Not All Maples Require the Same Leaf Management

I know that this article should wait until the spring when you can immediately put this information into practice but I’ve been watching video clips called the Bonsai Art of Japan with Owen Reich, Dmos by Ryan Neil and Bjorn Bjornholm.   From these I learned that it is important to trim your maples to allow light in to the trunk of the tree to encourage buds that will add to the ramification of your maples.  At our show in July 2012, Ken Huth mentioned that he removes the larger leaves on maples so that the tree develops more small ones.  When Linda and I were in Japan, we saw workers cutting the better part of maple leaves off, leaving a small portion of the leaf and petiole.  I assumed this was to allow light in.  This cutting allows inner buds to develop and prevents branch dieback.  It also improves air circulation and prevents mildew.  (It did seem humid in Omiya Village.) I recently learned  from these videos that Japanese maples and Trident maples require different techniques of leaf management.  And within the group that we call Japanese maples, the cultivars of Shishigashira require slightly different care.  Owen and Ryan noted it in their videos; Ryan’s was a critique of the Midwest Bonsai show in Chicago.  A great deal has been written about the care of maple bonsai.  This article only presents leaf management.  There is an article on Trident maple care on our club website.  They are also candidates for air layering and trunk chop.

As with all maples, Japanese maple (Acer palmatum) leaves grow in pairs.  One leaf in each pair should be removed.  Use sharp scissors to cut the stem holding the leaf in half.  This method does not weaken the tree like total defoliation does.  Ryan Neil said you should never defoliate a tree as it weakens them too much.  Leaf removal should be confined to the leaves growing on the outer edges of the foliage mass, not the leaves growing in the interior of the tree.  If removing a single leaf of a pair does not allow the light to reach the interior, then half of the remaining leaf may need to be removed with sharp scissors.  Fold these leaves in half along the vein in the middle and cut at an angle, the results should look more like a normal maple leaf.  Special scissors are sold for just this purpose. This pruning of Japanese Maples is usually done sometime in May, depending on how early the buds opened in the spring.  Remember that you will get die back if you prune at the wrong time and you will get die back to the first healthy bud behind where you cut.  Ryan Neil also stated that he is a big fan of cut paste use on maples to prevent die back from moisture loss.  It also prevents fungus from developing at the wound.  When you select the leaf from the pair and remove it, your next bud and hence the direction of branch growth will be on the side with the leaf as the leaf is feeding the bud at its base.

Shishigashira Japanese maples actually consist of two cultivars, Acer palmatum 'Mejishi' and Acer palmatum 'Ojishi', whose names are based on the mythological female and male lions in Japanese drama.  Shishigashira Maples have the typical paired leaf growth pattern; however, their internode lengths are shorter than other Japanese maple cultivars.  If the branches are not properly trimmed they will develop unsightly bulbous branch tips.  So cut the branch tips back to the second set of leaves rather than the first set as recommended for other Acer palmatum cultivars.  Use tweezers to pinch off the first set of leaves so that only the second set of leaves remain.  It is not necessary to remove one of the leaves from the pair, or to cut individual leaves in half as Shirigashira leaves are naturally smaller.  The small leaves and limited availability usually mean that these cultivars are quite expensive.

Acer buergerianum (Trident maples) leaves harden off in late April through May.  The new elongated growth should be trimmed back to the first pair of leaves, unless you’re developing length in that area.  From late May until July, depending on the weather, you can defoliate a healthy Trident maple. Defoliation can very from complete, to outer canopy, or individual branches. Leaves are removed by cutting the petioles in half.  Though plucking them all off with your fingers reportedly doesn’t hurt the tree.  (We did not see the finger plucking method used in Japan.) This defoliation and pruning allows light and air in to the inner buds and creates shorter nodes and smaller new leaves.  I understand that there is a fine science to the timing, so that the new leaves will be in place by our show in July.  New leaves reportedly sprout in 2-3 weeks; this means the end of June should work this year.  If it is rainy after your new leaves sprout, watch for fungus.  While it wasn’t mentioned, I suspect that the same direction of growth by leaving a leaf on would occur with Trident maples as for Japanese maples.  It was mentioned that complete defoliation should only be done once in any year, and not in consecutive years on the same tree to allow it to rebuild its energy. 

Do not remove leaves on any maple varieties once it gets really hot, in 2012 this was late June or July, as it may cause dieback.  Failure to cut new growth back to one set of new leaves will result in longer internode distances, less ramification and less taper in the branches or trunk.  Healthy properly fertilized maples may need to be trimmed as described three or four times each growing season to maximize ramification and refinement.  

Above article found on ColumbusBonsai.org

Great Diagram to Follow with Pines

A Baggins Bonsai Fit For a Pocket-Sized Hobbit -from io9

As if Hobbit homes weren't small enough, check out this fantastically detailed bonsai created by English artist Chris Guise.

All artwork and photography by Chris Guise.

Guise, who's a mechanical engineer by trade, has an extensive collection of bonsai trees that he's cultivated himself. This one, which he calls Bag End Bonsai Trayscape, recreates the home of Bilbo, Frodo, and Samwise from Lord of the Rings fame.

Beginners Guide to Choosing Your Tree's Style and Pot

Styles

Styles emulate trees that have developed according to the forces of nature. It is easy to go around blinkered to the wonderful diversity of tree shapes. Once you are into bonsai that “luxury” is no longer an option. You will regularly find yourself distracted by superb specimens that “stand out from the crowd”. Some care may even be necessary not to let this new obsession cause danger to yourself and others, whilst driving for example. When you spot a superb specimen try to understand what it is about that tree that makes it special. Photograph or sketch it if possible. Really look at the shape of trees and then use your skills to recreate an impression of those natural specimens.

An example. The windswept style grows where strong winds kill off all the buds facing into the prevailing wind direction. Note that the tree does not bend away from the wind. Only trees which survive in harsh climates will develop naturally in this way. Junipers, Pines, Hawthorns, Larches etc. The style would be inappropriate for Maples, Willows, Alders, or any other tree that grows only in more sheltered surroundings. Trees which are “one-sided” (lacking branches on the other side) suggest themselves for development in this style or as a raft style.

Traditional bonsai styles are amply covered in almost every bonsai book. These accepted styles are developing over time to include new shapes that reflect the trees observed in the growers environments.

Pots

The containers for bonsai have a long and fascinating history. Their study, appreciation and collection becomes yet another arm of the pastime. The pot for a tree is like a frame for a painting and should be chosen so that it is in complete harmony and is not intrusive.

It often comes down to a personal, gut reaction type of decision when choosing the right pot for a tree. Often a pot looks fine when you first use it, but you may change your mind as time passes and you become more attuned to the nuances of the art. There are useful guidelines that can be followed and these help to avoid basic mistakes.

Size

The tree determines the size of pot necessary. Tall trees generally need a pot width that is approximately two thirds the height of the tree. Wide trees need a pot that is about two thirds of the canopy width. These ideal sizes may need to be adapted while a tree is in training. The root system could require amendments in its layout and perhaps some reduction to fit. This is part of the horticultural knowledge that will be built with time and experience. If in any doubt about root reduction during repotting, do it with the assistance at a local club in one of their spring meetings or take the tree along to a good bonsai nursery at repotting time.

Colour

Avoid bright glazes unless the colour is intended to harmonise with a flowering or fruiting specimen. Unglazed muted colours and dark glazes are suited to Pines. It is often said that brighter glazes are acceptable for mame trees. I still prefer to choose a glaze that is in harmony and not too garish.

Shape

There are a multitude of pot styles and the array can be quite bewildering to a beginner. Study photographs of bonsai masterpieces, make mental notes of pots that you admire and the type and style of tree that it is used for.

Decoration

Many antique pots are highly decorated with pictorial scenes in the glazes, applied patterns and carvings. These largely fell out of favour as the Japanese applied zen principles to bonsai. Some very attractive examples of highly decorated pots are now being imported. If they are attractive to you, they can be used, but care should be exercised that they do not dominate the tree.

