Bonsai - A New Beginning

Hello all and welcome to Spring. The weather is finally warming up and I couldn't resist going to one of Bonsai West's classes. I decided to go to the Intro to Deciduous class now that I have some experience. While all of my previous trees are tropical and stay inside in the warmer climate during the winter, deciduous trees require cold weather to stay alive.

Early Spring is the perfect time to work on deciduous trees. This is largely because the trees still have no leaves at this time. Take a look at my brand new Chinese Elm. I thought this tree was pretty cool because it needed a lot of work, but had a great structure underneath. Since I've taken a few of these classes, I wasn't afraid of cutting away most of the scraggly branches to leave a solid foundation for my new tree. This type of heavy pruning shouldn't be a problem as most of the buds haven't formed yet. Here is the picture after all the hacking was complete. Believe me, I cut some heavy branches off of this tree. The photos do a good job of showing the tiny branch removal, but a few conflicting larger branches were removed as well.

You may notice that the last picture shows the Elm outside. This is because it needs to stay cold still. If the temperature is going to approach freezing, I will move it into the garage for the night, but it is important to keep deciduous trees cold for as long as possible. This way they can put forth a large surge of energy when it finally warms up enough. I can't let it freeze because that could kill many of the new buds and potentially the tree itself. In a month or so, when the temperature stabilizes above 50 degrees F, I will put my other trees out to join this one for the summer.

General Update

What can I say? It's the summer (officially starting today) and I've been busy with everything. Here is a general update on my hobbies.

Bonsai

I never got a chance to take pictures of the fig tree all wired up. It's too bad because it was my first wiring project and I think it turned out fairly well. As of last Thursday, I removed the wire from the ficus because it had started to cut in. To explain, the tree obviously is growing the whole time the wire is in place and if left too long, the tree will start to grow around the wire and leave ugly spiral grooves along the branches. Even with my current timing, it left some evidence, but only on the underside of 1 or 2 branches. Hopefully that will grow out quickly as I think the fig is the most vigorous of my trees.

For my birthday I was taken to Bonsai West to pick out a new tree. I choose a Tropical Cherry tree that was in a nursery pot. However, it was mostly prepared to enter a bonsai pot so I also purchase a greenish pot. I attended another Get Wired session and potted the Cherry, which has already taken to its new habitat and is growing rapidly.

All of my trees are now outside to take advantage of the long days and warm weather. While today marks the longest day, it will remain warm for many months to come and my trees have plenty more time to grow. I have staged each of the trees in an area that gets morning sun for a week and then moved them to full sun. The last of this staging should happen this afternoon.

Origami

I'm currently working on a secret project that represents the most complex origami model I have attempted so far. I have almost completed the base for the model, but I am extremely nervous about shaping it to the final model. Wish me luck! More to come on this after the secrecy is no longer necessary.

I've attempted a few smaller models from an exclusive CP standpoint. I've been able to fold one of the three models, but haven't tried shaping it yet. I took pictures during the folding of this model so I hope I can find them and upload them at some point. The other models I gave up on and instead, cut the model in half to simplify the paper management. I've had more luck with this method, but I haven't gone back to finish the complete base for either model.

Ficus - "Get Wired"

I finally made it to one of Bonsai West's "Get Wired" seminars. The basics are: show up unannounced, pay $20, do anything you want to your bonsai with the help of an expert.

I knew going into it that this would be a good experience even if I could only use their tools. They had all sorts of shears, knob cutters, and other spherical, concave cutters. They also had tubs of soil and about 6 different gauges of wire. To top this off, the staff checked in with me to ask about my goals for the day and offer some advice.

I brought both of my trees because I wasn't sure what I wanted to do. I talked about how the plum went through a difficult time (my failure to water it adequately) and lost a lot of its inner foliage. The suggestion was to prune the outter leaves religiously until the tree produces buds lower on the branches. Upon looking at my fig tree, wiring immediately came up. It was exciting because he suggested pulling the branches apart just like I had started doing. However, he explained that using string or rope doesn't always do the trick because the entire branch bends and then flexes back. Wiring on the other hand allows you to bend a specific location of the branch that will eventually become permanent.

He began by demonstrating how to wire a tree. Start by planning how you will wire the bonsai. Obviously you should have some idea of how you want to shape your tree or you wouldn't be wiring it. We talked about my goal of making a dome type canopy with a crescent moon shape when looking from the top. Since my bonsai is currently rounded, this required wiring out branches to open up the inside of the tree. He used one piece of wire to wrap around two branches.

