Bonsai tree: Which way does it go?

Source: Bonsai Tonight
Which way does it go?

I brought my hinoki to a Bay Island Bonsai workshop last weekend. It was the first time I’d thought much about the tree since I worked on it last year. It had filled in quite a bit and I wanted to give it some attention. I also had yet to decide what tree I’d be showing at BIB’s upcoming exhibit in January. Boon and I looked at the tree briefly and figured it was close enough to ready for exhibit. As is so often the case, I’d prefer wait a few more years before showing the tree again, but decided, ultimately, that it would be fun to show it at next year’s exhibit and then again in two years when it’s further along.

I first showed the tree at BIB’s inaugural exhibit in 2000. Every few years I remove the lowest branches and re-style the remaining foliage. Between exhibits, the tree has a chance to fill in a bit. To keep the tree full for next January’s exhibit, I don’t want to remove much foliage. For this workshop, I simply removed the yellow and brown foliage and started thinking about the tree’s silhouette.

Hinoki – summer 2011

Old and new foliage

Old foliage removed

Cleaning up the old foliage made it clear that the tree was full enough to show. But what struck me, is the direction of the tree.

I asked others in the workshop what they thought. Some suggested the tree points to the right. I think the lowest branch on the right does point to the right, and I desire for the tree to point right. I’d argue, however, that the apex points decidedly to the left. To create balance, the key branch must point in the same direction as the apex. This tree is close to balanced, but not quite there yet.

Hinoki – which way does it go?

I noticed, as I looked closely at the tree, that as I rotate it to the right, the direction of the apex shifts from left to right.

Apex left, key branch right

Neutral

Apex beginning to point to the right

Although the tree’s silhouette looks pretty good from this angle, it’s not a suitable front for the tree as the key branch points away from the viewer. The photo is useful, however, because it suggests to me how to style the branches and apex to create balance.

Do all of these shots look the same? Are some angles more interesting than others? Am I being picky? Good questions! I’m hoping to re-set the branches before exhibit to improve the tree’s balance. Not all of the tree’s branches are long enough for me to create the silhouette I’m looking for, but I can get closer to my ideal ahead of the exhibit. Time for more wiring!
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Bonsai tree: Golden State Bonsai Federation XXXIII Convention Exhibit

Source: Bonsai Tonight
Golden State Bonsai Federation XXXIII Convention Exhibit

The Golden State Bonsai Federation (GSBF) held their 33rd Annual Convention, “New Faces,” last weekend in Santa Clara, California. As always, the Convention featured a bonsai and suiseki exhibit. Bonsai were displayed in formal arrangements with accents – suiseki displays book-cased the bonsai at opposite ends of the room.

Although the exhibit was not large, it did a good job of representing California bonsai with trees from different parts of the state. I hope in future years the exhibit can grow larger. California is host to many bonsai clubs and has many fine trees, making the GSBF convention an excellent venue for showcasing the state’s collections for bonsai enthusiasts and the general public alike.

For those who couldn’t make it this year, here are photos of the trees in the exhibit.

California juniper

Trident maple

Crabapple

Hinoki

California juniper

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Bonsai tree: Hinoki workshop

Source: Bonsai Tonight
Hinoki workshop

Last weekend I had the opportunity to attend a Bay Island Bonsai workshop run by Daisaku Nomoto. I selected a tree I’ve been working on for the past 15 years – a hinoki. The tree improves every year, but slowly, as hinokis are notoriously slow growing. A year and a half ago, Boon and I performed some heavy bending to get the main branches closer to where we wanted them. This year the work really paid off. Here are some before and after pictures:

Front – before Front – after

Right – before Right – after

Left side – before Left side – after

Back – before Back – after

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Bonsai tree: America’s Oldest Bonsai Collection

Two trees from one at The Larz Anderson Collection. I borrowed this image from Colin Lewis’ Bonsai Art website in the Larz Anderson section. Here’s what Colin has to say about this photo: Known as “Mother and daughter,” these two trees were originally one, until a lower branch, with its own set of roots, became separated from the main trunk in 1969.
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Bonsai tree: Johnny Uchida Saikei