The traditional guidelines, that may be followed when selecting a pot type, are shown in the table below:

by kev bailey

Rebuilding a Japanese Maple

This posts was originally written and posted by Peter Tea, a third year Bonsai Apprentice at Aichi-en Bonsai Nursery in Japan. He is an exceptional writer and explains things in a very clear and exciting way. Anyone that follows his posts knows we all wait collectively in anticipation for the email that comes alerting us all there is new one to read!! Enjoy this one! 

Now that all the defoliating has been done to the refined trees here at Aichien, it was time to work on the project trees.  This time, Mr. Tanaka tasked me with this large Japanese maple that is being redeveloped.  All the branches growing on the tree have been grafted with a better leaf quality.  The tree was allowed to grow during the Spring and now that Summer is right around the corner, this was a good time to continue it’s development.  The goal at this point is to wire the new branches and graft three areas that need branches.  In this post, I will talk about the grafting technique I used, wound management and a hint about defoliating.

Here is a side by side of the original leaf (1 left) on the tree versus the new leaf (2 right) that has been grafted on.  The reason why leaf 1 was replaced is because it has a rounded droopy appearance a opposed to leaf 2.  Overall, a tree that has leaf 1 tends to look wilted all the time whereas leaf 2 has a more upright and healthy feeling that most of us are accustomed too with a Japanese Maple.  Of course, because of the lack of popularity with leaf 1, the price of the tree is much lower then if it had leaf 2.  So for all these various reasons, the leaf was changed.

Here is an example of a tree that has the wilted looking foliage.

and here is an example of a maple that has a more desirable leaf characteristic.  Personally, I wouldn’t mind having both styles. ;o)

What is Approach Grafting ? and Some Terms

Approach grafting is pretty much using two self sustaining branches and fusing them together.  In this case, I’m going to take some of the long branches from one part of this tree and attaching it to another part of the tree.  The nice thing about approach grafting is that both branches are still being feed so there isn’t any water flow cut off. The chances of a successful union are much higher and reliable with an approach graft.

The best time to do an approach graft is during the growing season.

Here are a few terms that I will use to explain the approach graft operation:

Scion- The new branch I used for grafting

Stock- The branch I’m grafting on to

Graft union- the point where the Scion and Stock are attached.

Also, knowing a few tree plant biology terms wouldn’t hurt either.  You’ll hear me use the word Cambium a lot.  That is the area of the scion and stock that have to meet to achieve successful graft.

Lets Get to Work!

Before I start on the grafting, I took care of two wounds on the base of the trunk.  We found this dead area under the bark and needed to take some steps to help it continue to callus and close up.  As in previous post, I took a sharp gouge and lightly cut into the surrounding callus.  This will help reactive it and its continued growth.  I then applied a good amount of liquid cut paste to seal it all up.

One importuning thing that people don’t really talk about is the hard surface that a callus needs to grow on.  In this case, the surface is the hard wood.  Sometimes, this hardwood can be soft or rotted out because of exposure to water or humidity.  If that was the case on this tree, the callus will grow slightly and stop.  If we find a deciduous tree that has a rotted out wound, we would have to dig the rotted wood out and fill it with a hard putty or cement to give the callus a firm surface to form on.  Luckily, this time, the hard wood is still hard.

On With the Grafting!

The first thing I did was look through the tree and figure out where I needed new branches.  Here is an example of an area that I need to add a branch.

Once I decided where to graft, I used a sharp clean saw to make the cut.  The depth of the cut is dependent on how thick the scion branch is.  In this case, the cut was not very deep.  Note how the cut is green.  This tells me that the area is alive and able to take a graft.  If I cut into the stock branch and saw only brown dry wood, obviously I would have to find a different area to graft.  Next, I took a sharp clean grafting knife and slightly enlarged the cut to make it wide enough to accept the scion branch.

Here I placed the scion branch into the stock to check for fit.  Note how the scion branch is green at the graft union?

For a better chance of a successful graft, I lightly scraped away the bark to exposed the cambium layer.  If I can match the scion branch cambium with the stock branch cambium the graft will take faster.

Once I feel that the fit of the graft union is good, I used a small nail with a rubber pad to hold the scion in place.  Note where the nail is positioned.

I then lightly hammered the nails down so that the rubber portion is pressing the scion branch down into the stock branch.  Then I added a second nail to hold the other end of the scion branch down.  Once the scion was secured, I applied liquid cut paste to all exposed areas.  Graft finished!

Here’s Another Example

Again, I found another area that needs a new branch.  I used my saw and grafting knife to cut the groove in the stock branch.  In this picture, I placed the scion branch in the groove to check for fit.  The groove I cut ended up being a little bit too deep but it’s not a huge problem because deciduous trees in general callus easily and the scion and stock cambium will fuse together even it they aren’t exactly lined up.

Again I used two nailed to secure the scion to the stock.

Here’s a great shot of how only the green rubber portion is holding the scion down.  When hammering the nail down I needed to be careful to not applying too much pressure and crushing the scion branch.

I applied a liberal amount of liquid cut paste to seal all open wounds.  The cut paste is important because it will help seal in the moisture that is needed for callus to form quickly and easily.

After the I applied the cut paste, I then wired the scion branch with aluminum wire and put some movement on the branch.  After an approach graft is a good time to wire the branch as well because once the graft takes, the scion branch might be too thick to wire or put unnecessary stress on the graft union.  It would a shame to spend the time to graft, have it take, then kill the branch by applying wire to it.  Doing it now when everything is fresh is best.

Also note how short the internode between the graft union and the first node of the scion branch is.  We need to take into consideration the internode lengths when placing the graft because we don’t want to do all this work just to find out the grafted branch internode is too long later.

I continued to wire the rest of the branches and put some movement in them.  I cut many of the branches shorter on top because I didn’t need the branches to get much thicker there.  I left the bottom branches long because I need them to continue to thicken.  In 6-12 months I will revisit this tree and see if the grafts were a success!

For those have have these nifty nails to use for approach grafts, the left nail is the normal length and the right nail is a modified length.  Maple live wood can be very hard so driving a thin nail into it can be difficult.  Because of that, I took a old pair of concave cutters and slightly shortened them so that they can still be effective in holding the scion branch down but doesn’t require me to nail so deep into the heartwood.

Some of you might be wondering, “where can I find those nails with the rubber on them?”  Me and several people have tried finding these nail in the US with no luck.  They seem to only be available in Japan.  They are mainly used to nail boards onto a frame and come in various lengths and thickness.  For the time being, it looks like if we’re going to use these nails for approach grafting, we either have to make them ourselves import it from Japan.  If you the reader knows of a local place to get it, please share it with everybody in the comment section below.  You would be doing me and everybody else a favor!

Defoliating Maples

In Bonsai, we hear the word defoliate many times, especially with maples.  Defoliating a maple is pretty much the removal of all the leaves during the growing period.  Note how the Maple I just worked on was not defoliated.  Defoliation seems to be talked about so much that if people don’t defoliate their trees, they feel that they’re missing something very important when perhaps their tree doesn’t need it.  Though defoliation is a great technique when used properly, we have to realize when and when not to use it.  In my next post, I will talk more in depth about the concept of defoliation and the desired results of it.  In the mean time, think about the reasons for defoliation and when it should and should not be done.  Once you’ve pooled your thoughts together about defoliating, we’ll meet back here and I’ll share with you my thoughts on the technique and its uses.

In the next post, I’ll do some defoliation on this tree and show some examples of the many others that I’ve done in Aichien.  Do you remember this tree?

If not, this is what the tree looked like in the middle of last April.  Yes! It’s one of my project trees.  If you would like to know the story behind it, you can visit the original post about it by clicking Here.

Proper Fertilization Techniques For Bonsai

Post from ofbonsai.org - originally Posted August 24, 2006 by randy clark in Care

Great post about fertilization of your trees and originally posted by an acquaintance of mine. I spent a handful of Saturdays a few years ago with Randy Clark of the The Bonsai Learning Center in Charlotte, NC. It was great to spend a few hours each Saturday listening to Mr. Clark speak of great times and travels regarding bonsai trips and many other subjects as well as watching him work with his amazing collection. I learned a great deal by just watching and listening. Thank you Mr. Clark! On to the information!  


