Rivers, Wolves, and Bonsai

     Back in December I published a post on the debate about Turface®. In it I mentioned a principle that we all do well to keep in mind: One's soil mix, watering practices, fertilizing practices, and climate all interact, with each element affecting the impact of each of the others.

A few weeks after I wrote that, I came across an item on YouTube entitled "How Wolves Change Rivers." More out of curiosity than anything else -- after all, how could wolves change a river? -- I followed the link.

CD's and Nebari Development: Passing Along an Idea

     (With thanks to Adam Lavigne.)     

     Who doesn't have some lying around: non-reusable CD's on which you received software, or music that's now on your iPod, or even some advertising?

CD for a computer game that my daughter has now outgrown.

Many of us have heard of a traditional Japanese technique for enhancing a young tree's nebari: spread the roots over a tile, and then plant the tree with tile and roots a few inches deep and let it grow for several years. Adam Lavigne of Florida recently published a blog post about another way to achieve the same results: use those old CD's that are accumulating!

To see the post on Adam's blog, please click HERE.

To whet your interest, here is one of Adam's pictures from that post:

Photo by Adam Lavigne.

Adam and his friend used the technique on trident maples, but I think it would work just as well on other vigorous species, like many Ficus.

:-)  :-)  :-)