SEASONAL SUGGESTIONS

No. 78 - November/December- 2002

THE RUNNING CLOCK – ANOTHER YEAR OF BONSAI

Think of each year as a running clock. Look at spring as the hours of sunrise. See the results of summer as the growing day. Enjoy the transformation of fall colors and changes as the hours of dusk. And now, it has come to the dormant winter season. Quiet time arrives, it’s nightfall.

Speaking of trees only (not the frantic pace of holiday time) this is the time of year, dusk and nightfall, when the ways of nature become a guide as to what must be done.

The activities in which we become involved usually come from our own experience, from what we have read, and from the teachings of our sensei. It is a period of transformation in the mind's eye. A chance to study each tree without concern for constantly changing growth. Time to devote to design and plans for the beginning of next year. The clock runs on.

November / December is a wonderful time to really see your trees. The foliage during most of the year obscures the skeleton and branch that form the inner tree. Now is the time to trim excess, crossing, misplaced and malformed branches. Study the radial formation of the rootage. Study the taper of the trunk line. Concentrate on building a twiggy branch structures. Wire branches during this dormant period with great care since they are brittle during cooler weather months. Look at your tree with strong background lighting in order to properly study its design, shape and position in the pot. Deciduous material which is fully exposed can now be photographed (preferably in black and white ) to be studied and refined.

Study groves or multiple-tree arrangements. Trunks will stand out with strong detail. An overview of a group planting clearly show how the trees are positioned and how they relate to each other. The view offers an opportunity to improve the placement of individual or groups of trees in the tray before spring planting plans are finalized.

Preserving the health of a tree involves proper watering procedures during the dormant period in the cooler weather. Deciduous trees will have transformed from the beautiful fall colors, to barren silhouettes. Evergreen trees will appear dull, inactive and unchanging.

Since warm weather can occur at this time of year, potted trees should be watered regularly, but cautiously. Coolness slows growth and during this period of dor¬mancy. Trees require only a dampening of the root zone. Protect hibernating trees from excessive moisture (I almost said RAIN ) and pre¬vailing winds. Transpiration of moisture is essentially non-existent. The porosity of a good bonsai soil mix allows moisture to quickly escape a shallow pot. If you count on the regularity of an automatic timed watering system, the timing cycle should be adjusted for winter requirements. It’s a good time to let trees rest. Many fine bonsai are lost due to overindulgence during the winter months.

While freezing is not usually a concern to most bonsaiists in more moderate climates, many may remember the damaging frosts experienced a few years ago from pockets of cold air during low temperature periods. Be prepared to protect tender stock at all times

Concentrate on clean-up. Be sure to remove leaf droppings and flower buds left over from summer and fall. Removal of trash from the bonsai area is an im¬portant practice. If old leaves hang on, take them off. Continue to inspect bonsai for infestations of mites and scale. Remove most of the moss that has formed on potted trees. Don’t encourage a home for insects.

Part of the wintertime activity during these months is the application of dormant sprays to kill over wintering insects and fungus spores. Orthorix®, a lime sulphur fungicide, should be applied to the dead wood areas of trees showing jin or shari. Dampening the woody surfaces improves the penetration of the product. Avoid the soil surfaces when applying these chemicals. Other excellent winter fungicides are Bordeaux® mixtures (containing copper) with Volck oil. Don’t apply to trees that still carry green foliage (i.e. azaleas and other evergreens). In addition to fungicide applications continue with monthly sprays of insecticides such as Malathion®, Diazinon®, and Sevin®. Be sure to read product directions for correct applications.

California weather never completely allows evergreen junipers to become truly dormant. By applying reduced applications of any good all purpose fertilizer during the winter months the plant will continue to store energy for the coming spring growth. If applied to deciduous trees use a light applications of a 0-10-10 product in November. This supplies plants with important phosphorus, potassium and traces of other essential mineral elements. Azaleas and other acid loving plants can use a light feeding of Miracid®.

Since dormant winter months are excellent training months, light wiring can be applied to small branches however this wire must be removed in a short period since the woody portion of a tree continues to lignify during winter months. Avoid destructive, unsightly, wire cuts.

If you have been ‘defoliating’ the straggling leaves of deciduous trees you may also wish to finish the chores of removing old needles on Japanese Black Pines. Leave most of the past year’s needles alone. Junipers can be trimmed and re-wired during the dormant months.

Since much of the potting activity will not begin until signs of spring are evident, now is the time to plan ahead. Prepare supplies of potting soil mix, pot screens, aggregates (i.e.-pumice, sand, d.g., etc.) and some form of humus (i.e.-fir bark, redwood bark, peat, etc.). Clean up the collection of unused pots. Be ready for spring time. Tag the trees that will require repotting in spring.

Remember:

Life is what’s coming…..not what was!
Now is the most interesting time of all.
A happy, healthy new year to all.

Marty Mann