A proper program of fertilization is important for the cultivation of all types of plants, but is of particular importance when growing bonsai. There are two reasons for this. First, bonsai are grown in containers. This means there is very little space available from which the roots can obtain nutrients. Secondly, the soil mixtures traditionally used for proper bonsai cultivation are made up primarily of drainage materials (sand, rock, hadite, turface, etc.) and do not contain large amounts of organic materials that would hold onto nutrients or decompose and release nutrients into the soil.

It is therefore important to place your bonsai on a regular feeding schedule during the growing season. The plants require nutrients when they begin to grow and push buds in the early spring, and will continue to require feeding throughout the summer and into the fall (although in the fall the type of nutrients you provide will change (see below). Feeding may be discontinued during the winter months for all temperate plants and greatly reduced for indoor/tropical varieties. A temperate plant which has gone dormant for the winter, (dropped its leaves), is “sleeping” and like a hibernating bear, does not require food. Pay attention however,… when the bear and the bonsai wake up in the springtime, they will both be hungry.

Nutrient Forms

Generally speaking nutrients for your bonsai are available commercially in two forms, organic and inorganic. Which type you use is largely a matter of personal choice. We will discuss the pros and cons of each below. Regardless of which form you choose, they should all include both macro and micro nutrients.

Macronutrients – Nitrogen, Phosphorus & Potassium

All fertilizers, whether the are organic or inorganic in nature must contain three primary elements which are vital to the trees health. These are Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium. The amount of these ingredients which any given fertilizer contains is reflected in a series of three numbers, usually printed on the package. For example: 15-10-6 indicates that the fertilizer contains 15 parts Nitrogen, 10 parts phosphorus and 6 parts Potassium. The numbers may vary depending upon what you buy, but the order will always remain the same… Nitrogen first, Phosphorus second and Potassium third.

Nitrogen

Plants usually absorb more nitrogen from the soil than they do other elements. It is nitrogen that produces rapid growth and gives the leaves and stems a healthy, deep green color. If a plant has insufficient nitrogen, the newer shoots will use up whatever nitrogen there is, causing the older leaves to turn yellow. Young plants which need to develop are usually fed a high nitrogen fertilizer to promote abundant green growth. More mature bonsai are fed with a mixture which contains reduced amounts of nitrogen.

Phosphorus

Plants need phosphorus during all phases of their growth. However, this element is particularly needed for the formation of seeds, flowers and fruit. It helps the plants to store energy for the coming winter and to harden off roots and buds. It is therefore a good idea to feed your bonsai with a fertilizer high in Phosphorus (superphosphate) in the latter part of the growing season (late summer to fall). High nitrogen fertilizers used in the fall would only produce soft green growth which would freeze off during the first frost.

Potassium

Potassium or potash, is essential for plants because it helps them to increase disease resistance. It improves stem and trunk rigidity and it helps plants to overcome poor weather or soil conditions. It generally makes plants more vigorous.

Micronutrients

No matter what their form, all fertilizers contain some or all of the nutrients elements that bonsai need in order to grow. There are 16 beginning with carbon, hydrogen and oxygen which are generally provided by the atmosphere. The macronutrients of Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium and micronutrients which include: calcium, copper, iron, manganese, molybdenum and zinc. These micronutrients are essential to the plants health, but are only needed in small amounts. Many commercial fertilizers come with micronutrients added or micronutrients can be purchased separately and added to the soil in bonsai containers on a yearly basis.

Organic Fertilizers

Organic fertilizers improve soil structure and release plant nutrients slowly, which reduces the possibility of over fertilizing (a definite advantage for new, overzealous bonsaists). The normal procedure is to make small balls or cakes of the desired organic substance and place these cakes on the tree. However, since they are organic in nature they can grow unwanted fungus or mold and serve as a home for insect larvae. Sprinkling a little powdered insecticide helps keep this under control. How well they work depends upon how warm the soil gets and the level of microbe activity in the soil. Those most commonly used for bonsai are:

Bone meal: This decomposes slowly and releases phosphorus. Its natural alkalinity helps to neutralize the acidity of peat-based or acidic soil mixtures.

Cottonseed meal: This is a slightly acidic by-product of cotton manufacturing. It is good for use on acid loving plants such as azalea, camellia and rhododendron.

Blood meal: This is dried, powdered blood from cattle slaughterhouses and is a very, very rich source of nitrogen. It also contains several trace elements. You should be careful to not overuse this product.

Fish Emulsion: This blend of partially decomposed, finely pulverized fish is high in nitrogen and also contains several trace elements. You can boost plant growth by applying it in late spring, but like the blood meal, it is easy to burn your plants with this product… be careful. A special caution should be observed if you have raccoons living in your neighborhood. We can personally relate the tale of a raccoon in our back yard who unpotted about 6 of our bonsai that had been freshly fertilized with fish emulsion because he was certain that we had hidden a fish in the pots.

Inorganic Fertilizers

Inorganic fertilizers (chemicals) come in different forms: dry, liquid, slow-release, pelletized, plant stakes and soluble solutions, among others. Both the forms and formulations available in the marketplace are extensive and permit you to choose according to your own preferences. You may like a dry fertilizer to incorporate with a potting soil mix or a liquid fertilizer to apply from a hose. Still others may opt for a slow-release fertilizer that needs to be applied less frequently. The actual fact is that most bonsaists choose to vary their feedings with both organic and inorganic fertilizers.

Fertilization Frequency

Here at the Bonsai Learning Center we fertilize our trees on a bi-weekly basis. Because of the large number of plants we must fertilize, we have chosen to use a chemical fertilizer which can be applied through a hose siphon system. We don’t believe its better… or worse,…. just more efficient for our purposes. Because we are not always as dutiful about applying fertilizers as we should be, we also supplement these feedings with time release fertilizer tablets (Sierra tablets) which are similar to osmocote pellets, but can be placed below the soil level. On some of our more mature bonsai we also use an organic fertilizer (Bio-Gold) which is manufactured in Japan specifically for use with bonsai and contains less nitrogen than others.

The debate between bonsai people over what type of fertilizer works best has always been a hot one. In the final analysis, you will have to make your own choice. What you use is immaterial to the plant so long as you provide the required micro and macro nutrients described above, in a form you bonsai can absorb. Whatever you decide, make sure you are doing it on a regular basis.

Randy Clark, 60, has been learning the art bonsai for more than a quarter century and for the past decade, has traveled throughout the United States and Europe teaching the subject. He strongly encourages his students to develop an individual approach to the art .

“One must have more than a simple classical understanding of the principals of bonsai design if one wishes to grow and develop in the art. It is certainly important to honor our Japanese teachers by understanding the time tested principals upon which classical bonsai design is based,… but it is even more important that each student strives to bring new insights into what they do,” he said. “One must learn and understand when to apply the rules as well as when to bend them. Bonsai is an art… and all art forms, by definition, are interpretive.”

During his thirty plus years of involvement with bonsai, Mr. Clark has spent seven of them serving as a vice president of the National Bonsai Foundation in Washington D.C. as well as two terms as president of the Minnesota Bonsai Society and as Chairman of the 1987 International Bonsai Conference which was held in Minnesota. He also served two years as the managing editor of Bonsai Magazine, the official publication of Bonsai Clubs International and is the author of Outstanding American Bonsai, a book, published by Timber Press in Portland, Oregon. His bonsai have won numerous first place and best in show awards at both the local and regional level.

For nine years he operated White Dragon Bonsai Studio out of his former home in Minnesota. In 1995 he relocated to North Carolina and now operates The Bonsai Learning Center in Charlotte. He has studied with such well know national and international bonsai authorities as: John Naka, Toshio Saburomaru, Chase Rosade, Keith B. Scott, Susumu Nakamura, Horst Krekeler, Mas Imazumi, Hu Yun Hua, Qing Quan Zhao, Marion Gyllenswan, Vaughn Banting, and many others.

