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Hydroponic Techniques for Bonsai

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Hydroponic Techniques for Bonsai Empty Hydroponic Techniques for Bonsai

Post  kirk@localbonsai.com Wed Jun 11, 2014 5:16 pm

Hi everyone,

I'm attempting to build an 'Aeroponic Bubble Cloner' to propagate softwood cuttings for bonsai, and I'm wondering if anyone has attempted a comparable set-up. The principle is to use the bursting of bubbles on the surface of water in the vicinity of softwood cuttings to encourage rooting.

http://localbonsai.com/preparations-for-a-bonsai-aeroponic-propagator/

A commercial unit seen here :

http://www.greenerhydroponics.com/Botanicare-Power-Cloner-77-White-Tray_p_76049.html


Thanks!
kirk@localbonsai.com
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Post  Geoline Wed Jun 11, 2014 7:18 pm

Did you buy this unit already? I want something like that in the future for medicinal cuttings. Some of my pre-bonsai acquisitions this year include flowering quince which is also used as a medicinal plant. I want to explore the use of hydro/aeroponics with glomus endomycorrhizae for use with herbal plants. I've seen amazing results with increased root mass, trunk girth, and over all plant mass in herbal material.

There's even a commercial kit for cloning plant tissue available to us layman hobbyists.

What worries me about using completely soil-less method of growing starter bonsai plants is how to prepare the root system for soil transition. Hydro roots tend to be more brittle than soil roots because of increased aerochyma tissue development in the root zone.
Geoline
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Post  kirk@localbonsai.com Fri Jun 13, 2014 3:21 pm

I did not buy the commercial unit, rather, I am building my own.

That's a good question, how to go about transplanting. I'd imagine an airy, soft medium might help. Vermiculite/perlite/potting soil.
kirk@localbonsai.com
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Post  Leo Schordje Sun Jun 15, 2014 12:04 am

no reason it would not work. Give it a try. I have routinely rooted cuttings in 100% perlite, a totally inert medium. The transition to bonsai soil has never been an issue. I have rooted cuttings of house plants in a glass of water, and they generally make the transition to potting soil without much trouble. I don't see any unusual problems with what you propose. Go for it and tells us how it went.
Leo Schordje
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Post  Geoline Sun Jun 15, 2014 2:09 am

Leo Schordje wrote:no reason it would not work. Give it a try. I have routinely rooted cuttings in 100% perlite, a totally inert medium. The transition to bonsai soil has never been an issue. I have rooted cuttings of house plants in a glass of water, and they generally make the transition to potting soil without much trouble. I don't see any unusual problems with what you propose. Go for it and tells us how it went.

Are you saying that the root system of a hydroponic specimen is ready for the full bonsai pot treatment? It's one thing to transplant gently to another medium, but another thing to basically man-handle brittle roots in the root pruning, wiring to the pot process. I would think it be better in the health of the hydro specimen to harden off the aerochyma root system in a regular pot with a porous soil for a growing season before subjecting it to the bonsai treatment. It's like, when you wire branches, you want to wire when the branches are less likely likely to be brittle.
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Post  leatherback Sun Jun 15, 2014 7:23 am

When I do water curttings, I have started to realize it is best to pot up the cuttings in an inert medium (e.g. lava) and then put the whole combination in the water. Then, when rooting is obvious, you can over time lower the water table, and this wil greatly improve the transition water-to-air.

I think Leo did not mean: Take from the water, and start fussing with the roots, but also means: Get it used to pot culture first, then move to bonsai container.
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Post  M. Frary Sun Jun 15, 2014 2:13 pm

Seems that rooting cuttings with this method will set you back. If rooted in soil to begin with then no worrying/taking time to transition roots to soil. The method you are trying to use works great for plants that live out their short lives as hydroponic plants. These plants are usually harvested within 4 to 5 months. Then smoked or eaten as the case may be.

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