Gardening with Gary
Gardening Advice from an Expert
Bonsai
Anon wrote~ I love bonsai and bought a little one, but I have no clue how to
grow them!
A. What follows is a general outline of the various procedures used by the staff
of the Arnold Arboretum to maintain the Larz Anderson bonsai collection in a healthy
condition.
REPOTTING: The smaller the pot, the more frequently the plant needs repotting.
This procedure is best done in early spring, mid-to late March, before the plant
shows any signs of growth. The plant is removed from its container, and approximately
two to three centimeters (one inch, more or less) of roots, plus their attached
soil, are removed all around the sides and bottom of the root ball. Any roots thicker
than a pencil are cut away to encourage the development of small feeder roots. This
process effectively rejuvenates the root system of the plant and prevents lethal
"girdling" roots from forming. After the root ball is trimmed, the plant is returned
to its original container surrounded by fresh soil. The large hinokis are repotted
every four to five years, while the smaller plants are repotted every two to three
years.
SOIL MIXES: Plant roots are so intimately involved with soil particles that it
is best to think of the soil as part of the plant itself. As such, a great deal
of time and care needs to go into its preparation. In general, the potting mix should
provide the plant with a balance of water retention and air circulation. Our repotting
mixes consist of coarse sand (particle size 1-3 mm), peat moss or leaf mold, and
screened loam in various proportions depending upon the plant being grown. In general,
we use a mix that is one-half sand, one-quarter loam, and one-quarter peat for the
conifers; and one-third sand, one-third peat, and one-third loam for deciduous trees.
In either case, small amounts of superphosphate and organic nitrogen fertilizer
are added to the soil mix.
PRUNING: There are no universal rules about how much to prune a bonsai; the techniques
vary according to the species being worked with. In general the best time to prune
is when the plants are producing new growth-in early spring for deciduous plants,
such as the cherries and Japanese maples, in mid-spring for pines and spruces, and
in early to midsummer for the junipers and the hinokis. Generally, at least 50 percent
of the new growth is removed at the time of pruning. If the plant produces a second
flush of leaves later in the growing season, these also require pruning.
With pines, the number of candles is thinned out by one-half to two-thirds, and
those that remain are shortened.
With spruces and firs, the newly flushing shoots are pinched back to half their
length, inducing replacement buds to form at the base of the new growth rather than
at the tip.
With maples, the new shoots are pinched back to a maximum of two pairs of leaves
and sometimes only one pair. Any vertical-growing shoots are removed or are wired
into a horizontal position.
With hinokis and junipers, which produce new growth over an extended portion
of the growing season rather than in a single flush, the new growth is pinched back
several times. If the new growth is not rigorously thinned, it becomes excessively
congested and subject to death by self-shading.
WIRING: In young vigorous bonsai, wiring the branches into pendant or horizontal
positions with copper or aluminum wire is an extremely important part of the training
process. On plants as old as the hinoki cypresses in the Larz Anderson Collection,
reorienting their twisted branches with wire is very difficult. These branches thicken
so slowly that it may take two or three years for them to produce enough wood to
overcome their old orientation. We have found that tying them down with nylon fishing
line is
more effective than wiring. For the other plants in the collection, we generally
wire young vigorous branches into a horizontal position in order to achieve the
effect of age. It is important to remember that wire should not be left on the tree
more than a year, since the branch can easily be girdled by the wire.
WATERING: Because the Larz Anderson Collection consists of such large plants
in such small pots, their water requirements are quite high. During the period of
spring growth, they need watering at least once a day. During the summer, one daily
watering is a minimum on days when no rain has fallen, and often they require more
than this. Extending this need for daily watering back into the past some two hundred
years, one begins to appreciate the magnitude of continuity and commitment that
has gone into maintaining these venerable specimens. To determine if a plant needs
water, place the palm of the hand on the soil surface. If any feeling of moisture
is detectable, the plant should not be watered. When the root ball is dry to the
touch, the plant is watered. It is best to use the palm of the hand to make this
determination because it is less heavily calloused, and hence more sensitive, than
the fingertips. The root ball of a healthy bonsai behaves like a sponge, that is,
water is uniformly distributed throughout its mass at all times, so the moisture
content of the surface is essentially the same as that of the base. When the plants
are watered, care is taken not to get the foliage wet, particularly on sunny days
when water drops can magnify the energy of the sun sufficiently to produce burn
spots on the leaves. At watering time, the pot is filled to the top, and the water
is allowed to drain through; the pot is then filled up a second time. This "double
dousing" insures that sufficient water is provided to wet the entire root ball and
to percolate out the drainage holes. If only the top part of the root ball is moistened,
the bottom part will become excessively dry and the plant could be seriously injured.