A Theory of Style

by Dylan Fawcett

When I first wrote this post I wanted it to serve as a sort of transition between the raw mechanics of bonsai and the artistic aspects. Many of the disciplines we may call art are actually a blend of science and art. I use cooking examples a lot in my writing because I used to be a line cook at a gourmet restaurant. I think many of the lessons I learned “under-fire” there apply to learning in general.

More importantly, the art of cooking is a blend of art and science. Topics like thermo conductivity and molecular chemistry define how food changes during cooking and preparation, but the elements that make a dish or restaurant unique can hardly be measured. I doubt that anyone would be convinced that there’s a specific formula to cooking. I would wager that if you and Thomas Keller made the same recipe, the result would be very different. Often we like to think of the art half of a discipline as being the half that one is “born with.” I believe perhaps that is true. At the same time, I want to make a concerted effort to explain the artistic portion of bonsai creation, so that someone with little or no experience with bonsai isn’t totally lost on their first tree. After all, there is no reason that first tree has to end up in the garbage.

In “A Theory of Style” I want to present A theory, or at least a partial theory to help guide your thoughts in your next endeavor with bonsai. The manifestations of your art are your own, but hopefully this guide will help you hone your thoughts.

~Enjoy

Up until now if you follow the guides I have provided on choosing a tree, prioritizing growth energy, and compacting your growth, you will have a wonderful start for your bonsai. You can use these procedures on almost any tree, without any thought of design, and you will be successful. When you wire however, you are setting what should be the final structure and style of your tree. It will be impossible to wire, without any considerations about what the tree will ultimately look like. And so before we get into wiring, I think we must talk about style.

Style, in all realms, is one of those things that pop culture wants us to believe is boundless. By that I mean that in general things like creativity are thought of as not following any set of rules. The phrase “thinking outside the box” comes to mind. It’s almost as if artists pull some sort of magic out of the atmosphere, onto their media, and in a flash of light art is made! I don’t think this is a very accurate explanation of what is really going on. In fact I think it’s the rules of art that make each variety unique and help artists to flourish. Artists are good or bad based on how well they work within the confines of their art.

In cooking the true artists are the ones that blend flavors that have been time tested as wonderful. I’m not sure who was the first person to make clam chowder, but the inventor certainly played by the rules of cooking and created something wonderful. The combination of salty (clams, bacon), sweet (cream, onions), and savory (potatoes, celery, carrots, etc..) is a combination that has occurred billions of times throughout the history of food, but the person who made clam chowder created something completely new in the confines of his art. The one who thought “outside of the box” and made caramel scallops on top chef (as was famously said by Anthony Bourdain as the worst thing he’s ever eaten) was not an artist. If you want to understand bonsai as art and plan on executing it as such, you have to understand the rules.

The Front

There are a lot of things to take into account when you start to style your tree. While there are many additional elements of style that feed into this one, finding a front for your tree is certainly the most important and the first decision you must make in styling your tree. When we talk about finding the front, we’re basically making a decision as to which side of the tree will be viewed as the front. If the tree were to be displayed, this would obviously be the side facing away from the wall and towards the audience. Choosing a front is a pivotal step because you will style your tree around the intended front.

As with any choice you will have to make with your trees, there will most likely be several options, each with their good and bad points. I think a good lesson to learn here, as well as with bonsai in general, is that it’s not important to make the “right” choice. What really matters is making the path you choose the right one. In theory, you could choose the best side and consequently still make a less than ideal tree with your other style choices. Or you could choose a less ideal angle and end up styling cohesively with your decision and make a great tree. I believe the adage goes “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts” and as such, decisions that work together will yield a better product than ones that are individually best.

Below are some rough guidelines to use when determining the front of your tree:

1.

On the front of the tree, the bottom third of the trunk will likely have no foliage covering it. The idea when styling the foliage is to create a window of sorts to see through part of the tree. This enables viewing of some of the interior structure year around, and also allows you to see through the tree to the back limbs creating depth. When choosing a front, any limbs in this section pointing toward the viewer will have to be removed.

2.

One aspect to consider for the front of the tree is to arrange it at an angle that highlights the trunk. The front should be the view that you feel is the most interesting view of the trunk as a whole. The trunk should always (even if the inclination is slight) flow away from the viewer. By this I mean that wherever the trunk emerges from the ground, its angle should be pointing away from the viewer. What this does is helps open the tree up. By initially tilting the trunk away from the viewer, it positions the bulk of the tree in the ideal focal point to be viewed at. It’s inviting, if the trunk were to lean forward first it would feel as if the tree were pushing you away or trying to hide it’s self.

3.

The main branch defines the movement, direction, or inclination of the tree. The main branch is usually (but not always) the largest and first branch on the tree as you come up the trunk from the ground. If your main branch is pointing to the right, then the inclination or movement of you tree should be to the right. This obviously doesn’t mean that your trunk can only twist to the right or all your branches must go this direction, but it does mean that the overall feeling or movement of your tree should be consistent with the feeling or movement of the main branch.

4.

The apex will always tilt slightly forward and should never be in conflict with the main branch. The apex, or top of the tree should always be inclined towards the viewer. It should also point, if ever so slightly, in the direction of the main branch. This builds a uniformity of style throughout the tree and a congruency between the beginning (base of the trunk) and ending (apex) of the tree. Having an apex that points toward the viewer helps to create the image of bowing, as if the tree is inviting you to come in closer for a good look.

5.

Determining the front of your tree will likely also make you evaluate the planting angle, or the angle at which the tree sits in the pot. Changing the angle that the tree is planted at can sometimes be a crucial consideration in the design and is generally used to accentuate or increase a certain feeling of the trunk or tree’s style in general. A tree with a large curve in the trunk, for example, could change the planting angle to increase and highlight the curve or alternatively down-play it if the curve seems too overbearing. I believe it was Ryan Neil who made the point (and I believe it was from this video) that planting angle or planting position should not be used as the primary way of putting movement in a tree. A tree’s movement should be developed in the trunk and limbs, not based solely on how it is stuck in the pot.

6.

You must think of your tree 3 dimensionally. You want to create a pleasing rounded canopy, so it is important to build you tree with not only the front in mind, but also the sides and back. While any display will feature a predominant view from the front, the sides and back of the tree will not be completely hidden. It’s also important to make sure there are no branches (except perhaps at the apex) that point directly toward the viewer. Additionally branches should never cross one another or the trunk. You will need to style you tree in such a way that each foliage pad occupies its own space. If it helps, think of the foliage design in the front as hugging the tree. Branches will come in from the sides and use the very tips of the foliage to obscure the trunk.

A Few Final Thoughts

Obviously what I’ve constructed here is not a complete picture of bonsai style. What I wanted to do was help to give the beginner some things to think about before cutting into their first tree. If you’re taking on the task of styling your first tree, I would encourage you to seek out as much info as possible before hand. However, most things in bonsai you just have to practice.

One thing to think about that was lost on me the first time I styled a tree was the idea that the tree will not be completed after this styling. I suppose this concept is obvious and in actuality I understood it on a very basic level. But what I’m really trying to get at is that you need to think of your trees development as being on a scale of 100-0. The completely un-styled tree will be worth 100 because it is full of potential. As we work on our trees we will slowly be removing it’s potential final designs, and hopefully be narrowing to a final design. The perfect tree will be a 0.

Through our styling process we will be dividing the possible outcomes of the tree. For example, if my first decision is to make an informal upright styled tree, I will be dividing out the billions of possible final trees that do not include the informal upright design. If I remove a limb I will likewise be removing any possible designs that included that limb. The first styling of the tree is crucial because we will divide out the largest portion of the tree’s theoretical futures. If you are good at styling your tree, you may remove something like 70% of the possible future styles.

