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A BONSAIISTS DREAM – RELAX, ENJOY IDLE TIME
You have
put most of your trees to bed for a winter rest. Can you now
wait for spring to come? In the world of bonsai "is just
isn’t so".....no IDLE TIME.
January is the "beginning-of-the-year" month. Bonsai people
start with an eager outlook for a spring season by getting
ready in advance and understanding what can and should be
done at this time.
Remember that the soil in your potted trees have been
somewhat inactive due to the cooler weather of the past few
months. Soil bacteria, in it’s dormant state, has not been
providing any nitrogen to these growing plants while they
rested. Now is the time to plan ahead for your supply of
fertilizers. You can resume the feeding schedules in late
February, but this is the time to do the clean up chores.
Remove all the winter trash around the work area as well as
on the potted trees and growing stock. This is the best way
to prevent infestation of insects and fungus diseases. Don't
throw any of this late winter trash into your compost heaps
since it may be infectious. It’s safer to throw it away.
Survey the finished trees in bonsai pots. Are they still a
proper match in size or color to the tree? Has the maturity
and styling of the tree changed? Is it enough to consider
repotting into a new pot? Is it taller, wider, fatter? Does
the tree deserve a pot of better quality? Now is the time to
redesign each completed tree. Review your nursery stock to
determine the readiness of some of the partially trained
material for transfer to a training or a display pot. Check
your inventory of pots. If you don’t have one that fits your
needs, now is the time to shop at a nearby bonsai nursery or
attend the many local conventions. Bazaar vendors offer so
many varieties and sizes. Maybe you will find the perfect
‘domestic’ made pot to fit the bill.
Study each tree. Plan its future design. Cut back on
excessive and unsightly branching. Rewire branches that need
new direction or position. Establish a more defined apex.
Trim branches with care. Many are quite brittle at this time
of year.
Encourage twiggyness and new branch development as soon as
spring growth begins. Cut back long tertiary branches on
junipers and deciduous trees to shorten internodes. Watch
the pine branches not trimmed properly last November. These
can still be cut, however it might be better to wait until
May when new candles appear and more detailed refinement is
required.
Trees are still idle but the insect infestation can still be
harmful. Spray deciduous trees with dormant spray (lime
sulfur) before any new growth appears. If you apply a
solution of lime sulfur to trees at this time to prevent
wood rot damage. Avoid newly formed sprouts or buds. Don’t
allow the chemical run-off to penetrate into the root area.
Lime sulfur is generally applied to a wet wood surface.
Allow the application to dry before you apply any overhead
water that may seep into the root ball.
Wires should be well exposed on most of the trees since
foliage has dropped and new growth is not obstructing a
detailed inspection.. Remove all of last year's wires.
Severe bark cuts can occur during the slow winter months
when the woody portion of the trees tend to lignify and
swell. Early spring spurts will quickly engulf old wire and
cause damage.
Watering routines must be continued-but curtailed. Most
bonsai can be maintained on minimal schedules however don't
allow anything to completely dry out. Do not rely on
possible light winter rains.
January and February are good months to gather seedlings or
to dig material from the wild since most trees are in a
dormant stage and will readily respond to freshly potted
conditions that encourage the development of new growth.
Trees being trained in nursery cans or training pots stand
to do better if their roots are left undisturbed during
these early training stages. Any heavy reduction of new
growth or the creation of large cutting wounds can cause a
shock to the plant if you don't radically reduce the root
ball as well. perhaps, if your project involves severe
cutbacks it may be better to wait until later in the season
to make any moves. Give the plant time to seal itself and
recover before disturbing the root system. Keep this in mind
when you plan your spring repotting activities.
I have, in the past, touted the use of BENOMYL® as a good
all purpose fungicide. We now know that the Agricultural
authorities have removed BENOMYL® from the retail market. A
spray or dust containing sulfur or copper, can be used as a
substitute product to establish control. Look for other
active products such as KOSIDE®, ZIATHAIN® or MANEB®. Use a
good all-purpose fungicide early in the growing season to
prevent the spread of fungus. Recommended -- all work
well.Ò,
or SPECTRACIDEÒ,
DACONILÒ,
PHYSAN 20Òproducts
such as BRAVO ÒRead
the labels of the product for any special warnings.
Incidentally, DIAZINON may shortly be taken off of the
market. If you use it for insect control I might suggest you
stock up.
The idea, if feeding this early in spring is to use a slow
release fertilizer. Don't rush your trees into a spurt of
new growth too soon. Be ready with some of the bonsai soil
you mixed during the winter months. Have a supply of
additional pumice, volcanic rock, decomposed granite,
planting mix, fir bark and peat moss.
During this time, in January or February, occupy yourself
with a program of pot cleanup. All those pots have been
sitting around and waiting for repotting activities to
begin. They have probably accumulated layers of soil and
lime deposits. Scrub them with a strong soapy solution and
some bleach. Apply ‘lime-off’ or vinegar to the white spots
(or just some elbow grease and cleanser) and rinse them
well. Allow them to dry in the full sun to prevent any
infestation carryover. Use one of the new Japanese 'erasers'
work well to remove salt deposits on pots as well as rust
and grime on tools.
Make a list of the trees that will require repotting in
spring. Place an identifying marker in the pots that require
attention. Begin with deciduous or flowering/fruiting trees
still in a dormant stage or just beginning to emerge. Follow
with pines and junipers. Go easy on pruning that may be
required, particularly on early transplants. Wait until the
sap begins to flow before you do any serious pruning or
pinching of the new growth. Let the tips harden-off. Heavier
pruning may be done later.
Another important activity at this time involve your tools.
Now is the time to sort them out. Sharpen all cutting edges,
remove accumulations of rust and pitch stains. Dip tools
into a bleach solution to purify them. Oil all surfaces for
protection. Be ready to go.
And, a final word for those bonsai folks who take life too
seriously:
• A day without sunshine is like….night
• Experience is something you don’t get until just after you
need it.
• I intend to live forever—so far so good.
By Marty Mann, written January/February 2002
Used with
permission.
Last Updated January 2, 2006.
Copyright © 2006 by Kusamura Bonsai Club. All Rights Reserved.
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