The instruction for wiring is as follows:
1) Always plan out where your wiring is going to go.
2) Make sure the wire is anchored well.
3) Angle the wire at about 45 degrees for maximum strength.
4) Don't use the branch to bend the wire. Bend it first and then position it on the limb.
5) Only bend the wire, do not bend the branch.

My wiring job wasn't perfect. There were many points where the wire was too loose around the branch. The spacing of my coils also varied a bit, especially toward the end of a limb. Overall, practice makes perfect and this was my first attempt.

I also learned that I've been pruning incorrectly. In the past, I would prune to the final location that I desired. Unfortunately, this does not take into account that there will be some dying back. The proper way to prune is to make a rough cut away from the final location. As this severed limb dies, the branch will swell by the previous joint. Make the final cut above the swelling for best results. There are several examples of exposed dead wood on my fig tree that was caused by my faulty pruning. This technique works for all size branches. We cut the apex (top-most point on the tree) of my fig to make it look better, but the final cut and healing will have to wait.

Finally, I discussed my attempts at Yamadori (bonsai from the wild). I told him about the shrub I excavated from the front of my house. He told me that this is the perfect time of year and that leaving it in a big pot was a good move. I can apply some pruning to shape if desired, but it should remain in the large pot for at least one year before heavy root pruning. I also mentioned my desire to convert my parent's over sized Daphne into a bonsai. This shrub would be perfect due to its large trunk size and Jin/Shari (deadwood that remains part of the bonsai). Unfortunately, I couldn't remember the species while I was at Bonsai West, so more to come on this.

Pictures coming soon.

Thanks for reading.

Bonsai - Spring Time

It is officially spring! Both of my trees are flourishing with new growth and everything outside is blooming and budding.

I'm glad that I pruned my Ficus as it is now growing faster than ever. Without the maintenance work I put in, I think my tree would be putting energy into areas I don't want developed. Not to mention that it would be completely out of control by now. Anyway, it is back to about how full the foliage was before my pruning and in only a month!

My plum is also growing rapidly. While I lost a lot of time and a fair amount of leaves to my watering issue, this tree has recovered nicely. I have to revisit my plum tree in a month or so to make sure it is growing the way I want it to, but for now, I'm just excited that it is happy.

I've also added a new tree to my collection. While I am not sure exactly of the species, I harvested a tree from the landscaping in front of my house. One of the shrubs had reseeded nearby and a sturdy 1 to 2 foot tree was coming up between another bush. I took some time last weekend to dig up the tree and pot it in a large garden pot. This type of tree has not started budding yet, so I'm hoping that it will begin this years growth in the pot. With some luck, I will be able to prune it for the first time late this year and repot it next spring.

As for the short term, I need to return to Bonsai West for some inspiration and maybe a new tree. They're having a sale this weekend as well as a Get Wired session, but I am unsure if I'll be able to make it. Ideally, I would like to add a Chinese Elm or a Japanese Maple to my collection. I'd also like to ask about next steps on both my fig and the shrub I recently dug up.

Natal Plum - Bad News

My plum tree isn't looking so good. It held up for a while, but some of the leaves started turning red several weeks ago. At first I thought it might be due to the abuse it received when I first acquired it. I certainly haven't ruled out the intense pruning or the roots and branches, repotting of the tree into a bonsai pot, and changing its surroundings. However, I think I may have a clue as to the problem.

Watering may be the most difficult part of owning a bonsai. While my fig tree needs watering about once per week, my natal plum tree requires more frequent watering. Several factors including the airy soil and pot shape affect this. Unfortunately, I have been rather absorbed in skiing and other weekend activities and my two bonsai have been watered at about the same frequency. This is probably the main reason that my plant isn't doing so hot.

I am now keeping track of my plum bonsai more carefully. It seems to be needing water every 3 or 4 days. I only hope that I am not too late as many of the leaves that turned have fallen off. With any luck, more leaf changing will cease and my tree will return to its normal health.

Natal Plum - An Intro to Bonsai Tree

Meet the newest member of my bonsai family! As I mentioned, I attended an Intro to Bonsai class at Bonsai West this past weekend and as part of the class, was given a new tree. The new tree is a natal plum tree (Carissa Macrocarpa) and I'm very excited about it. This is not due to the fact that my new tree is particularly beautiful, but to the fact that I made it what it is.

