Savvy Gardening: Garden Ideas, Tips, Pictures, and More » Bonsai Trees

Bonsai – Tools For A Lifetime: The Essentials

Jennifer — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 10:00:20 +0000

Bonsai is in a way like photography – it is possible to buy dozens of expensive ‘add-ons’ to the basic equipment. Some of these are helpful, others merely give you the feeling that ‘Gee, I’m really an artist’. Tools do not make the artist – the artist uses tools.

But there are tools which are essential to creating the work of art that is each individual tree. Shears, cutters, tweezers, rakes and others will help you shape the bonsai tree. They can help you make the difference between a small, scraggly plant and a beautifully sculpted bonsai tree.

The first tools recommended will surprise you: paper and colored pencils, or a good design program. ‘Begin with the end in mind’ is the catchphrase of all thinking artists. You need to envision the final result, which in the case of a bonsai tree may be decades in the making. Your vision needs to be made concrete, in the form of an image that you can refer to over the months and years of shaping.

You don’t have to be rigidly locked into your initial idea – the tree will often resist your efforts. But you should have some specific goal in mind that is consistent with the nature of the individual plant before you.

In order to realize that vision you’ll need a good set of shears. You will use them for cutting, trimming and shaping.

Quality counts. Poor quality tools dull quickly and don’t cut sharply. Spend a little more and get shears specially made for bonsai work. A good pair, well kept, will last many years. A poor quality pair will wear out, rust and be useless within a year or two. In the long run you will spend less by buying quality.

They need to start sharp and to be kept sharp. Ragged edges, which look smooth to your eye but are evident at the tree’s level, will produce poorer results. Have you ever noticed, for example, that a ragged wound heals badly, much more so than one cut cleanly?

Concave cutters are essential to shaping the bonsai tree. They are used to remove branches and produce a concave wound. Paradoxically, that rounded scar heals faster than a straight one. The final result will be one that makes it difficult to see that any branch existed in the first place.

Sooner or later you will want to wire your bonsai to shape the trunk and branches, in order to produce varying styles and variations within a style. Wire is essential for that purpose. But unwinding wire after months or years represents a great risk to the tree. It should be cut off instead.

Cutting wire without damaging the tree requires skill in any case. But without the proper wire cutters it is nearly impossible. Wire is wrapped tightly and often covers a large portion of the tree. It needs to be snipped off in small sections without stabbing or snipping the trained branch.

Obtain a pair that can be kept sharp, that can cut thicker wire easily without shaking or pushing the tree. It will be helpful if they are the sort that can cut wire at the very tip. That will aid the bonsai artist in being precise and avoiding damage to the branch.

Bonsai – Introduction To the Living Art

Jennifer — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 09:56:58 +0000

Say ‘art’ and most will think of painting or sculpture. There is a kind of sculpture, though, that takes as its raw material not stone or wood but a living tree. That is the art of bonsai.

From the Japanese word for ‘tree in a tray’, Bonsai is the art and product of shaping trees by careful pruning to produce a miniature tree or bush. Not produced from genetic dwarfs, bonsai are the result of years of patient shaping of ordinary species by master artists.

Because they are grown and shaped in a small pot, but are produced from ordinary species – pine, maple and many others – extreme care is required to keep the delicate plants healthy.

Soil type and temperature must be just so – conditions that are only within the artist’s control within a certain range. Pruning techniques take years to master and are only possible to a certain kind of temperament. Potting and re-potting practices must be learned and they are many and varied.

Watering alone is a complex science for these small trees and bushes. Too much and the bonsai will become water-logged and develop fungi and root rot. Too little and the soil quickly becomes dry and leaves wilt and the tree dies.

Soil and potting practices overlap with watering needs since drainage is critical. Pruning habits interact with shaping techniques, which in turn are affected by soil maintenance and watering practices.

Bonsai are among the most difficult products of art to create as all these elements and many more have to be carried out to near perfection merely for the plant to survive. Add to that complexity the goal of creating pleasing shapes, styles and colors for both plant and pot and you have a high art.

On top of the inherent horticultural difficulty of learning and mastering a dozen sub-sciences, there is the need to master the artistic vision and skills to produce any of several basic or advanced styles.

