Uncovering A Nebari—

How to grow a nebari is often talked about. And it should be.

The timing and method of uncovering a developing nebari is phase two. In this example we uncover a Red Maple nebari overgrown with fine roots and moss.

Red Maple with a good nebari already. If the roots are not buried a bit, even by 1/4”, fused nebari doesn’t happen. The soil and moss on right side and left side are being removed to see if the nebari has expanded.

Here the trunk is flaring into the soil in the back, but the question is, what lies beneath?

Same question in the front. Fine roots may be covering a fused nebari underneath. Often you can get an inkling of this by starting at the trunk, finding a fused area, then chasing it outwards by removing those fine overlaying roots, soil and moss. If it dives under, then the investigation is done, no nebari has formed. Put some sphagnum there to encourage nebari formation.

A good view of fine roots covering a fused area on the right side. The fine roots and soil on top are now removed to expose the fused areas.

Here on the left side some good fusing under 1/4” of fine roots and soil. Fusing doesn’t happen well if roots are left exposed, so we’re essentially trying to grow nebari in the zone just under the soil surface. This area has been covered for 5+ years.

The back, showing roots that are beginning to fuse. If not egregious or weird, crossing roots fuse well and often form the basis for a nebari on Maple.

Carmen working on the back, uncovering yet more nebari that has been hidden for about 5 years.

Back in the bonsai container, a day later. The brown areas of the nebari are the recently exposed. The silver areas have been exposed for some years. Some areas need more work, or “wait”, like the front. Some fusing is happening, and more should come with all the fine roots there, but often fronts and backs are not as fused as the sides as the roots are cut more aggressively in the front and back, once in a bonsai pot.