Bonsai Technique: Using Root Cuttings to Create a Miniature Elm Bonsai

Root cutting propagation is often used in gardening, but not as much as stem cutting, because stem cuttings are readily available, while with root cuttings you have to dig into the soil to get the cuttings. Many tree species can be propagated by root cuttings.

However, when repotting, some roots are often cut off, and the thicker ones can be selected for root cuttings.

Root-cutting seedlings have characteristics that stem-cutting seedlings do not have; they can be directly made into root-as-trunk or exposed-root styles. Because the roots have been buried in the soil for a long time, their color is very dark, and the root bark is rough and aged, making the small bonsai produced very distinctive and highly suitable for miniature bonsai. Making bonsai from root-cutting seedlings forms quickly; in one or two years, a miniature bonsai can be made. Roots grow crooked and twisted in the soil, the so-called gnarled and interlocking roots, so they often have relatively unusual lines.

Root cuttings are generally carried out in early spring before budding, when the roots have stored a lot of nutrients, which is beneficial for the sprouting of new roots and new buds. You can cut off a part of the root, or use the entire root. If using the entire root, keep the fibrous roots fresh, and it is best to dig and plant them immediately. If the root is relatively long, you can first use aluminum wire to bend and shape the root before putting it into the soil. Root cuttings usually grow a ring of new buds at the head, and some should be removed appropriately, usually leaving the strongest one.

This is a diagram of a root cutting.

The following group of pictures shows miniature bonsai made from elm root-cutting seedlings, which are very good and can take shape in two years. Friends who are interested can give it a try.