There are five basic styles alone: formal upright, informal upright, slanting, cascade and semi-cascade. From that base branch out a dozen advanced types, including the literati and other difficult forms.

An art of that kind is not mastered in a month.

Craftsmen labor for years to produce a single tree, which may last a hundred years or longer. The trees are then often passed down from generation to generation, each successive artist adding his or her own distinctive style. As the tree is lovingly molded according to the personal aesthetic of each caretaker, past efforts are venerated and learned from.

Years of training and experience are required to become a skilled bonsai grower. Ordinary horticulture is by itself a difficult craft. But to produce a miniature tree from ordinary species takes a lifetime of patience and learning.

The results are widely regarded as well-worth the effort, though. Bonsai are admired the world over for their uniqueness, their longevity, variety and beauty and for the skill that goes to produce them.

In an age when brilliant technology can mass produce global cell phones and self-diagnosing automobiles, these individually designed and hand crafted, miniature works of art continue to inspire awe and admiration.

Bonsai – How To Care For: White Pine

Jennifer — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 09:46:50 +0000

Though no bonsai is easy to train or care for, pine is among the easier species. More tolerant to drying, they adapt well to a pot and often require only regular trimming and biannual repotting.

In the wild, pine commonly grow to 50 feet or more with trunks that are a foot in diameter and larger. Yet they make excellent bonsai trees and look stellar in miniature form. Because of their naturally straight trunks and symmetrical branch arrangements they are well suited to the formal upright (chokkan) style.

In the chokkan style, the trunk is straight and rises vertically from the base, in contrast to the cascade (kengai) that is both curved and grows horizontally across the surface. The chokkan thus makes a good starter species for budding bonsai artists.

Bonsai trees are not a dwarf variety, but a full-sized species that has been carefully trained to emulate conditions in the wild on a very small scale. White pine bonsai, therefore, will have the same characteristics as the full grown variety.

White pine have blue-green needles that form in bunches of five, growing from a small bud. Branches grow in a circular pattern, looking down at the tree from above, with several levels around the tree at intervals up the trunk.

A healthy tree looks healthy, especially in the spring when new growth appears. Needles will be a brighter green and start lengthening. Full-sized pines can add two feet or more to their height during the season. You’ll want to remove or reduce some of the new shoots during this period every year or two.

Repotting can be carried out during spring but can wait as late as early autumn, after the summer heat has cooled.

During repotting ensure there is good drainage when you’re done. Pines tolerate dryer soil much better than over-watering. A mixture of 50% soil, 10% peat and 40% coarse sand works well for many, but there are many variations on the material and relative amounts.

Repotting is a good time for root trimming, but be conservative. Pines need a deep pot in order to grow a deep root system for stability. No more than 1/3 of the root should be cut off during the procedure.

Branch pruning is best carried out during late autumn.

It’s common for some of the needles to become brown and fall off in the summer. This needn’t be cause for concern unless the tree is diseased.

Check for large hemispheres of very dark growth on the branch that can indicate the presence of a tumor. If there are none, and only a small percentage of the needles are brown, the condition may well be normal.

Aphids and mealy bugs are common pests, but easily controlled by a commercial or home-grown mixture. Often a slight misting with a dilute liquid dishwashing detergent will take care of the problem temporarily. The needles should be misted with plain water the day after.

Pines can be watered daily provided there is very good drainage, but every other day is fine. Feeding should be done every two to four weeks from early to late spring and again at the end of summer to early autumn. This coincides with the pine’s active growing seasons.

Bonsai – How To Care For: Maple

Jennifer — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 10:18:00 +0000

Maples come in a variety of sub-species, but all of them make beautiful bonsai trees. Slightly more difficult to care for, they are nonetheless greatly in demand by bonsai enthusiasts. Their leafy appearance is attractive, particularly in the fall when they turn to yellow and red, just as do the full-sized maples.

Some varieties thrive well as indoor plants, but for the most part bonsai trees are outdoor plants. Opinions vary about how much sun they require, but partial sun/partial shade is a safe bet with most types.

They survive winter well in the wild, but in bonsai form they require some care. Less water in the winter is called for and care should be taken that the roots don’t get any frost.

