Kusamura Bonsai Club
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From the July 2002 Meeting |
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Kathy's demonstration tree was a Zelkova serrata an inch and a half or so in diameter that exhibited very little taper. It had been airlayered 3 years ago to improve the distribution of roots around the tree's base. The top had been cut off straight across and sealed with cut paste. At the top were one or two thick twigs. The leaves had all been trimmed. [This procedure, usually done in late May or in June, stimulates dormant buds to produce lots of twiggy new growth.] Zelkovas have a tendency to drop twigs and branches. Kathy explained that running one's hands gently over the branches causes the dead growth to detach. Her goal in the demonstration was to start the tree growing in a semi-broom style, using a number of the twigs well-distributed around the lower trunk and reducing the height of the tree and growing a new top of several thin branches. She chose a place near several twigs and cut the top off with a saw. She polished the cut top with a sharp knife to promote good healing and sealed the top with cut-paste to forestall the cut cambium from oxidizing and to prevent water from entering the interior of the trunk where it might cause rot. She left the existing twigs at the top to aid the healing process. These will eventually be removed. Kathy selected the front of the bonsai based on the appearance of the root spread. She loosely wired the twigs she had selected to retain along the trunk, giving them a slight upward direction and a few gentle curves, the latter so that they would not look too young. A small twig at the very top was given an L-shaped bend toward the center of the trunk. In time, it may be in-arched into the cambium layer when the top wound has healed, filling out the appearance of the branch structure. Constant attention must be given in the future: twigs must be cut back repeatedly to two or three nodes; needle grafts and root grafts may need to be made, thinner twigs substituted for larger ones, smaller diameter roots of larger ones etc. Growing bonsai is a dynamic process. Growth of new twigs is stimulated by the application of fertilizer. Kathy prefers organic fertilizer such as rape seed cakes. In the spring, start the fertilizer program with a few cakes. Increase the number as the roots become stronger. Lots of new sprouts will develop. Those that are kept should be cut back to three nodes the first year and to two in later years. The tree should never be allowed to dry out. In time, the tree should have a rounded top and look like a broom standing on its handle.
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Report on the July
2002