Bonsai On The Rocks 

+Liz Fisher Well it sounds as though it was too wet when you started or you failed to compress it into a dough before using it. Either way it means too much water in the mix. I hope this helps. Dave

The mesh was attached to the rock by drilling small holes through the rock and using pieces of wire to anchor it down in corners. One might say that if your going to drill through the rock, why not drill holes for the trees? That would be a good question. The idea of the mesh is to give more versatility where you place the trees. Many times I don't have the holes lined up where I need trees anchored. By using a mesh I can spot the tree nearly anyplace on the rock. You drill fewer holes into the rock using a piece of mesh as well. Do the roots grow through the mesh? Yes. When it's time to repot simply cut the mesh off the rock first, and as you root prune the trees, separate the mesh off the root pad. Another good point using the mesh is that it really holds the material to the rock in place. The mesh was used to give people an option for attaching trees, it works for me. I've even used it inside of ceramic pottery that may only have a couple of holes to anchor trees. Give it a shot!