Copious watering in the summer is warranted, provided – as with any bonsai tree – there is good drainage. A little extra moisture isn’t a bad thing, though, especially for the flowering varieties. Maples like moist soil.

They adapt well to various styles, but the informal upright (shakan) may be best, given their leafy nature and somewhat brittle branches. It is possible to train them into the han-kengai (semi-cascade) and others, but extreme care must be taken to avoid splitting the trunk and branches.

Han-kengai can be achieved without wiring by a cord attached to a stake in order to curve the trunk. However, this form doesn’t typically occur in nature. Since traditional bonsai art aims at emulating nature on a small scale, this form is uncommon.

Feeding once per month is fine, with a slow-release fertilizer from spring to autumn. Taper off during hot summer months, though. An organic type works well, but Peter’s 20-20-20 is also a good mix. Hold off any feeding for a few weeks after repotting.

Since they can produce ample branches and leaves, root systems tend to grow accordingly to support them. Pruning, therefore, should be taken as a concerted project. For fewer branches and leaves, roots can be pruned more aggressively.

Branch pruning is best carried out in fall or winter when there are fewer or no leaves. This gives a clearly visible working area, leading to fewer mishaps. Maples heal better if pruning paste is used to seal the wound after branch removal.

Pinch back new growth during the active growing season to keep foliage to a moderate level. Remember you are creating a bonsai, where the goal is somewhat minimalist. A fully leaved tree looks more like an ordinary houseplant.

Wiring is less common with maples for a variety of reasons beyond the somewhat brittle branches. They acquire pleasing shapes with leaf and branch pruning without extra effort and they scar easily.

Like most bonsai trees, repotting every two years is a good practice. When replanting a mixture of 60% soil, 20% peat and 20% coarse sand will provide the correct drainage environment. This is best done in early spring, before buds have started.

Bonsai – The Basic Styles, Part III

Jennifer — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 10:30:03 +0000

Kengai (Cascade)

The cascade style is among the more beautiful and desired, but also more difficult to achieve. The trunk grows down below the level of the container, often twisting as it does so.

In nature, a tree growing near a cliff subject to heavy snows, avalanches and wind may assume this inverted position. Those forces are not generally available to the bonsai artist to imitate, however. Nevertheless, with wiring and patience it can be accomplished.

To remove obstacles from growth in this direction, it’s important that the tree and pot be placed near the edge of a table or bench so the trunk can hang below the horizontal. Also, since the trunk will be on the side and below, it’s important to use a heavy pot for stability.

As the trunk is encouraged to grow in the downward U-shape, branches should be trained to sprout horizontally to give the tree a full appearance. Planting directly in the center, not near the edge of the pot, is standard practice.

Often the tree will be trained to grow up and over, rather than simply over the edge. This gives a flow to the look and is accompanied by a tip that resides directly above the center. Branches should be trimmed to create a ’stair-step’ pattern to complement the cascade and give it a ‘meandering river’ look.

Since the trunk and several branches will reside below the pot, extra care is required to ensure that all receive adequate water and nutrients. Foliar feeding (applying fertilizer solution by spraying leaves or needles, which is then absorbed by the foliage) is recommended.

Han-Kengai (Semi-cascade)

Another style, han-kengai (semi-cascade) is often categorized separately. In this case, the cascade projects over the horizontal plane at the base of the pot, but neither the trunk nor branches grow below that level. In the semi-cascade style, the tip remains above the level of the ‘ground’.

The category is not sharply defined, since some han-kengai will have portions that are below ‘ground level’, while others will project out horizontally. In either case they retain the curving trunk style common to both the kengai and han-kengai styles.

As with any style, using the proper species for your envisioned design is imperative. Fortunately in the case of the kengai and han-kengai, many will serve. Junipers are a popular choice, but flowering cherry trees are also used. Even cedars are used, where the flexible wood makes them an accommodating partner in the project. Some flowering species are used, such as chrysanthemums. ‘Weeping’ species are also good choices, such as willows.

As with the kengai, it’s important to ensure that the slow-moving nutrients make it to the tips. Foliar feeding is easily accomplished but needs to be done regularly as part of the watering and feeding practice.

Bonsai – The History of a Living Art

Jennifer — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 10:14:25 +0000

The craft of shaping miniature trees in a small pot first arose over a thousand years ago in China, where it was known as pun-sai.

