to think about development with eventual bonsai pot in mind.
00:07:51 Repotting
00:08:21 Wiring a branch to create movement and highlight the rock face.
00:09:38 Sacrifice branches and summary of container choice and future development work.
Share your experiences working with unusual rocks in root over rock compositions in the comments below! Thank you for watching; if you’re looking to start your own RoR and you already have a rock in mind, we have young Japanese Black Pine available for purchase, grown specifically for this purpose: https://www.bonsaify.com/products/japanese-black-pine-for-exposed-root-and-root-over-rock. Looking for an entire RoR kit? We have that, too! https://www.bonsaify.com/products/root-over-rock-japanese-black-pine-kit