With each additional pruning, styling, and re-potting we are slowly but surely narrowing the possible outcomes. Let’s say for example on our next styling we narrow the possible futures by something like 1%. Than on the spring defoliation, we narrow again by .5%. The process will go on essentially into infinity because the number that we have, can be divided infinitely. The goal is always a 0 tree, but it’s a goal that can never be achieved. When you see ancient trees that have been meticulously cared for over centuries, you will be astounded by the incredibly intricate twists and turns. This can only be achieved by thousands of choices made over a very long time.

It’s often said that the pinnacle pieces of any variety of art have a “quality” about them that is not easily explained. I believe that the greatest artists are the ones that can come to a resulting piece by this process of careful negative selection. The most successful way to create a piece of art is perhaps not by choosing what it might be, but by choosing what it will not be.

Basic Bonsai Tools and Descriptions

Basic Bonsai Tools and Descriptions

by Julian R. Adams

I was looking around the greenhouse and cleaning up the potting area and I decided to take a coffee break and look online for a certain few tools to replace and I decided to post and article I ran across. 

THE CONCAVE PRUNER

The single most important bonsai tool is the concave pruner. Its primary function is to remove branches in a manner that promotes rapid and smooth healing of the wound. Its name comes from the shape of the cut and wound left on the woody trunk or branch. When properly used the concave pruner leaves a wound on the trunk that is taller than it is wide and slightly concave. The characteristic shape of the concave pruner wound makes use of the fact that wounds on the trunk of trees heal in from the sides rather than from the top and bottom. The concave depression into the trunk allows the wound to callous over without creating an undesirable bump on the trunk. The 8-inch concave pruner is the most versatile size.

The geometry of the cutting edges of the concave pruner is very precise. This allows one to use the pointed end for pruning very tiny limbs and even individual leaves. To preserve this precise geometry, concave pruners should never be forced by cutting material that is too large or too hard. A general rule is to never cut material that is larger than one half the size of the pruner's cutting edge measured from heel to tip. The typical 8-inch pruner is about right for cutting branches 1 1/2 inch in diameter or smaller. When cutting near capacity in size or extra hard wood, it is recommended to use the portion of the blades near the heel, rather than near the tip. This utilizes the extra thickness of the blades near the heel as well as the better mechanical advantage resulting from this portion of the cutting surfaces being closer to the tool's pivot.

All tools have a range of useful performance. If the limb is too thick for a concave pruner or has potential of splitting back into the bonsai, make the cut using a saw or large conventional pruner. The cut should be about one inch from the trunk. Then use a knob cutter to nibble away the stub and to contour the final wound surface on the trunk. Use of knob cutters is discussed later.

THE BUD SCISSORS

Bud scissors are the best tools for trimming leaves, buds and small branches. The short blades and finger holes give excellent control, enabling the user to reach into interior parts of the bonsai for trimming with precision. Although primarily used for delicate work, the mechanical advantage generated by the short blades gives consider able cutting power when needed. As the blades of the bud scissors are closed, the shafts of the handles remain apart. This helps prevent inadvertent crushing of other parts of the bonsai by the closing handle shafts.

BONSAI WIRE CUTTERS

Training bonsai normally involves the use of wire to position and shape trunk and branches. Either aluminum or annealed copper wire is used for this purpose. The wire cutter commonly available at the local hardware store are adequate for cutting wire when applying it to bonsai. This is not the case when cutting the wire to remove it from the bonsai being trained. It is good practice to remove training wire by cutting it off. The training wire is in close contact with the trunk or limb. Therefore only the tip of the wire cutter is used to sever the wire. Otherwise the branch may be seriously damaged. Relatively long cutting blades on hardware store wire cutters have very little mechanical advantage at the tips, making wire removal a difficult chore. Those with physical ailments such as tennis elbow or arthritis may find wire removal quite unpleasant with standard wire cutters. Bonsai wire cutters have very short cutting blades. This greatly increases the mechanical advantage of the tool. For years I used a standard wire cutter to save the cost of buying bonsai wire cutters. This was false economy! I can't believe I tortured my elbow for so long over the price of a relatively inexpensive tool.

THE KNOB CUTTER

This tool sometimes called the melon ball cutter has several unique capabilities. It is a valuable addition to the bonsai tool kit even though it is used much less frequently than concave pruners or bud scissors. The cutting blades of the knob cutter are shaped somewhat like two halves of a sphere coming together. The shape allows the tool to aggressively bite into wood. Protruding stubs are easily and quickly nibbled away by the knob cutter in a controlled fashion. It can remove lots of wood quickly yet is precise enough to shape the final surface cut on the trunk or branch. An additional use of the knob cutter is the removal of undesirable root or trunk material in the area of a partially removed tap root. The aggressive nibbling ability readily removes excess callous underneath the trunk where lack of space makes it difficult to use other tools. No other tool is as effective and clean in performing this task which is often necessary to properly fitting the bonsai to the pot. If used in this manner, the knob cutter should be protected by carefully avoiding blade contact with soil or anything else that might contain hard particles such as grit or stone. The root area is usually quite damp so the tool, especially blades, should be wiped clean and dry with an oily rag immediately after such use.

THE ROOT HOOK

Soil removal and untangling roots is a regular part of the chore of repotting. A chopstick or something similar is often used, especially with small size bonsai. When the bonsai artist works with medium and large size material the need for a more efficient and substantial tool arises. A variety of root hooks with as many as three points (hooks) are available. In this case, less is definitely better than more. The single point tools are superior in getting the job done with minimal damage to fine roots. Multiple point tools are slightly better for soil removal but tend to do much fine root damage due to the tendency of roots to get tangled in the multiple points.

THE ROOT CUTTER

When potting untrained material for the first time, one almost always needs to remove or shorten large roots. A number of tools can perform the needed cuts including concave pruners. The risk of damage to the tools is high because of the likelihood of small stones getting caught in the blades. The root cutter has thicker, coarser blade construction that is more resistant to damage from small stones. An additional use of the root cutter is for rough pruning of branches that are too thick and tough for the same size concave pruner. The cut is made a safe distance from the trunk and then nibbled down to the desired shape with a knob cutter. Use of this tool is much less frequent than the use of concave pruners but it is quite helpful when needed. Cheap imitations of the famous Felco pruner will do most of the same things but will not be as resistant to stone damage. I prefer the root cutter made for bonsai purposes.

MISCELLANEOUS TOOLS

Beyond the basic tools there are numerous other tools and devices that can be useful in certain circumstances. Among these are saws, brushes, tweezers, pliers for jin and wiring, gouges and other carving tools, jacks and bending levers. Purchase of these items is best reserved when it is clear that they are needed to justify the cost.

TOOL MAINTENANCE

Ideally bonsai tools should be cleaned and oiled after each use. Turpentine is excellent for removing sap buildup on the blades. After cleaning, the tool should be wiped with an oily rag, giving special attention to the cutting surfaces of the blades. Be careful - the blades are very sharp. Most of us are not disciplined enough to clean and oil our tools after each use. If one falls into this category, be sure to perform this important chore after any use that subjects the tools to unusual
amounts of sap, moisture or perspiration. Tools that are stored where they are subjected to wide temperature and humidity variations corrode at an accelerated rate due to moisture condensation.