Even then the variety of individual bonsai was astonishing, as known from ancient drawings. Gnarled, faux-windswept trunks, with sparse leaves to full-flowering miniature blossoming trees dot the historic record.

The Chinese artists often went one step beyond nature and shaped their trees into replicas of real animals and imaginary icons. Native birds, mythical dragons and a host of tiny fauna formed the models for many of these fine sculptures.

As Zen Buddhism spread from China to Japan during the Kamakura period, so too did the art of bonsai. The late 12th century saw the migration of both artists and craft techniques to the small island in the northeast.

While bonsai was already a highly developed skill in China, as it grew in Japan it evolved into the highest of arts. The care and patience required, the complexity in miniature and the creation of a living work of art suited the temperament of the horticultural artists of Japan.

Planted first in the monasteries, the art of bonsai was practiced and refined by the learned scholars and cloistered artists of this rural society. This gentle art, requiring the skill of a jeweler and the patience of a saint, suited the monks well.

Developed to a peak during the 18th century, where they were frequently regarded as treasured objects by the nobility, bonsai rapidly became popular beyond the walls of the monastery and the palace.

As Japan grew from an agricultural society to an industrial and trading powerhouse in the 19th century an ironic historical twist occurred. The agricultural art of bonsai spread from the monasteries to the general populace.

As Japan, for centuries fiercely isolationist, opened up its ports and palaces to Westerners, the distinctive miniature trees drew the attention of awe-struck visitors. Nowhere before in their travels had seamen and ambassadors seen anything like these carefully crafted living things, so like their larger cousins.

Many adopted the practice of placing fine bonsai in a ‘tokonoma’ – a special niche in every Japanese home whose purpose is to display special ornaments and prized possessions. Among these was invariably a bonsai or two.

Museum exhibitions of bonsai in the Western world became popular at the same time as they began to display animals and artifacts from travels and conquests around the globe. In London, Vienna and Paris bonsai were all the rage. With the Paris World Exhibition in 1900, the future worldwide fame of these miniature trees was assured.

As with any popular phenomena, there grew pressure to mass produce bonsai to meet the demand for these unique living works of art. But bonsai resist mass production. Each must be carefully tended over decades to produce even a recognizable tree, much less a work of art.

But many new artists developed many new forms and this living art is now practiced and the products displayed around the globe. Bonsai are treasured in the US and Asia, but also around Europe, South Africa and Australia. Anywhere there is abundant sunshine can be found the bonsai.

The history of this unique form of art is hardly finished as the artisans continue to create new and ever more varied ways of shaping and displaying these glorious miniature trees.

Bonsai – Basic Watering and Feeding: Nutrients

Jennifer — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 10:03:01 +0000

Trees are amazingly self-sufficient. They take in needed elements from the environment without having to move to fetch it as animals do. But that can be a limitation as well, since they are dependent on finding what they need nearby.

In the case of most trees, elements leech through the soil and into contact with the roots. Bonsai, since they’re confined to a pot, need supplements added artificially. Fortunately, supplying the right ones in the correct amounts at the appropriate times is one of the simpler tasks associated with caring for them.

Bonsai ‘food’ can readily be obtained from a local nursery or gardening section, or purchased online. The most common type contains NPK, nitrogen (N), phosphates (P) and potassium (K). The last is usually in the form of potash, a material made from the ashes of wood and plants. Beyond these three, bonsai need a number of other nutrients, including iron (Fe) and vitamins (especially B-vitamins).

In a pinch, beer makes a good home-recipe substitute for a B-complex, since it contains several B vitamins. The risk is that, unless the alcohol content is very low, you can damage the tree. Be sure to use a weak American beer and dilute it to at least half-beer, half-water before using.

Whether using beer or commercial B-complex supplements, spraying onto the leaves in cooler or moderately warm weather is an ideal way to apply. Above 85F (29C) the stomata (holes) in leaves close and the tree stops aspirating (’breathing’) – the exchange of gases and moisture through the leaves is radically lowered.

Spraying the leaves during hot weather cools them enough to open up, but they lose moisture to the hot air, which drys out the leaves and ultimately the tree. More bonsai are killed from incorrect watering practice than through any other means.