Less frequent, thorough watering is always preferable to frequent light watering
for any containerized plant.
FERTILIZING: While the instructions provided by the Yokohama Nursery call for
fertilizing the plants with powdered oil cake (consisting of soybean or rapeseed,
after the oil has been pressed out) or bone meal, we use a chemical fertilizer solution
diluted to a concentration of approximately 0.01 percent nitrogen, phosphorus, and
potassium. When growth commences in the spring, we water the plants with this dilute
fertilizer every one to two weeks until mid-July, at which point we fertilize only
once every two to three weeks
through October. From this point on, the plants are going dormant, and we stop fertilizing
them altogether.
WINTER STORAGE: In the milder parts of the United States, as in much of Japan,
bonsai can be left out-of-doors all winter with only minimal protection from the
elements. In New England, however, with our more severe winter weather, the plants
need to be protected from the cold. A plant that is perfectly hardy growing in the
ground is not as hardy when grown in a container above ground. This is due to the
fact that the soil, which has great insulating power, never gets as cold as the
air, which has no insulating value. The Arboretum bonsai are stored in a concrete-block
structure for the winter. The temperature in the building is maintained between
33 and 36 degrees Fahrenheit, and the plants are checked for water once a week.
In general, they need watering about once a month. One must be extremely careful
that the plants do not get overly dry during storage as they can become extremely
difficult to rewet come spring. On the other hand, if the plants are kept too wet
during storage, they become susceptible to fungal infections. As long as the temperatures
remain below 36 degrees, the plants seem to survive, even in total darkness. Such
dark storage will not work at higher temperatures. The key to successful winter
storage is to make sure that the plants are fully dormant before they go in and
that they come out before they show any signs of growth. Generally speaking, our
plants go into cold storage on Armistice day (November 11) and come out on Patriots'
Day (April 19), although a week either way makes little difference.
Adapted from: Del Tredici, Peter. Early American Bonsai: the Larz Anderson Collection
of the Arnold Arboretum. Arnoldia, Summer 1989.
Marco writes~
Do you know a site where I can learn how to take care of my first bonsai tree, because
it is falling apart at the moment.
A. I love the first three sites for tons of great info which is way too much
for me to reprint here. The repotting, pruning, soil watering, wiring, winter storage,
and fertilizing are all well-covered:
Bonsai Care. What follows is a general outline of the various procedures used
by the staff of the Arnold Arboretum.
www.arboretum.harvard.edu/BONSAI/maintain.htm
Bonsai Care
Bonsai (Bone-sigh): A Japanese word for `plant in a pot" - traditionally trained
to an artistic shape by special methods. Developed by the Chinese.
www.american-bonsai.com/html
Bonsai as an art and horticultural practice
Bonsai Maintenance. All you need to know about taking care of your bonsai, ranging
from repotting, general bonsai knowledge and techniques. Also examines basic techniques.
www.bonsaisite.com
Pine Garden Bonsai Co. Home Page
Copyright 1998 Last updated 26 Mar 99 Info
Bonsai Center: bonsai, bonsai trees, Bonsai
care
A great resource for bonsai, bonsai care, bonsai trees, books, and nursery stock.
bonsaicenter.com
Bonsai Care Video
BASIC BONSAI CARE '1' Northern Hardy Evergreen and Deciduous Trees. This
videotape is worth its price.
Bonsai Web: A bonsai site featuring bonsai,
seeds, tools
Devoted to the art of bonsai and Japanese gardening arts, tools, books, seeds
and more
www.bonsaiweb.com/
How to care for your bonsai
Bonsai gardening and care websites:
md.essortment.com/bonsaicare_rwjp.htm
http://home.maine.rr.com/michaelj/bonsai/guide
http://www.mnsinc.com/michaelj/bonsai/guide
The Bonsai Guide: Bonsai Photographs,
Bonsai in Europe, Links
Erma writes~
I received a miniature Bonsai tree for Christmas and have no idea how to keep it
alive. Can you help with watering, lighting, temperature, etc. I will need to know
in order for it to survive?
A. Humidity is very important. They do not like dry air, so place saucers of
water around them and keep clean. Water the planter only when the top soil feels
dry to the touch. Under the plant, place a saucer with pebbles where the water can
drain and sit under the rim to provide humidity.
