Bonsai tree:Way to go Rick!

A problem that some bonsai enthusiasts often face especially the less experienced is around the topic of shaping their bonsai tree.

For instance people have mentioned that they know the basics of pruning a bonsai and have experience of pruning other plants in the garden to remove dead growth or branches that are growing in the wrong direction.

The problem they have is a bit more fundamental around the artistry of the bonsai tree design. How do they know what shape the tree should be, they don’t have the eye! Whatever that means.

Well if any of you read the last article there is no need to let your bonsai tree grow for ten years before you get a feel for the shape it should be, however there are some guidelines you can follow that will help.

1) The variety of tree, the formal bonsai shapes such as formal upright, slanting and cascade are more suited to specific species of tree than others. So do some research decide on the style you want then choose a suitable bonsai tree variety.
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Bonsai tree: Tax Us? Taxus? What About Yew?

 
This dynamic Japanese yew (Taxus cuspidata) with is fluid play of strikingly attractive dead and live wood, and its perfectly balanced foliage. Unfortunately, the artist’s name was lost somewhere in translation.
Bad puns aside, I feel like I’ve praised yew before, but can’t find it anywhere. Anyway, at the risk of repeating myself, I like yews. For landscaping and for bonsai.Yews are often over used in landscaping and as a result their beauty is not always appreciated. Also, most people don’t know how to prune landscape trees, so some of their best features are usually hidden. I especially like the color and gnarly shapes that the wood takes on with age, and the brilliant yellow green new growth in the spring.
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Bonsai tree: Coming Soon: Field Grown Bonsai Stock

One little man made hill that serves as landscaping and as a growing bed for future bonsai.
I’ve started digging some of my field grown stuff and putting them in plastic containers. Soon we’ll start photographing and putting some up for sale.
More than half of what I’ve been growing are larches that have been collected here in northern Vermont. All have been pruned some. Some has been wired and a few have even been carved. Most are not bonsai pot ready, but all have good potential.
When they are ready, I’ll be putting them up here and on Stone Lantern.

Source: Bonsai Bark Read more!

Azalea - Developing New Branches

An advanced stage in the development of a Satsuki azalea. There are at least three flower variations in this photo: white, pink and pink and white striped. Satsuki azaleas are renowned for their vast and varied range of flowers. The bonsai artist’s name is not mentioned.
Azaleas respond extremely well to pruning during most of the growing season. You can cut off all the branches and new shoots will appear from the stubs. You can even whack the trunk down to almost nothing and new shoots will spring forth from whatever is left. This and other features like small leaves, small and beautiful flowers and easy adaptability to container culture, make azaleas a favorite for bonsai enthusiasts.
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Fantastic Junipers

This is a Shore Juniper (J. procumbens) by master bonsai innovator, Masahiko Kimura. It combinse the sculptural look that has been favored by some Japanese bonsai artists with a more wild, ruged natural look that is in favour in much for the world bonsai community. If bonsai is an art, then the categories are continually being broken down as artist play, explore and inovate. And no bonsai artist that has played, explored and inovated more successfuly thanMaster Kimura.
Junipers are tough, durable and flexible and pruneable. They don’t mind having their roots hacked and they take to container culture. Their needles tend to be small and dense and both their needles and bark come in a range of attractive colours and textures. Perhaps best of all, junipers take to carving like few other plants and their deadwood is both attractive and long lasting especially if you keep it clean and apply lime sulfur.



Dwarf Japanese garden juniper. One thing I do know is that it is unmistakably a Procumbens nana; a dwarf cultivar of the Procumbnes. Procumbens nana is by far the most popular juniper for beginners, at least here in the States. However, you seldom see a masterpiece, as the trunks tend to stay too thin. The trunk on this one is about a thick as they ever get. Read more!

Controlling Conifer Growth

These simple tips on triming and pinching are from an extensive article entitled ‘How to Train Coniferous Bonsai’ from Bonsai Today issue 42.

Books on the subject
Two of the best books on training conifers are part of our Masters’ Series: Growing and Styling Juniper Bonsai, and Growing and Styling Japanese White and Black Pines.




Here is another piece from the same Bonsai Today article. Pruning and pinching excess foliage are always a good idea when transplanting. Less foliage means less work for stressed roots.

We transplant all summer
As far as the until June part, here in Vermont we can transplant conifers all summer long because it seldom gets very hot. If you know what you are doing, you can transplant conifers all summer in all but the hotest and driest climates. Read more!

Pruning Tips

This is a young deciduous tree before pruning. Notice that the tree’s energy moves primarily upward. It is forming a more or less inverted triangle. In order to control this growth and move the energy down, prune to form the tree into a triangle with tip pointing up.

The right part of the picture shows the same little tree a year or two later. Now your goal is to control growth and keep the tree’s basic shape by continuing to prune back vigorous upward growth and to eliminate unsightly and unhealthy growth. Read more!

Do you have to soak bonsai tree seeds?

From emails:

I recently got my new bonsai tree seed, and I’ve heard you need to soak the seeds before you plant them. Is that true? I also will take any other advice anyone can give me, or websites with helpful information.

A bonsai tree is any type of tree pruned or manipulated to keep it small. I have never heard of such a thing as a bonsai tree seed? Sounds like someone trying to make a buck, suckered you in. You can buy a small bare root evergreen seedling from any good nursery and have a better head start on a bonsai tree. They will probably have a wide variety to offer too. Then go to the local library and get information on how to wire, prune and shape your little tree.

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