One good way to apply nutrients is to use commercially available pills. Place them on the soil to the left and right of the trunk and water daily. The water and natural leeching process will import the nutrients down through the soil.

How much nutrient to supply depends on a number of factors, including the age, size and species of the tree, how long the tree has been growing since the last re-potting, how good the drainage is, the development of the root system and others.

Some experimentation will be needed, but following the directions on the packet is a good beginning. Watch for burned leaves or drooping flowers, one sign of too much of a good thing.

Nutrient supplements should be added in larger amounts during the growing season, but small amounts are helpful during the fall (Sept-Oct in the Northern Hemisphere) to aid color enhancement. NPK 0-10-10 is useful at this time.

Feeding every 2-4 weeks is best, but don’t feed the tree immediately after re-potting. Wait three or four weeks. Feeding is best carried out while the soil is moist, but for the pill-type can be part of the watering regimen.

Bonsai – Basic Watering and Feeding: Watering

Jennifer — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 10:28:54 +0000

Few subjects in bonsai care are as complex as watering. What should be the simplest thing in the world is actually the most complicated. Apprentices in Japan will perform many duties for their first few years before being allowed to water the trees. Incorrect watering practices kill more bonsai than any other factor.

Bonsai soil is quite different from standard potting earth. By design, it is porous and provides very rapid drainage. As a result, frequent and copious watering is needed. But over-watering is just as dangerous, if not more so, to the health of the bonsai. Over-watering can lead to the growth of harmful fungi and to root rot.

Both of these damaging extremes can be avoided, though. By following these tips a complex art can be turned into, if not a simple routine, at least a healthy practice.

Knowing how much water is needed is the first step. It’s important to develop a method for testing the soil moisture content.

As a quick check, touch the surface with your thumb. If it feels dry, it is. Gently scrape back any ground cover, gravel or surface earth to perform a better check.

A more accurate test can be accomplished easily by using a standard moisture gauge. Often looking like an ordinary thermometer, analog or digital displays will provide an accurate reading.

They only tell part of the story, however, since they detect water only near the tip. Dry spots can occur within the pot that are harmful, if they’re near the roots. As roots spread throughout the pot over time, that can be many places.

To ensure that the entire soil is adequately moistened, once a month dip the pot up to the base of the tree into a bucket or sink filled with water. Let the pot absorb water for a few minutes, then carefully remove by lifting by the pot, never by the tree.

If the soil is correct, and the plant is not root bound, excess moisture will drain out the bottom through the mesh-covered hole and into the tray under or attached to the pot. If the tray is full, dip the pot slightly to allow only a low level of moisture to remain.

Draining excess water from the tray will ensure that any excess water in the pot has somewhere to go, and doesn’t collect around the roots.

Water daily, making sure that water flows to the bottom but doesn’t pool to the point of filling up the tray. Water left standing in the tray not only makes it impossible for the pot to drain, but encourages mold build-up.

Whether more than daily watering is required depends on the type of soil in the pot and your climate. But, the amount of water needed also varies from species to species.

Pines and other conifers need less water. They benefit from moderate drying periods, as well. Deciduous and flowering trees require and welcome more water than conifers. Look for curled leaves on deciduous trees, indicating dryness. Check that flowers aren’t wilting when they should be blooming.

A certain amount of experimentation, accompanied by a careful measuring regime, will be necessary to adjust to your specific tree and circumstances.

Bonsai – Tools For A Lifetime: Helpful Add-Ons

Jennifer — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 10:34:49 +0000

Though not essential, the following will nonetheless help you achieve a sculpted bonsai tree. They can make the difference between a ten second task and drudgery. They can also help you perform the task cleanly, without undue risk to the plant.

A folding saw is helpful when you have thicker branches to remove. Trying to remove these with a cutter can put excessive stress on the tree since it requires you to open up the jaws further than you can easily control.

When you open cutters further than about 60 degrees, unless you have very large hands, you will lose some control. Also, cutters are designed to grasp and snip the entire branch in one cut. If you have to make more than one cut, the tool is too small for the job. That results in cuts which are not clean and ragged wounds don’t heal as well as clean ones.

