What would happen if?

AndyWilson

Now i am usually the indulgent kind, now i was dealing with one of those "what if you" kids who asked "me what if you hung the pot upside down?" when eyeing one of my bonsai.

I thought you know, well, um...

Hmm. Assuming i could protect the roots and keep the soil in and am able to water it still. I guess the plant would slowly start to grow upwards again, and maybe i could invent a method of making a weeping bonsai without any wire or weights. but then againg maybe it would just die.

I dont really know

What do yall think? (yes i am certifiable i know)

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anttal63

im sure its been tried thousands of times b4, success is the question? ive always been curious about it. andy you drive the bus do whatever you are thinking it takes and walk us all through it.

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Antonio . . .
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soltan

I think I remember some one showing this to create a weeping style. I remember a plastic lid with a hole in it that the trunk went through to stop the soil falling out.
Does that make sense!

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BRETT AUSTRALIA ZONE 8-9?

AndyWilson

Substitute lid for cheese cloth and yeah thats it. Talking about taking a cascade to the max, an upside down bonsai...

bandbchute

Hey Andy,

Check this out...

http://www.seedsofknowledge.com/tomato2.html

I have never tried it, but it seems like the logical place for you to start before you try it yourself.

Good luck,

Brian

Glider

I think you might have a problem with the roots if you tried it.

The top of the tree would grow towards the light and so I agree, it would be a very interesting experiment in creating a cascade.

However, whilst the top of the tree is heliotropic (and will grow towards the sun), roots are geotropic and will always head 'down' (according to gravity), so the roots would be growing towards the surface of the soil in your upside down pot.

This might be problematic as bonsai roots are often quite shallow anyway, and putting it in a deeper pot wouldn't help as you could never make the roots grow 'up' to take advantage of the extra room.

AndyWilson

Yeah glider thats the problem i was thinking about too, i must admit with the celtis i am using now i am gowing to check the roots constantly.

Also this isnt a trained tree, but pre bonsai stock. I have already developed a flat dense root system on th celtis i am using. Its been hanging there for a day now. The buds are swelling and the plant should open this week.

AndyWilson

Thanks for the link Brian, will get some pics up soon. Cant wait to see where this is gowing.

Glider

The way I see it is: If it's a problem, then it must have a solution (if there is no solution then it's not a problem, just a fact of life ).

What might work as a solution is if you use a wide but shallow growing box. If you hang the tree from under it, you'll still get the 'upside down' cascade growing thing going on, but the roots will be forced to go sideways in a radial pattern (which is really what you want anyway) rather than just bunching at the lowest point of your pot which is what they're likely to do if you use a 'normal' flower pot shaped pot (i.e. deeper than it is wide). As it's a young tree, you'll have time to work the roots out later.

Let us know how it goes anyway. I'd be interested in the results.