WHAT TO BUY

A complete set of bonsai tools is not necessary for the beginner. Start with a concave pruner and perhaps a pair of bud scissors. Purchase other tools as expertise and requirements increase. When it becomes clear that one has more than a passing interest in bonsai, wire cutters, knob cutters, a root hook and root pruners will soon be added to the wish list.
Quality and price of bonsai tools vary over a wide range. What to purchase is a personal decision but I offer my thought here for your consideration. My experience has been that the poorest quality Japanese bonsai tools are consistently superior to those made anywhere else. I buy only Japanese bonsai tools. There are several grades of tools made by several Japanese companies. The best are breathtakingly expensive, even for those who have a serious bonsai interest. Although I own and use some of the most expensive tools, I find that the functionality only slightly superior to the less expensive "entry level" Japanese tools.
The nature of the art of bonsai dictates that the tools will invariably be used out of doors where unlike fine woodworking tools they are subject to substantial doses of moisture, corrosive perspiration, and the ever present threat of being lost. Even if misplaced only a day or two, the outdoor environment is likely to cause serious deterioration of the exposed working surfaces of the tool. Tools are offered that are made of stainless steel or are plated with a corrosion resistant layer. I have found the corrosion resistance of these "silver" tools a pleasant feature. Unfortunately I have felt that the sharpness of the blades on the "silver" tools not as good as tools of black steel and the "silver" tools are two to three times more expensive.
If one uses bonsai tools properly, the cutting surfaces will last for years without need for sharpening. Corrosion and abuse will greatly degrade cutting performance of a bonsai tool. Concave cutters, knob cutters and root cutters have fairly complex blade geometry which makes proper sharpening beyond the capability of most bonsai artists and most professional sharpeners as well. With the possible exception of bud scissors, sharpened bonsai tools seldom approach the performance of new tools. With these thoughts in mind, I usually limit my investment and use the least expensive grade of Japanese tool that I can tolerate. It is then much easier for me to accept the replacement made necessary by the inevitable loss, deterioration or abuse that my best intentions are unable to avoid.

Collecting and Remembering!

Collecting and Remembering! (GPS)

March, 23rd 2013

How many of us have so many trees on so many areas of land that we find hit hard to keep up with!? Currently I have 9 locations within a 75 mile radius and my records show that I have 43 trees on a 3 years plan - 18 of these I am collecting in the next 4 weeks! This is obviously a lot to remember! I was using a simple spreadsheet provided by the widely used Excel program for tracking, however the use of a new GPS program has enabled life to be much easier!

Cue GPS Essentials!...I found this mobile phone based application on Google Play

Best of all...no cost at all. This app has many uses like navigation values such as: Accuracy, Altitude, Speed, Battery, Bearing, Climb, Course, Date, Declination, Distance, ETA, Latitude, Longitude, Max Speed, Min Speed, Actual Speed, True Speed, Sunrise, Sunset, Moonset, Moonrise, Moon Phase, Target, Time, TTG, Turn. The main things I use this application for are pinpointing the GPS location of the tree, taking notes each time I visit, taking and saving images of the tree each time I visit and most importantly finding the tree each time I want to visit! This app also tracks each one of your steps as you are hunting for the perfect tree so you don't have to remember which area of the land you have already covered. All of this information is saved within the app and I am assuming your phone. Check out this application and let me know what you think! 

Collecting Basics (Yamadori)

Collecting Basics

Collecting From The Wild (www.ofbonsai.org)

It is that time of year! 

All those who collect plants for bonsai should observe the ethical considerations of collecting because the manner in which we collect affects the perception of collectors worldwide. Unethical collecting can give a bad name to bonsaists everywhere and can make it very difficult for others to acquire permission to collect in the future. The following are some considerations that I personally abide by.

• Always obtain permission from the landowner before you collect. Every single piece of land belongs to someone, be it a roadside, construction lot, field, woods, abandoned house, or farm.
• Collecting anything that you do not own and/or do not have permission to is stealing.
• Never take the only tree of its kind in the area.
• Never collect a tree that you are not sure has a very good chance of survival. Experience can tell if a tree can be successfully collected or not.
• Only collect what you will use.
• Always fill in your holes and remove any and all signs that you were there.
• Do not leave your garbage behind and always pack out other garbage that you may find. The key here is to leave the site better than you found it.
• Tread lightly when in the wild, avoid stepping on or damaging the native flora while collecting and leave no sign of your passing. Do not “blaze trails” at anytime, if you can not find your way in and out with a compass or a GPS, you have no business being there.
• I also pack in small seedlings of the species that I will collecting and plant one or two in the spot that I removed the tree from. Not only will this replace the tree I took, but it will assure that there are trees to collect in the future as well.
• A word of warning. Spring is the time when many animals bear young and it is not uncommon to see fawns or other new born wildlife while walking, leave them be, they need nothing from you and any attention given will help no one and in the case of bear cubs, could cost you your life. I collect in bear country often and there is only one thing to do when you see cubs, walk in the opposite direction and pray.

Over the years I have refined the tools I take down to the base minimum and as I sometimes have to walk a ways to where I will be collecting, this helps lighten my load and save my back. The following is a list of tools and supplies I carry in my backpack when collecting in the wild.

• Short shovel which I keep a good sharp edge on. Folding Shovels break easy, I don’t use them.
• Long handled and short handled pruners.
• A good sharp knife.
• A GPS unit and a compass, in case the former fails.
• A saw. I carry a handsaw for small jobs and for serious collecting I pack the battery powered reciprocating saw.
• A small hatchet.
• A pry bar.
• Burlap bags and twine.
• A few plastic bags for smaller trees.
• A small container of dry granular fertilizer.
• A mesh laundry bag for collecting sphagnum moss.
• A few seedlings of the species I will be collecting.
• Snacks, water, a lighter, and a good first aid kit.
• A small plastic child’s sled, nothing works better for dragging out a tree on flat terrain. (I use my external frame backpack for humping out trees on rougher terrain.)
• I also have a lightweight come-a-long I pack for tougher jobs.

I do most of my collecting up north on a few acres that I own and on a few more acres that friends own. I also have obtained permission from a few locals. I spend many hours walking these areas and I have examined many trees, marked a few in my GPS for future consideration, and collected a few. Depending on the species and age of the tree I use different methods for collecting with a high ratio of success.

The Three-Year Plan

Most of the bigger and older Jack Pines and other species that I have marked in my GPS are on what I call a three-year plan. The first spring after I find the tree I dig a two-foot trench just outside of the drip line, half way around the tree. I use my saw to severe any roots that I encounter and also to lightly prune the tree to remove any branches that will not be needed or to start to encourage back budding. I fill the hole in being sure to mix in some fertilizer and chopped sphagnum moss. I use the granular type fertilizer for this and find that the tree will seldom put roots out pass this enhanced feed area. The sphagnum moss greatly helps with new root development where I cut the roots.

The second spring I repeat the process except I dig my trench on the other half of the circle. By now the roots are well on their way to recovery on the other side and are now closer to the trunk. I once again mix fertilizer and chopped sphagnum moss in when I fill the hole.

The third spring I trench all the way round the tree and reach under to severe the taproot, if present. I then tilt the tree one-way and slide burlap under one side. I tilt the tree the other way and pull the burlap through, completely wrapping the root ball. I tie it off with twine being sure to wrap the twine around the root ball also and then lift the whole root ball out of the hole by lifting the burlap, not the trunk. A word of caution here; do not lift or move the tree by the trunk. Doing so will damage the bark and loosen or tear the roots.

Collecting On The Spot

For trees that are not as old or for trips where for reasons the tree must be collected when variations of the above three-year plan can be used. I have collected older trees in two years or less by making one trench in spring and the other in the fall of the same year and collecting the following spring.

Collecting on the spot requires that you get as much as the root ball as possible to assure survival. The soil conditions in the spot you collect will dictate if spot collecting can be done. Some places you will find create naturally tight root balls close to the trunk, others the roots may go on for yards with no feeder roots close to the trunk. The latter trees should be left alone; they are not collectable on the spot and would require a longer plan such as the three-year plan outlined above.

When you must collect a tree on the spot great care must be taken to retain as much of the root ball as possible. In the attached diagram I show the best way to dig a tree out in this situation. Trenching completely around the tree and then undercutting the root ball is a far better way than to angle the shovel in and pry. In this way the root ball is less disturbed and the trees chances of survival is much greater. Waiting until after a good rainfall will help to assure that a good soil mass will be lifted with the root ball or wetting the root ball prior to digging will help the soil to remain in place. See the diagram below to better understand this digging method.