A root rake is used as an aid during re-potting. With it the bonsai artist can clear dirt and rocks from within the roots and comb out any tangled roots for easier trimming. Some novices will be inclined simply to shake the dirt out of the root ball, but this can easily lead to a broken tree.

Tweezers are a good supplement to the thumb and forefinger for pinching off dead or new growth, in order to refine the shape of foliage. Many designed for bonsai work have a small trowel at one end. The trowel can be used as a miniature shovel to compact earth, arrange ground cover and a myriad of other fine-level work.

Small scissors are helpful for another kind of detailed work – snipping off leaves and smaller branchlets where a larger tool would be cumbersome. That kind of ‘fine-tuning’ can make the difference between ‘done’ and ‘well finished’.

Beyond these there are dozens of specialized tools that make the work easier and many different styles of the basic and helpful tools. Jin pliers, for example, are used to strip bark and create deadwood for decoration. Branch benders are a set of clamps used to supplement wire work. Many different styles of gravers exist for carving work.

Grafting tape and cut paste are helpful for healing accidents introduced during trimming and wire work gone awry. Sharpeners come in all shapes and sizes for maintaining tools. Like photography, the list is endless.

But whatever you find helpful, buy quality. Quality counts. Good tools will last years and maintain a sharp edge when re-sharpened. Spend a little extra up-front and you’ll find yourself saving money in the long run and achieving better results on the work of art you spend so much time developing.

Bonsai – Advanced Styles

Jennifer — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 10:27:28 +0000

Beyond the basic styles of chokkan (formal upright), shakan (informal upright), kengai (cascade) and so forth there are several that don’t fit neatly into those categories. The divisions are arbitrary to an extent, but like any specialty they evolve over time to help bonsai artists guide and discuss their work.

Some of the more common advanced styles are the Fukinagashi (Windswept), the Bankan (Twisted) and the Bunjin (Literati).

Fukinagashi (Windswept)

Like most bonsai trees, the windswept style attempts to emulate nature’s effects in miniature.

Its trunk is slanted, as if grown in an environment where the wind tends to blow more strongly in one direction than another. The branches, too, will acquire a preferred direction as a result of growth that is constantly bent.

Areas near cliffs or hills, for example, do this frequently. Coastal regions often experience the conditions that produce fukinagashi. Meandering rivers, although not the result of winds, are formed by similar basic physical forces.

Unfortunately, emulating forceful winds is beyond the technical means of most bonsai artists. But the style is formed by use of similar forces, even when the artist isn’t aware of why they are basically the same.

Stressing a living plant in a preferred direction causes them to cooperate and tend to grow in that way. Those stresses (physical stresses, not the sort of chemical stress induced by unhealthy conditions) can be achieved by well-practiced means, developed over centuries.

Just as a kengai (cascade) can be formed in part by harnessing the trunk with a cord tied to a stake, so too can the fukinagashi or windswept. Wire can be used as a supplement, but this is more often used for branches than the basic trunk shape.

Often the foliage is sparse, since in natural conditions much of it would have been blown away by the strong winds that produce the bent effect.

Bankan (Twisted)

The bankan style is thought to have originated in China with the beginnings of penjing, the Chinese art that led to bonsai in Japan.

As the name suggests the trunks are twisted and gnarled, sometimes to the extent of forming animal shapes. The dragon is a popular model for the bankan.

Sub-styles range from the Nejikan, in which the trunk makes only a partial turn to the Takzukuri, or Octopus. In the latter, the trunk is considerably twisted and the branches follow suit, making a kind of vortex shape that emulates the winds that shaped the full-sized species in nature.

Bunjin (Literati)

One of the most popular bonsai styles is the bunjin or literati. The simple style, with a thin, slanted trunk and few branches is deceptively difficult. It was inspired by Chinese paintings that depicted trees growing in harsh climates. The results are often spare but dramatic.

As the trunk frequently twists around, branches are displayed at sharp angles upward and the tree presents a different view from every side. Japanese Red Pines are a popular species for this style, but there are many others. Branches often twist as they rise.

These advanced styles are not usually attempted by the novice, but sooner or later every bonsai artist will want to try them. They require great skill and patience, but the effort is more than amply rewarded by the beautiful results.