SEASONAL SUGGESTIONS

NO. 94 - JULY/AUGUST-2005

SUMMER SUNSHINE MEANS SLOWER GROWTH, TIME TO THINK, PLAN, AND CARE FOR YOUR TREES

By Marty Mann

Summer reduces the need to do any serious 'training' of bonsai. This is a period of watchful attention to the results of earlier care. July is the month to plan for the seasonal changes  related to care and feeding of bonsai. Start a program that provides fall colors by reducing the nitrogen content of your fertilizer. Continued use of a suggested cottonseed/bone meal mixture (70/30%) provides most of the nutrients required for summer growth and good health. Introduce a change in food by using half strength liquid Hi-Bloom (2-2-10) that provides an excellent source of phosphorus. Continue to feed all conifers and other evergreen material to promote good summer health. Frequent feedings of milder solutions are best.

Regular feeding during the hot summer months can also be supplemented by early morning refreshing foliar feeding of Miracle-Gro® or a diluted solution of fish emulsion. Avoid daytime heat. Allow wet foliage to dry during the day to prevent night forming fungus infection. A brisk spraying of trees before feeding removes dust layers and discourages red spider, mites, ants and other insects. Spray both the top and the bottom of the foliage.

Summer is the time to monitor the Shari and Jin portions of styled trees. Apply a second application of lime-sulfur (Orthorix® Dormant Spray) to dampened dead wood areas to protect against wood rot. Avoid seepage of this chemical into the soil and root area. Avoid live wood surfaces.

Watering is an important summer chore. Warm summer breezes encourage increased moisture expiration through healthy leaf surfaces. For balanced plant health regular, increased watering schedules must consistently renew this moisture. Avoid wetting the leaves during the warm days for two good reasons.      

       • Daytime water that adheres to leaves can literally cook them and cause severe leaf burn. If overhead watering is unavoidable, do so early in the morning to give time for surface evaporation.

       • Excessive moisture in the crotch of leaf clusters or on their undersides creates environments ideal for the formation of fungus and the related health threatening damage.

Be reminded that summer vacationing puts an additional burden on your 'bonsai sitters'. A suggestion would be to let them water your trees for you for a few days before you leave to be sure that they are following your instructions. Trees requiring special care should be grouped together to simplify attention. Don't trust your automatic watering system without the back up of someone who can check from time to time to audit its functions. Try forming a mutual watering pact with fellow bonsaiists. You do for them when you can and they will do for you. It's a great working arrangement and considerably safer than trusting your 'babies' to strangers.

With the arrival of summer, most of the formal bonsai shows have passed and the bonsaiist has the pleasure of displaying his trees. The objective of a good hobbyist is pride in the finished tree. Accomplish this by maintaining its good health, continuing a selective feeding routine and paying attention to weather conditions that set the guidelines for proper watering requirements. Summer maintenance prepares trees for fall and winter. Plan ahead.

Start with the constant surveillance of fast summer growth. Warm days and cool nights encourage the development of new tip growth, long internodes and lush foliage. Maintenance must include pinching and plucking the growing tips as well as cutting back the branches. Reducing the branch extensions encourages shorter internodes, tighter evergreen formations and develops desirable twiggyness on deciduous trees. Trim and shape unwanted growth to maintain form and design.

Early July is still time to consider leaf pruning. Be certain to work with healthy trees only. The removal of large and sunburned leaves enhances the look of mature tree. Moss on the surface of the plantings becomes brown in summer heat. If the color remains green, it can indicate an excess of water or a poor draining soil mixture.

This is not the best time to consider transplanting most material however, certain plants such as Pomegranate, Ficus, Buttonwood, Cotoneaster, Pyracantha and most Bamboos can be repotted or trans­planted during the warm weather.

Recently defoliated material such as Maple, Olive, Privet, Zelcova, and Ginkgo can be transplanted just prior to the re-emergence of the new growth. Remember that transplanting of any material during these warm months is risky but it can be done if proper after-care is taken. Keep them cool and not too wet. Anything done during the summer months should be done with restraint and proper attention given to the affect of warm weather.

Propagation by cuttings of softwood or semi-hardwood material can be done in July. Keep cuttings in shade and in a sandy, moist mixture. Don't rush to transplant any cuttings just because the new signs of growth tell you that they have 'taken'. Let them harden-off first.

Summer months are so important when trees are being cared for. Protection from insects and fungus is appropriate. Know the shelf life of some common products. The following chart may be used as a guideline:

Bonsaiists develop a feeling for their trees--perhaps not as a child or family member but a commitment is undertaken for their care and well being. In this hectic, active world, we don't take enough time to sit back, reflect, and watch the sun set, stroll though a forest or garden, and just enjoy nature. Fortunately, bonsai involvement gives us an outlet. We are drawn into and are captivated by this natural world. Ignore the violence that appears to be all around us and reflect on the marvel of a growing, creative art that allows us to enjoy part of the good world that surrounds us. We are a lucky people. (I feel so philosophical).

Marty Mann