I am in S.Florida and would like to plan a root over rock Bonsai. I found a great piece of Coral, will the Calcium kill every tree I try with this?

No, it Will not kill every tree. Just research which trees grows in lime Rich areas insitu and will be fine.

Br
Magnus

Yea, just for the sake...

That is not a piece of coral.

Calcium is not really dangerous for any tree as it is ph neutral.

Br
Magnus

Looks like coral to me.
If you use rocks that have been in the sea/ocean more important than just worrying about the calcium in there, I would worry about salt. Put it in a bucket of water for a while, swapping the water out frequently. Or leave it outside in the rain for a few months. I have a few rocks I colected along a shoreline and my first attempt, after a month in the garden, was still too salty, and the seedling I planted on top was killed within days.

Important for a good root over rock is to start with very young plants so the roots still can follow the shape of the rock, and to then let the tree grow out for a few ears, really merging roots to the rock. Make sure the base of the tree really connects to the rock. No airspaces anywhere, ideally.

leatherback wrote:

Looks like coral to me.

Yea, that is a common missconceprion. So I dont blame anyone for thinking that.

Is a tree that has died still a tree? No, I it is Wood.

Is a dead animal still an animal. No, it is a carcass or possible Meat.

Is a dead plant still a plant. No it is compost. Or maybe a crop

So a coral is The small living tissue that are building the reef. When the coral is dead there are Nothing left but rock. It can be called coralrock in order to adress where it came from. More correct would be cacliumcarbonate rock. But it can never be called a coral. At least if you want to be correct

Most People will not Note the importancy of this. But just as it is important for bonsai enthusiast to distinguish bonsai from trees. Coral reef enthusiasts and also science value the distinction between a rock and a coral. Travel sites still sell trips to places with "coral reefs" where corals have died several years ago and People enjoy diving and snorkling the "coral reefs". Thats fine enjoing it. But it is still not a coral reef. Just as you can enjoy a tree in a pot that is not a bonsai.

Br
Magnus

And, Yes. The salts remaining in the rock are potentially be a bigger problem than calcium.

The high pH in the rock could be a bigger problem than the calcium. At least if it is an azalea. So the species to shoose is important for the outcome.

Br
Magnus

The benefit of 2 hours on a bus. I have a lot of time to investigate things that just pot up. Interesting things:

academic.oup.com/treephys/article/30/9/1140/1637967

Quite extended overwiew on the importancy of calcium in tree growth. You will find some species mentioned that will have higher demand of calcium in there.

Many of the studies they refere too is made with pH neutral addition of calcium. Which will not be in your case. So it would be interesting to dig a little deeper about the pros and cons with carbonate addition to different tree species as well. However that is a topic for Another bus trip.

In pure practice you will be fine if you shoose a tree that grow well under alkaline conditions in lime Rich places. One species that come up regullarly is The Norwegian spruce and european oak. But there are many more.

Br
Magnus

thank you both, I will soak this until spring, and find a tree for zone 10 that will take advantage of the calcium carbonate.

Tropfrog wrote:

leatherback wrote:

Looks like coral to me.

Yea, that is a common missconceprion. So I dont blame anyone for thinking that.

Is a tree that has died still a tree? No, I it is Wood.

Is a dead animal still an animal. No, it is a carcass or possible Meat.

Is a dead plant still a plant. No it is compost. Or maybe a crop

So a coral is The small living tissue that are building the reef. When the coral is dead there are Nothing left but rock. It can be called coralrock in order to adress where it came from. More correct would be cacliumcarbonate rock. But it can never be called a coral. At least if you want to be correct

Most People will not Note the importancy of this. But just as it is important for bonsai enthusiast to distinguish bonsai from trees. Coral reef enthusiasts and also science value the distinction between a rock and a coral. Travel sites still sell trips to places with "coral reefs" where corals have died several years ago and People enjoy diving and snorkling the "coral reefs". Thats fine enjoing it. But it is still not a coral reef. Just as you can enjoy a tree in a pot that is not a bonsai.

Br
Magnus

Besides this being a pedantic posts about semantics which are not relevant in any purpose of the OP nor the forum, it is incorrect if you may believe the cambridge dictionary.

dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/coral
a substance like rock, formed in the sea by groups of particular types of small animal, often used in jewellery:

Well, it might be easier to be pedantic about bonsai if you are into bonsai. Right?

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coral

If this was unrelevant. How come it was challenged?

Br
Magnus