First Styling, Satsuki Azalea

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azalea, Bonsai, pot, prune, pruning, repot, satsuki, styling, wiring

I purchased this Satsuki azalea from a local grower last summer. There seems to be a bit of uncertainty regarding the cultivar. Is it Row Koku or Kow Koku?

ID label showing uncertain variety name.

It’s Scary, but it Works!

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azalea, Bonsai, pruning, styling

The actions taken in the initial styling of an azalea combine to make one of the more horrifying acts of the bonsai art form. Horrifying to others, that is. I know this approach works, and it doesn’t bother me a bit! Here’s whatI mean…

Azalea after “first steps” toward styling, 2019

Moving Beech Into Refinement

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beech, Bonsai, Fagus, how to, pinch, pinching, prune

A better title for this post might be, “I Hope These Steps are Moving my American Beech into Refinement,” but that is a few too many words.

Most available literature on beech bonsai addresses European beech, Fagus sylvatica, but I have been experimenting with its larger-leafed cousin, Fagus grandifolia, to see what bonsai methods are effective for this American native species.

American beech in March, before bud break

Shohin Elaeagnus

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after, before, Bonsai, Elaeagnus, pruning, shohin

This little guy is an Elaeagnus umbellata – an autumn olive.

Elaeagnus before a trim in May 2020

Boxwood Bonsai Thinning

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Bonsai, boxwood, buxus, how to, process, prune, steps, thin, trim

Boxwood is one of my favorite species to work on. The work is precise, detail oriented, and rewarding… if you are patient.

The work I’m doing today should be done only after the current year’s growth has had time to harden off. My preferred way to determine whether boxwood leaves have hardened off is by feel, but that’s hard to show in a blog post. Slightly easier to show is the color, another indicator of hardening.

Boxwood branch showing tender new growth and older, darker colored leaves

Ground Boxes

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Bonsai, development, experiment, ground, grow, Hornbeam, maple

I have initiated a new experiment for development of bonsai material. When we want to grow a thicker trunk we often hear the advice to “put it in the ground and let it grow.” In my experience collecting material from the clay-heavy soils in my yard, plants growing in the ground will often send their roots ranging far and wide which can result in a tree with too few feeder roots close to the base.

Japanese Holly in Early Development

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Bonsai, collect, holly, prune, pruning, repot, root, rootwork, styling, yamadori

Bonsai is an art of patience. Sometime around four years ago I found a Japanese holly growing wild in area where I knew I was able to collect. It was overgrown, but I saw potential for not just one, but at least two trees. I waited until the following growing season to take an air layer (which you can read about here), and then until the spring after that to dig the parent plant (which you can read about here). It has been recovering in a planting box for the last couple of years, so we are four years in and we aren’t even to the fun part yet!

Japanese holly “parent” plant

Easy as one, two, shimpaku

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Bonsai, cuttings, juniper, pitting, propagation, shimpaku, success

I have always heard propagating juniper was easy but I never tried it until a couple of years ago. I cut several rather small cuttings (all smaller than a pencil) from a shimpaku juniper, scraped the bark to expose some green cambium, and stuck them all in a pot together.

A collection of shimpaku cuttings

And there they stayed for two years. I considered separating them last spring but found myself busy with too many other things. This spring, I removed them from the pot (shown above) separated the individual plants and put them each in their own container. A few of the larger ones got a piece of wire and a little twist in the trunk.

Shimpaku cuttings in individual pots.

The success rate? 100%! If that’s not easy, I don’t know what is.

Beech Vacation

Tags

beech, Bonsai, collect, dig, Fagus, yamadori

I don’t actually have anything about a vacation here, I’m just a sucker for a silly play on words. Yeah, I’m one of those guys who actually appreciates the punny newspaper headlines.

With the Coronavirus, I am at home. No vacation for me. I am still working five days a week from home and in my planned beach vacation (beach with an A) is all but officially cancelled due to a stay at home order. In the mean time, I am playing with beech (no A), American beech, Fagus grandifolia.

I’ve shared this first beech with you before. Check it out here if you want to read more. And there’s more where that came from.

This particular time in spring, at least here in Northern Virginia, is a special moment where beech are concerned. A few of the most vigorous beech buds are starting to look greener than they did over the winter and are starting to swell and extend. Those buds will begin to open any day now, and that means it’s a good time to dig.

Some of my first beech collections were tiny little things. The awkward twisted fella above, and the little guy below have been in pots for several years. After getting a vibe on their recovery and growth habits, I had the nerve collect larger specimens like the wide spreading broom at top.

The twin trunk, shown next, is a nice little tree that I think has a lot of potential after I have some time to develop the ramification.

I recently had someone try to convince me the front below was better than the one shown above. He argued that the visible split in the lower trunk was a desirable feature, but photographing the tree helped solidify that the front above is better in my opinion. I mean, look at the way the trunks are dancing with one another!

I have a few more excellent candidates growing out there in the ground. Most recently I collected this one with a nice leaning quality. The upright trunk in the back will likely be removed in the future.

…and this one that includes a couple of upright trunks that are starting to fuse together. It could be something very cool at some point down the road.

I wonder if I have the courage to dig this big guy! I know the bright sunlight makes it hard to see, but check out that wide spreading base! I’ll watch it and take my time deciding. No need to rush.

Holding my ground on the Ugly Pine

Tags

Bonsai, collect, NVBS, pine, prune, pruning, styling, Virginia, wiring, yamadori

Have you ever taken a bonsai to a club meeting or a workshop just to get everyone’s unsolicited advice about how you should style it? We have an often repeated joke in our local club that if you ask ten different people you’ll get twelve different answers. That’s especially true when you have an unkempt tree that is in desperate need of styling. And apparently also true if you don’t even ask.