Pseudo (or Quasi) Iwatsuki/Ishizuki

[kentaki]

Those of who do bonsai are probably familiar with ishizuki bonsai. You can do this with some orchids such as Dendrobium moniliforme, Ponerorchis graminifolia and such. Usually, volcanic porous rocks or stones are used, but I used Seiryû stone wannabe because they would look better. But first I had to treat these rocks with vinegar to remove basic component. It took several days and five gallons of vinegar.

Typically, keto tsuchi is used to adhere plants and moss, but apparently, it is not available in the U.S. I read somewhere you could substitute with a mixture of clay and peat, but that did not work well, either. Basically, I partially filled crevices with sphagnum moss and then inserted Amitostigma tuberoids. Moss was something I just used temporary, and I had to keep moisten for the duration of the exhibit.

I initially used pumice to fill space between rocks for the MAOC show, and it was ok. I was not able to draw wave patters you see in stone gardens. So I bought white aquarium sand, but still did not work with a fork. I still need to work on execution, but it looks decent for the first time.

[WhiteRabbit]

Cool!

[Hummingbird597]

Are you talking about the MAOC show in Nadhville? If so I saw your exhibit there and thought it was really cool. Nice to know more about it!

[Stray59]

Really beautiful, Kentaki! I really appreciate your placement of the stones, and the overall effect is so serene and relaxing. Very nice, especially so for a first attempt.
I was thinking about how to make a miniature "rake", to create the ripple effect. Have you tried something like cutting a wine cork in half and embed the ends of toothpicks into the cork, in a line and evenly spaced, sort of like the real rakes? You could make a "handle" out of a pencil or something and rake the gravel with it. If that is too small, you could try using short pieces of wooden skewers stuck in long, narrow pieces of styro-foam or something similar.(yet another use for the infamous wooden skewers -LOL)
Just an idea...
Again, congratulations on a really beautiful display! Thanks for posting the pics- I really enjoy them.

[Amyzes]

Wow. That really looks incredible!


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[ula]

It looks so beautifully aesthetic- I love the rocks!

[Alsani]

I am always amazed, and humbled, to witness the creativity, skill and passion shown by many members on OB.

Wonderful job! Look forward to seeing how you progress with this.

[Paul]

Very nice, indeed! The moss really adds to the look.

How difficult is that type of orchid to grow?

[RosieC]

That's so cool!

[Amyzes]

I would like to know where to get that orchid