Diagram of the digging methods

It is always a good idea to be prepared to collect other items while you are out. I have found some very nice stones and driftwood while out, save room for these in your pack. One item I always collect whenever I am out is Sphagnum Moss. I not only use this for air layering but I also use it in my soil mix for freshly collected trees and as I have mentioned above, I use it to back-fill my trenches when I am spading a tree for future collection. The pictures below are of Sphagnum Moss growing in the wild and a mesh laundry bag which I find is perfect for collecting it.

Sphagnum Moss growing in the wild

A mesh laundry bag full of Sphagnum Moss

After Care

Once you have collected the tree or trees you wanted be sure to keep the root ball damp, never allow it to dry out. Since I make it a habit to collect sphagnum moss while I am collecting trees, I usually pack the root ball with moss first and then wrap with plastic or burlap. I use my judgment, depending on the overall health of the tree and the root mass to determine if it will go into a training pot, growing box, or straight into the growing bed. I never style a collected tree until one or two full seasons has passed and the tree shows significant signs of healthy growth. I will however prune back to encourage back budding if the health of the tree will allow it.

OOPS

So you collected that beautiful tree you found and to your great dismay, the roots are not quite what you expected. For trees where the root mass is small and there are few feeder roots I treat them almost like an air-layer. I securely tied the tree into a growing box with a soil mixture of 75% sphagnum moss and 25% of free draining soil mix. I have had great success with this method once I realized that I do the same thing to “create” roots from nothing on air-layers. I use this technique only in early spring as it seems to work best then and it allows enough roots to form to allow me to transplant before the seasons end. This technique has also served me well in the past with trees that suffered from rot.

Micro Environments

Before you collected that tree it was living in a relationship with other plants and fungus. These relationships can be major like the Mycorrhizae in the root system or minor like living in the shade cast by a larger nearby tree or playing host to the moss and lichen growing on its trunk.

These relationships are called Micro Environments and are created by the plants that are growing around the trunk and on top of the root ball. These plants have shaded the root ball, collected dew, held in moisture, supplied nutrients, and hosted a vast collection of micro organisms every since the tree was a seedling. The plants roots are intermingled with the roots of the tree, at times sharing the same water, nutrients and beneficial Mycorrhizae with the very tree you are collecting.

Removing the tree from its environment is stressful enough without also ripping out these plants that form the Micro Environment that the tree is used to. Removing the plants that make up this Micro Environment will also unnecessarily disturb the fine upper most roots of the tree. When I collect I take great care to collect the whole root ball including all the plants that are growing on it. I am very careful to leave all the plants except obvious weeds untouched as they can be removed gradually as the tree strengthens and totally removed at the next repotting once the tree has become accustomed to its new environment.

In Colin Lewis’s book “The Art of Bonsai Design” on page 115 in a side article about collecting wild pines he states, “Take as substantial a root ball as possible and wrap it very tightly in plastic sheeting and packing tape. Retain the flora growing in the root ball (apart from dandelions and other obvious weeds). This flora forms part of a ecosystem that the pine also plays a role in. They may share mycorrhiza, or some may influence the nature of the nutrient or trace element content of the local soil.“

He then goes on to say, “Subterranean organisms certainly do have a significant effect on the ability of plants to survive stress such as transplanting. These organisms, in turn, can depend on the local plants for their success. In simple terms, don’t break the cycle until the pine is accustomed to living on its own new root system.“

The pictures below are of a Jack Pine I collected recently. The first two pictures are of the intact root ball as collected; the third picture is of the root ball after I have taken a chopstick to the edges and underside. I use a wooden chopstick to loosen the soil around the edges and bottom, exposing only the slightest amount of roots. The top is left completely untouched. The only roots I remove are thick ones that protrude beyond the confines of the box it will be planted in and these only if I cannot bend them to fit. Sometimes it is feasible to wire a big root to another, bending it inwards so it fits. Cutting off a root on a freshly collected tree should only be done as a last resort. Notice that the plants on top of the root ball have been left and all the original soil is intact. Deciduous trees may be bare rooted if necessary, but this should never be done with conifers or pines.

Jack Pine root ball intact after collection showing micro environment.

Jack Pine root ball intact after collection showing micro environment.

Jack Pine root ball after loosening soil around edges and bottom, micro environment still intact.

Upon potting the collected tree into a training box I set the intact root ball onto a shallow layer of soil and then work a mix of soil and sphagnum moss around all sides, then I slightly cover all the surface plants with a thin layer of soil as I have found that they respond much better this way and will grow up through the soil in a couple of weeks. The pictures below are of the completed potted tree in a training box with the surface plants covered mostly with a soil mix consisting of 70% lava rock, 10% turface, and 20% fir bark.

Collected jack Pine in growing/training box.

Although the tree form may suggest a young age, the trunk bark says otherwise.

Let A Tree Be A Tree

It has been mentioned in many articles that one should cut back foliage after collecting in order to “balance” the foliage to the recently cut root mass. I believe that there is absolutely no way that we can guess the amount, if any, to cut back to achieve this balance.

While it is true that trees have an inbuilt need for balance and that they will go to great lengths to achieve it, I have found that some of the current practices are detrimental to the survival and development of the tree.

You see when we slightly cut back the roots on a collected tree we create an unbalance in the tree that the tree is genetically programmed to over come. The excess foliage (in comparison to the freshly trimmed root mass) causes a water loss in the tree by the water diffusing out of the stomata as carbon dioxide diffuses in for photosynthesis and that the smaller root mass can not supply.

The solution to this problem is not cutting back the foliage because we can never know how much. Too little and you still have an unbalanced system, too much and you now have another completely different unbalance in the tree.

Instead the solution is to let the tree be a tree. The tree will respond to a light trimming of the roots and the resulting unbalance by creating more roots! Yes, exactly what we want and all we have to do is leave it alone. When there are too many leaves on a tree and not enough roots, water stress will increase, leaf growth will stop and root growth will continue until balance is once again achieved.

A tree has built in feedback controls hardwired between the foliage and the roots designed so that the tree stays in balance. We see examples of this all the time; in fact often we use it to our advantage, I wonder why we so often go against what we see with our own eyes?

In Bonsai Today issue 75 on page 48 Walter Pall states in part two of his “Collecting Trees From The Wild” article, “Trying to balance the crown and the roots of a tree, as is often recommended, makes no sense. The tree itself knows much better what to do. Even Japanese collectors have had the same experience. After digging up a juniper, they leave the branches and needles intact. A year later, they can prune away long branches.“

Below are some pictures of a Jack Pine that I discovered and collected. You can see from the pictures that none of the foliage has been cut back at all. I will not cut any back until very early spring. At this point I will be using the trees natural balance again but in reverse for another reason. Once the roots have balanced themselves with the foliage, I will then cut back the foliage. The tree will once again respond to keep balance but this time it will be trying to balance the pruned foliage with the roots, forcing out new growth on branches and also new buds on old wood. This technique has allowed me to successfully obtain back budding on older pines.

Jack Pine just missed by a clearing project.

Trenched and ready to lift.

Responding well in its new environment.

Against Doctors Orders

Imagine going to the doctor for a illness and learning that he recommends no medicine, no food, no vitamins, and warns against anything life giving at all. You and I would automatically label this doctor a quack and seek a second opinion, yet we take the same advice regarding our freshly collected bonsai to heart.

It has often been said that you should place a freshly collected tree in the shade and withhold fertilizer for some time. I personally do not subscribe to this school of thought. I cannot see withholding life giving sun or nutrients from a tree that is in great need of repair.

A tree is a very complex organism with many built in controls as I have mentioned above. Trees have evolved to deal with injuries in many ways, none of which includes changing location to a shady, sterile spot until it heals.

When a tree is injured it goes into a repair mode where cells are produced to start healing wounds and to increase growth in order to replace the missing foliage and/or roots. The tree will once again seek to balance itself and by doing so will require energy in the form of sunlight and nutrients. By withholding either, we force the tree to tap reserves that are best left for uncontrollable events.

I have placed freshly collected pines in direct sunlight and started feeding from the minute they are potted. In fact if you count the weakened fish emulsion solution that I often spray on the roots to prevent drying out, I actually start feeding before the tree is actually potted. To date I have had no ill effects and the trees seem to respond better than the others I tried using the “starve in darkness” method.