Fertilize lightly when the weather is gloomy. As the days get longer and the
temps rise, give it light feed of a 20-20-20, 1/2 T per gallon tap water every third
watering. Proper fertilization is necessary for your Bonsai to remain healthy. Because
Bonsai trees are grown in a very small amount of soil, it is important to periodically
replenish the soil's nutrients. Time release fertilizers work very well, releasing
a measured amount with each watering. Properly applied in early spring, most commercially
available brands will last an entire growing season. Organic and/or water soluble
fertilizers are also widely used, but have the disadvantage of requiring several
applications throughout the growing season.
Bonsai are best displayed outside, a few feet off the ground. Most Bonsai grow
best in a location which receives morning sun and afternoon shade. The morning sun
is not as hot and dehydrating as the afternoon sun and such placement prevents moisture
stress on the tree late in the day. However, some trees such as pines and junipers
can tolerate full sun. Tropical plants kept indoors should be placed in a window
that receives direct sun, or under grow lights. Outside Bonsai trees can be very
striking when made the focal point of a garden, especially a Japanese-style garden.
Place your Bonsai on a pedestal in the center of your square or circular-shaped
herb bed. Or construct a projecting shelf on your wooden fence or exterior house
wall. For more than one Bonsai, build these shelf platforms at various heights from
the ground.
Because Bonsai trees cannot tolerate 'wet feet', proper Bonsai soil is free-draining.
They are grown in much less soil than are houseplants, and require more frequent
watering. Lighting, location, temperature, and amount of soil will determine how
often you water your tree. To check the need for watering, observe the foliage,
test the soil with your finger just below the surface, or check the weight of the
pot. The drier the soil, the less your tree will weigh. You may also purchase moisture
meters which will tell you exactly when to water your Bonsai.
Pruning and trimming are very important to training and retaining a Bonsai's
miniature size. This basically involves the removal of some of the new growth each
spring, and every once in a while throughout the growing season. It is important
to understand that for the health of the tree, all of the new growth should never
be removed. Wire is used on bonsai trees as a temporary training aid to position
branches, but it should never be allowed to remain in place long enough to create
scars.
After a while, the roots of bonsai trees start to take up all the extra space
in the pot they are growing in and use up the nutrients in the soil. Repotting must
then be done to supply the root system with fresh soil. Most deciduous trees require
repotting every two to three years, while evergreens require it only every four
to five years. The time also varies according to growing conditions, tree species,
and the age of the tree. Each tree should have its root system examined in late
fall to determine if repotting is necessary. Repotting is not difficult and will
not harm the tree if done in late winter or early spring, before the new growth
appears.
Bonsai trees can be treated with insecticides and fungicides commonly found at
nurseries and garden centers. If you find some sort of disease or insect infestation,
it is recommend that you take the tree to a nursery capable of giving qualified
advice. Be sure to read and follow the directions of any recommended chemical. Also,
since bonsai are grown in a small pot and not in open ground, it is important to
make sure that whatever chemical you use will not harm the root system if some of
the liquid gets into the soil. If there is a danger of harm to the roots, you should
cover the soil with plastic when applying the chemical.
Assistance from: Aaron's Bonsai Trees
James writes~
How often do I water a bonsai? How do I tell when it needs watering? I don't know
what type of tree it is. It is in a ceramic dish with NO drainage and the surface
of soil is covered with small pebbles.
A. First off, it is very dangerous to raise any plants in pots with no drainage
holes, especially bonsai. They need both the flow of excess water plus the removal
of salts from the water and fertilizer to drain out the bottom. Otherwise, the air
pockets in the mix fill with water thus choking to death the roots and leading to
rot and death of any bonsai tree.
I recommend that you take the plant out of the container and drill several small
holes in the base and then replant. Otherwise, the watering with have to be absolutely
perfect or the tree will struggle and/or die.
Water the tree when the top soil feels dry to the touch, but not dry at an inch
deep. They are a limited root system in order to keep them dwarf, so the roots must
work overtime to supply all the moisture to the branches and leaves or needles.
The top pebbles are good as they help mulch the soil and cut back on water evaporation.
But, with no drainage, they could hold in so much water that you will lose the roots.
If you are interested in growing and learning a lot about bonsai, purchase a
care and culture book with demonstration photos through Barnes and Noble or Amazon.com.
Here are some of my favorite websites for care of bonsai. If you have a printer,
make copies of pages which are particularly useful and store in a folder:
www.arboretum.harvard.edu/BONSAI/maintain.htm
www.bonsaicenter.com
www.poppyware.com/pgb
www.bonsaiweb.com/care/faq/faq.html
www.celestialbonsai.com/care.html
www.brusselsbonsai.com/care/index.shtml
www.emperorsbonsai.com/care.htm
www.jinjapan.org/kidsweb/virtual/ bonsai/techniques.html
users.stargate.net/~rocketmn/video.htm
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