The class started out with some basic instruction on bonsai care and culture. I had attended a free seminar the week before and gotten a lot of the information already, but I didn't mind some individual consideration. After some time, the instructor, Glen, told us to look at the plum trees and choose one that popped out at us. I was one of the first members of the class to reach the trees and was able to pick up each one and examine it. Based on my reading and instruction, I was looking for a tree that had a defined trunk line. I narrowed my selection down to two trees: one was a small, neat looking tree that stood about 6 inches tall with a trunk curving off to the right; the second was a disheveled, 8 or 9 inch tree that also curved to the right. I began looking through the branches of the two trying to see which might be a better choice. The first tree was clearly a good choice, but didn't seem like it needed much work. I eventually decided on the second tree because of the vigorous growth across the entire tree. While there were some leaves that had discoloration, I knew this was because of the dense packing of leaves.

After we had all sat down with our respective trees, the instructor walked over and chose the other tree I had held. I began to feel disappointed that I had made the wrong decision. He proceeded to tell us that he had already pruned this tree to where he wanted it. He showed us how to re-pot a bonsai plant using his model and told us to begin by thinning out the amount of leaves on our tree. I looked down at my messy cluster of branches and leaves totally disheartened. How would I ever make this tree into a bonsai plant I could be proud of?

I began by telling myself that since I didn't like my tree, it wouldn't matter if I attacked it in an attempt to reform it's appearance. While the instructor took a break, I tore off any leaves that were discolored or damaged. The goal here is to remove the weak leaves to give stronger leaves more access to sunlight. At this point, my pruning seemed futile as my tree looked more like a small bush than a bonsai. I stopped pruning leaves to examine the shape of my tree more closely. I realized that my trunk rose from the soil about 2 inches and then curved in a clockwise direction upwards. When the instructor returned, I asked if pruning back a significant portion of the branches and re-potting would kill my plant. I showed him the line I could see and he pointed out a few branches to remove that I was already imagining gone. I began to cut branches that didn't fit my style.

My tree forms a spiral with branches pointing outward. I removed any branch that came off the trunk straight upward or pointing toward the center of the spiral. This created a defined front of my tree. This is a location that a bonsai should always be viewed from. While it is important to examine the entire tree, all bonsai are displayed with a front and an apex (the top focal point of the tree). Upon asking my instructor, I began to trim back the remaining branches in order to maintain the proportions of height and girth. I also removed a few more leaves to balance the density of each branch.

The next step is to re-pot the tree. We all chose a bonsai pot to go along with our starter tree. I selected a dark blue, almost purple pot to compliment the minds impression of a plum. To re-pot, I delicately removed my plum tree from its starter pot and raked away some of the soil around the roots. The goal is to expose some nebari or roots that can be seen and provide character to the tree. I then raked and trimmed away some of the extra roots on the bottom of the root ball. The goal here is to encourage radial growth, not depth. One thing that Bonsai West insisted on is a consistent soil mixture. They claim that being a bonsai master is about being in tune with your trees, but using different soil mixtures will make this impossibly difficult. Using their soil, I added some to my pot and pushed the anchoring wires through the root ball. I then twisted the wires, cut off the excess, and buried it into the soil. The final step is to add soil to the pot and compress it down, and compress it down more, and keep pressing to make sure there's no air around the roots. When this is completed, water the plant by dunking and wait for the bubbles to stop.

I lucked out with how my final presentation turned out. My tree is positioned off center, but the mass of the tree is evenly balanced across the pot. I also added a small rock that has a similar slope to the trunk. The rock duals as a decoration and a watering tool as it is time to water when the soil beneath it drys.

I'm very happy with my plum and I'm glad that I was able to get into the pruning and display some bravery. While I have a new bonsai model in my house that actually looks like a bonsai, I still have to go through the same process with my fig. However, that will have to wait for spring. My plum experienced spring a little earlier in the Bonsai West greenhouse.

Thanks for reading this novel of an entry.

Ficus Oriental - Trimmings

Last week I trimmed my bonsai tree. I decided that the growth on some of the shoots was getting a little out of control, so I cut any growth over a few inches. I left two or three leaves on each shoot to allow continued expansion of the branch. I also did some trimming of previous cuts. However, I learned that I don't have the correct tools.