This stellar saikei by Johnny Uchida was sent to us by Noah. Johnny Uchida is the owner of Grove Way Nursery in Hayward, California.
Here what Noah has to say about this planting: “This saikei was done by Johnny Uchida of Grove Way Bonsai as an example for beginning students who were learning to make their own saikeis and he gave me permission to share them. Mr. Uchida is also the sensei of Yamato Bonsai Kai in Northern California. The trees are cryptomeria and hinoki cypress and the composition is made with locally sourced rocks, gravel, moss, lichen and various accent plants.”
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Hinoki cypress bonsai

Look at it. How graceful it is. How old and ageless it looks. Beautiful and adorable CHAMAECYPARIS SP., or how we call it Dwarf Hinoki or False Cypress, stands up here making your eyes enjoy. There are a lot of cypress versions, with different look, form of leaves and color, which varies from bright green to pale-grayish. Trees are distinguished with theirs golden shades and needles, completely covering the bark. The edges of the leaves have blue coloring and the tree when mature will produce miniature cones, typically the size of a pea.The trees and the bushes in the wild nature, can reach heights in 50 meters with formation of a conic crone. Prominent cypress feature is ability of its some branches to a mutation that allows to receive new copies of a tree from stem cuttings.

Caring in vegetation period

Despite strong look, this coniferous tree does not carry excessive stay on the sun, in particular in the summer, its stability to cold weather is the characteristic feature. Watering should be regular for substratum maintenance in constantly damp condition, especially during the hottest period of year. It is necessary to avoid over watering the tree for what the deep soil with a porous limy substratum and good drainage gets it out. Because of the slow evolution of the tree adding of nutrients should be moderated. Repoting is made every three — five years only in the early spring.
The Hinoki Cypress needs to be fed biweekly from early spring to mid fall. Be sure to use soil without lime. If necessary, you can add one teaspoon of Epsom salts to the water every three months to provide the foliate needed magnesium. The result will be vibrant blue foliate.

Styling the bonsai

When pruning, it is necessary to delete new superfluous runaways so, that the crone not to be too expanded, and branches were proportional in the sizes. After occurrence of leaves it is recommended not to cut them, but to delete completely, liquidating on 1/3 of all volume of foliage and in regular intervals cleaning from the crone all the dried up leaves. In the autumn for regulation of growth of branches of the first order it is necessary to wire them, trying to keep small leaflets on a tree bark. Keep up, that the wire doesn't stick into the bark. Dismantle fixing design approximately in ten months. Always use your hands, never scissors, which will cause the foliage to turn brown. As far as wiring, the Cypress is generally easy to work with. Just remember that it usually takes some time for the branches to set. Because

of this, you will likely have to rewire more than once to avoid cutting deep into the tree. You can wire the Cypress throughout the year but a common problem is wiring takes the energy out of the tree. Therefore, wait about three to four months to report after you have wired the tree.
To repot your Cypress bonsai, this should be done every three to four years in mid spring for younger trees and then three to five years for the mature trees. When repotting, choose a richer mix if you grow your bonsai in a hot region, which will help keep the soil from drying out.
Now, since this tree is fast growing it is possible that you might need to repot every other year, often removing about one-third to one-half the root mass. You will need to determine the repotting schedule based on your specific tree. In any case, make sure the container used is not too big, which w ould cause problems with the soil remaining too wet.

Illness and wreckers

In a dehydrated medium there can be red soil pincers and wood lice though the most dangerous are illnesses of a fungoid origin, especially whe n pruning works are spent without caring of a sa nitary code. Red soil ticks are deleted by means of the cotton wool sadden with spirit, and then spray the acaricides or insecticides, reducing f or this purpose half a dose and concentration of a solution for usual plants. By means of the same receptions wood lice, but with the use of special insecticides.

The Cypress can have problems with juniper scale. However, a good, organic pesticide will generally keep things under control. Another problem is the bag worm, which will create webs in the dead foliage. Therefore, make sure you use the right product to kill the worm and remove any dead foliage. Read more!