Collecting From A Nursery

There are many reasons one may decide to purchase quality stock from a local nursery or ‘box’ store instead of a bonsai store. I do it because I have found some very nice stock at fantastic prices that have not been previously sorted through by bonsaists. Other reasons include shopping on a budget, no local bonsai stores, convenience, and fun.

I admit that I am a stock addict and recently had to expand my growing beds to make up for all the deals I have found. Over time I have learned a few things about looking for stock at these places and I thought I’d share them here with you.

• Take your time – don’t be shy!
• Relax, take your time and look at every single plant.
• Lift up the pot, brush the needles and leaves away, run your fingers into the soil, feel the roots, see how far down the trunk goes. As Vance Wood taught me, a lot of the time you will find an excellent trunk buried beneath the visible surface, you have to see with your fingers, not your eyes.
• Look at the branch placement; see if there is a tree waiting to be set free, but never discard a piece based solely on the branching. Branches can be replaced, look for the trunk and look beneath the soil.
• Tip the pot upside down and inspect the root ball, check to see that the roots are healthy and they fill the soil mass.
• Beware the old nursery trick of putting a 2-gallon plant into a 5-gallon pot and shoving soil in. Don’t pay the 5-gallon price for a 2-gallon plant!
• Befriend the manager and staff. The manager can be your best source for quality stock.

Sure the staff will think you’re nuts, I love that, in fact I encourage that perception, that way they leave me alone, in time they will laugh with you!

In the pictures below is a Mugho Pine (Pinus mugo) that looks like any ordinary nursery stock on the surface. Only by digging deep with my fingers did I discover the hidden treasure below. Once home, I removed some of the nursery pot rim and the upper surface of soil, amazing what lies hidden sometimes.

I once fell in love with a very thick trunked Jade that was part of a very expensive group, I spent time with the counter girl, laughing and trying to sell her a car. She ended up calling me later that week to tell me that those jades were now 50% off! A short while after I bought those jades, I dropped of a bottle of wine to her; I know about every sale they have now!

A manager at a local box store calls me now whenever they have a new shipment in and recently has started setting aside the “thick ones” for me. She even asks if there’s any species that I would like to see ordered!

Just be friendly and ask: most people love to feel important and are dying to be appreciated. Asking is the key here, explain what you do and answer questions, and then ask if you could be notified when new stock comes in.

A little grease never hurts either. I gave some extra Auto Show tickets to the man at a box store here and he has never failed to walk me to what he thinks are the best deals whenever I come in, he’s not always right but he has surprised me from time to time.

Most still think I’m a little nuts, but we have fun and I fully plan on dropping off a little bonsai to each soon.

Be an out-of-season buyer, look for the end of season sales, late fall or winter here is sometimes the best time to buy as the stores are looking to empty out the nursery for the winter. This is a great time to find deals but the selection usually is low and picked though. Knowing the staff sometimes helps with getting forewarning on a sale, see above.

Save that trash! Nurseries will often toss things that start to look wilted or mark them down considerably. I never fail to make a trip past the dumpster on my way into the store, it’s amazing how many trees and plants are tossed that simply need a little TLC. Knowing the staff will get this stuff set aside for you, see above.

Don’t be afraid to walk! Never settle for less. Or feel you have to buy something because you spent so much time there. Who cares if you just molested every root system in the place? Have standards, and stick to them. On the other hand if you see something you like, buy it now! Waiting will only ensure that it ends up in someone’s fence garden. Never, ever ask the staff to hold something for you; this only inconveniences them and most likely is asking them to break policies.

This last weekend I had the ultimate honor of accompanying Vance Wood on a trip to a nursery here in Michigan. To say Vance is experienced at nursery crawling is an understatement; most of what I know about nursery collecting I learned from posts made by Vance on an internet forum, long before I met him in person.

After arriving late because I was looking for his street off of the wrong road, Vance and I headed out to the nursery where we found some great deals and I got to watch this man evaluate Mughos and other species first hand. The most valuable lesson I learned from Vance is to forget the foliage, in fact he doesn’t even consider it when selecting a tree. Foliage can be trained, shaped, removed, and replaced, it’s the trunk and roots that make or break stock.

In nurseries the problem is that the trunks and roots are often buried under dirt, needles and other debris and if you want to see what’s under there you have to “see” with your fingers. This is not a sport for the neat freaks, you will get dirty and you’ll spend hours removing the dirt from under your nails. On the plus side, you’ll find some great deals and some excellent stock.

The pictures below show just how difficult it is to see what lies beneath the surface with nursery stock. Digging your hands in deep and feeling the buried roots and trunk takes perseverance and determination and it also takes the willingness to get a little dirty. Later we will see just what this accomplishes in stock selection.

Vance and I went though many Mughos that day and passed on 80% of them judging by what we could feel alone.

Just removing the debris isn

You must really push your fingers down into the soil to feel the roots and trunk.

Typical nursery stock soil surface.

Sometimes your whole hand can easily fit into the pot, depending on the root mass and how much soil was added by the grower or nursery.

Although effective, this is not a technique for clean freaks.

Here is one of the two mughos I picked up.

These will not be transplanted until next year but I always take a few steps to get them ready.

I cut down the nursery pot, exposing the hidden trunk and roots, but I leave the few roots that will be nebari slightly buried. I then remove just enough unwanted branches to allow sunlight to penetrate the interior. This helps the existing inner buds to grow, I’ll need these when I style in the future.

Below are pictures of these steps and a couple pictures of the nice stock that was buried. Vance Wood’s “Seeing eye hands” method is truly worth its weight in gold.

Mugo Pine fresh from a nursery trip.

Cutting off the lip of the nursery container down to future nebari level.

Lip removed exposing trunk.

Excess soil and surface roots removed.

Beautiful trunk that was buried in the nursery pot. Trunks like these are often overlooked by shoppers.

Using these methods I also picked up a couple nice Junipers as well as shown below. All of this stock would have been overlooked or passed on by the bonsaist who only concentrates on branching or what is above the soil line. The two Mugos and the two junipers were purchased for under $20.00, that’s all four pieces for less than twenty dollars. I spent just under 50.00 that day for a total of nine pieces of excellent stock.

Scraggily looking Juniper at casual inspection.

Upon digging in, I found it had an amazingly thick and weathered trunk buried under the soil line.

A close up of the buried trunk.

Another ordinary looking landscape quality juniper.

Revealed a interesting trunk buried below the soil.

One Yew (Taxus sp.), two Mughos (Pinus mugo), four Junipers (Juniperus sp.), and a better understanding of the fine art of nursery collecting…all for a price you wouldn’t believe anyhow.

Vance was an excellent instructor and showed me things I couldn’t have learned without hands on experience. We were two smiling lunatics with a truck jammed full of trees on the way home. The bed and the back seat was full of trees, we couldn’t have taken another tree home if they were free.

Collecting From Urban Environments

I pass a lot of homes both in the city and up north that have overgrown landscaping and I have found that the simple act of asking a homeowner if they would like those old over grown shrubs removed free of charge usually results in permission happily given. Sometimes I will throw in the offer of replacing the old shrubs with new, fresh, young ones, an offer not refused often.

There are literally millions of old over grown shrubs out there. Junipers, Yews, Boxwoods, Rose of Sharon’s, holly, etc. just waiting to be discarded or used. I am sure that most of you have seen shrubs that were fantastic but never stopped to ask, this is an incredible source of developed bonsai stock that should be taken advantage of before they end up in pieces on the curb side.

The key to obtaining permission is to be polite and offer a needed service. If you are refused, thank them kindly and leave your number in case they ever decide to make a change. Trust me; they will call you back if you made a good impression.

Once permission is given, remember that they will refer you if you do a good job. Always backfill the hole, I carry some grass seed so I can seed the area as well. Never drive on the grass and always leave the area looking better than it did before you came.