I thought that basic trimming tools and maybe a good pair of scissors would be sufficient for my bonsai work. This was a bad assumption as there are specific tools for the art of bonsai. I learned that the scissors resemble two knife blades coming together as opposed to the blunt cutting edge of most scissors. There is also a specific tool that cuts a concave shape to make a trimming flush with the trunk. This shape also facilitates faster healing of the cut.

While I have made some progress, I need to acquire the correct tools or attend a "Get Wired" class at Bonsai West. I have plans to do this next month. In the short term, I have attended an "Intro to Bonsai" class and I will discuss my education and the newest addition to my collection soon.

Ficus Oriental - Continued Care

Ah, the new year. Now that the holidays are over, it's time to get back to Bonsai.

I acquired an instructive book for Christmas that I have been reading and it suggests making cuts to my tree during the off season. This is due to the fact that ficus trees are in a family of trees that make rubber and they ooze when cut or damaged. This has encouraged me to pursue some design help and begin formulating ideas for the future of my tree.

I stopped by Bonsai West on my way home from work not long ago and asked a few questions. I confirmed that watering the tree by submersion is the correct method. However, my watering frequency may be off. I have been watering the tree every 10 to 14 days or whenever the soil is dry. My soil testing method has been to bury my finger slightly into the soil and if I feel moisture, don't water. Apparently, my ficus tree probably wants water every 7 to 10 days which produces a dryness to the soil surface, but some moisture below. This new watering scheme has worked well and I believe there has been some growth (also the weeds seem to be very happy which is another good indicator). I also asked about trimming my tree.

The advice given was that since it is winter, trimming is fine, but only remove up to 10% of the foliage. This is fine seeing as I don't plan on going crazy, I just have some clean up work to do. My first task will be to trim previous trimmings closer to the trunk or branch. Since this tree was greenhouse grown, many of the cuts were hastily done and should be refined. Bonsai West confirmed this and warned of die back. This refers to a small length before the cut that dies to protect the rest of the tree. Leaving a small amount between the cut point and the nearest leaf is necessary so the leaf won't die as well. Good thing I asked!

I am hoping to make my first trimmings this week. Stay tuned for photos (if blogspot cooperates) of the endeavor.

Ficus Oriental - A Good and Propper Watering

Today I learned that I've been watering my tree all wrong. Instead of adding water to the soil as you would a plant in the ground, the propper technique is apparently to submerge the planting in water. Look how much happier that soil is now that it is drenched. Unfortunately, this also means that I will be forced to patiently wait a long, long time for the soil to dry out and require additional watering.

I've been thinking a lot about the conditions that I leave my plant in lately. I'm confindent that it is getting enough sunlight without the light being too intense. However, I'm concerned about temperature and humidity. Considering no leaves have fallen and it's been a week and a half, the conditions can't be terrible, but I'd like to make them better. My house is kept at about 60 degrees F thoughout most of the day. This is the minimum temperature recommended for this tree. My house is also very dry and I'm concerned about the lack of general humidity.

My improvements for these problems are as follows. While 60 may be a bit cold, my plant is located on a bed by a baseboard heater. It doesn't get a direct draft from this heat source, but I think that it may help varry the temperature slightly higher than 60 degrees. For humidity, I've added a tray underneath the pot with some water in it. I am considering misting the leaves as well. My main goal is to keep the plant alive until Spring.

I need to do more research on how to shape my ficus. I know that I should repot it in the Spring so that is my current task in queue. Another objective is to figure out the propper season for pruning. There are several branches that require trimming as well as previous cuts that seem to require more attention (see the old branch nubs in the picture). With a little luck and some care, I hope to be adding an entry with some pre-cut and post-cut pictures.

Thanks for reading.

Ficus Oriental - The Beginning

I got my first Bonsai tree yesterday. My brother bought me an Oriental Fig that is approximately 18 inches tall. It was a fairly cheap tree which is probably a good thing considering my experience level.

I was told that this type of tree is relatively resilient and therefore a good beginner tree. Supposedly, it can take anywhere between 8 hours of direct sunlight, to 4 hours of limited exposure. I currently have it placed about 2 feet from my window which approximately points south. It should get several hours of light there from mid morning till sunset.

I picked my specific tree because it has a sturdy trunk with multiple low branchings. My current thinking is to create a dense canopy design by stretching the branches apart and encouraging growth. The root system is maintained below the trunk and forms a weaved spiralling pattern around the base of the tree. It also includes a unique handle feature where the root bends away from the soil for some time.

Pictures hopefully coming soon.