March Bonsai Newsletter

Well, lets hope that winter is over, don’t get me wrong I am not rushing summer, just don’t want another freeze. Everything here is budding out and soon will be in its spring glory. This time of year is my favorite, with all the trees budding out in that spring green color. The maples start with their red samaras, then the native Plums, Red Buds, Dogwoods bloom, next is the Azalea show. I noticed all the local Osprey nests are full, maybe a good sign for a better year ahead. A good time to take that nature drive through NW Marion County, beautiful countryside with little foals running in the pastures and some great trees to get inspired by. Take your camera.

WHAT”S NEW... Will be bringing out some Winged Elms, Tridents, Cypress from small to huge, Sugarberry, also pruned back and root pruned some very sweet Crepe Mrytles. I am talking some 3"-5" trunks with great character and nebari, they will be ready soon as they flush out. We had a little snag on shipping so the first order of pots will be in by mid March and the second by May. Can’t wait. We finally bit the bullet this year and cut some trees down in the center of the nursery, wait till you see the sky opened up there, it made a huge difference in the amount of sunlight getting through. We are putting up rows of benches for more pre-bonsai so we can have more of a selection for you to chose from.

POTTING... You should be getting done potting all your deciduous trees, once they start leafing out it is too late. Don’t get in too much of a hurry to do your tropicals, they can be done all summer.
I often am asked ” How do I know my bonsai needs the soil changed or transplanted?” Transplanting from one pot to another is generally done for aesthetic reasons, but soil changing is necessary for the health of the tree. Some rapidly growing trees should have their soil changed annually. Some trees can go two, maybe up to three years. Slower growing conifers and some evergreens may not need their soil changed more than every three to five years. A younger tree, still in development, will need it sooner, where an older tree less often. You also must consider the size of the pot. However, the best indicator of a need for soil change is not time, but the condition of the tree. A vigorous, healthy tree does not need its soil changed and should not be disturbed.

FERTILIZING... Do not feed your deciduous trees until the leaves have hardened off, that means not until all of the leaves are out and branch tips are starting to grow. If you feed them too early you will get a big flush of growth which translates to long internodes and larger leaves. You could literally waste a season getting them back. You can start feeding your tropicals once the night temperatures are staying in the 60's. Use a balanced fertilizer such as: Miracle Grow 20-20-20 or equivalent. Too much nitrogen will go to the leaves and not the roots, hence too large of leaves. You fertilize bonsai for optimum health, not for growth per say like other plants. The fertilization program I discuss in these newsletters is just a basis, you still need to tailor a fertilization program based on your trees individual needs.

PRUNING... You should have already taken a good look at your trees over the winter, now knowing where you want to go with them. With this burst of spring growth we want to pay careful attention to every branch. If you have a branch or apex you want to thicken, try to divert more energy to it by keeping your other branches trimmed back and letting that one grow. If all your main branches are good, then work on your ramification by pruning your secondary and tertiary branches back. Always prune in front of the bud that is growing in the direction you want the branch to grow. If any of the internodes towards the tip of any branch are spaced farther apart, then towards the beginning of the branch (closest to the trunk) prune back to where that elongation begins. A branch should be styled just like a tree, the secondary branches on a main branch should get smaller and closer together as you go towards the tip. The tertiary branches on your secondary branches should do the same. Doing this will help create proper ramification and taper.
Proper directional pruning of your bonsai is a must, to increase ramification and for good taper. Anybody ever say bonsai was easy? But that is what makes it challenging and fun. Anyone can grow a topiary, we want to create a bonsai.

TOOL OF THE MONTH

Well, you should have a nice set of tools by now, you will be getting more specialized tools in the future but you have a good basic set. Now we need to learn how to care for them. You ever heard the saying, take care of your tools and they will take care of you? That is more for tradesmen but you still need to care for your tools, with proper care they will last a life time. First thing I do when acquiring a new tool is to carve a “V”, the initial of my last name, on the inside of the handle, this way I can always identify mine. I have seen many different ways that people mark their tools. Sometimes during workshops people borrow tools and they have a way of getting around. At the end of every workshop you should make sure that all of your tools are in your tool roll.

At the end of the day when I am done with my tools I wipe them off to remove all dirt, sometimes they will need rinsing off. After that I spray them liberally with WD-40, now I use my tools every day were most of you use them occasionally so you might need a better lubricant then WD-40. Joshua Roth recommends Tri-Flow which does not attract dust and dirt like some lubricants. Mineral oil is also good. Using a good lubricant will keep your tools from rusting, never allow them to rust. If any rust appears clean with a sanding block till smooth. Rust can pit the cutting edge and ruin a tool. Keep them sharp, but don’t sharpen until it is needed, too much sharpening will prematurely wear out the cutting edge. Each tool is made for a particular job, use the right tool for that job, using the wrong tool can damage it. Be careful when cutting a branch or root not to apply too much pressure, if you have to really bear down to make a cut, either make several smaller cuts or use a bigger tool. You don’t want to chip the cutting edge.