Hi. Searching through Dave looking for an expert! I have seen bonsai trees in pots with some sort of permeable solid gravel coating over the soil. I imagine it is to help with shipping. Does anyone know what this is? It looks like glued down acquarium gravel, -but I'm sure that's not how they do it.
Any help you could give me would be appreciated.
Barbara
Soil Cover?
I believe they glue it down, it is NOT good for the tree. According to some experts, it should be removed right away, it keeps the water and air away from the roots, not healthy for the tree. Normally only what they called 'mallsai', such as Lowes, Walmart, HomeDepots, etc carry something like that from a fast grower/shipper company.
You will not see this kind of gravel or the coating from a real bonsai nursery.
Hi Guys,
Outside trees usually display moss grown by nature, or more often than not, applied moss and very small close growing plants are added by the individual bonsai grower.
Small figurines should be avoided, and only displayed with your bonsai, as an apart accent interest.
I have never seen the type of 'mallsai' that you are referring to but have heard about it on scores of times, and indeed the gravel is glued down, a sure way to kill a tree.
Indoor trees there is very little choice, [moss will NOT grow indoors] but depending on the size of the tree, I would like to suggest the use of the creeping, Ficus pumila, either plain green or there is also a variegated one, both these Ficus are ground huggers and can attach themselves to the trunks of trees, which personally i find undesirable.
I have F.pumila on quite a number of my indoor trees.
moss cant grow indoors? :((
That SUCKS,lol.
I wanted to grow some inside.