First times - The Cotoneaster, root over rock adventure

While mucking around with junipers is fun, sometimes too much of the same thing becomes a little bit tedious. So feeling confident with my newly gained experience in wiring and shaping plants i decided to put my hand to a different species of plant as well as different techniques and styles.

The plant that i decided to use is Cotoneaster horizontalis. There are many species of cotoneaster and they range from low growing ground covers to large shrubs up to 5m tall. There are many examples of established cotoneaster plants in front yards all across the north shore of Sydney, mostly in the older landscaped houses. In my humble landscapers opinion cotoneaster is an old persons plant, i have never thought of putting it in a garden that i have created and nobody seems very interested in them anymore. It is also considered a "weed" as it can quite easily establish in relatively undisturbed bushland.

All of these negatives aside, Cotoneaster horizontalis is a perfect candidate for bonsai. Its small leaves make it easy to create very tight and thick foliage pads. In Spring it displays white, pink and red flowers which coming through to winter fruit into little red berries. It is a very hardy plant which also bodes well for bonsai.

 The picture above is my friends cotoneaster bonsai and is very similar to what mine looked like when i acquired it from the nursery, you can clearly see the red berries and why it is a plant with potential to look very pretty.



As i was sitting and pondering about my plant and what shape it should take i decided i wanted to try and do root over rock style. I had found a good rock previously in my backyard which would be perfect for my first root over rock experience. BUT as everything was going so well there is bound to be something that goes wrong, and it did. While i was trying to shape the plant i managed to snap the stem halfway with my clumsy beginner hands. Alas all was not lost, mother nature blessed plants with the ability to grow back and while only half the size i managed to salvage what i had left.

Root over rock style showcases the ability of plants in nature to adapt and survive in all sorts of harsh landscapes. In my little plants case i hope it will look like its growing on the side of a cliff.

 I will run you through the steps i went through to achieve root over rock.

1. I cleaned all the soil away from the base of the plant to expose all roots and gain an idea of how extensive the root system was.
2. I chose which way the rock should sit and the best position for the plant to be fastened. Keeping in mind how the roots would flow down the rock into the soil below.
3. Once the plant had been placed it needed to be wired down. I wired the root system over the rock with 2 loops, one from top to bottom and one around the belly of the rock like in the photo below.
   
4. Because the roots weren't yet attached to the rock and also too short to reach the soil at the bottom of the rock i buried the rock in a large pot where the soil comes up just under the base of the trunk. i will leave it buried like this for about a year or until the next growing season has finished then i will pull it out and readdress the roots to see if they have grown and attached enough to expose the rock and only then start shaping the tree. Below is what the plant looks like today.
   
   

Now all i can do is wait and ponder over the final shape this plant will take. While i wait i will continue to create more bonsai even propagate and grow my own plants. I have many grand plans but until i get them started they are all merely dreams. I will however continue to dream big!