We are now taking reservations for studying bonsai with internationally known bonsai artist Graham Potter here at the nursery.

Graham Potter is a highly acclaimed bonsai artist from the United Kingdom known for his skill in bonsai design and carving and he will be holding classes at the nursery October 21-23 2011. This is an all-day event from 9:00am to 5:00pm. The cost of attendance is $133 per-day and you can attend one or multiple days.

Here’s what you can expect: A critique of guest trees. Carving techniques for bonsai using power tools. The creation of deadwood using hand tools. The cultivation/styling and refinement of bonsai. Collecting, preparing and development of raw material. This is a bring-your-own-trees workshop and supplies can be purchased at the nursery. Space is limited to 6-8 people per-workshop, first-come-first-serve so call the nursery to reserve a spot.

This is a great opportunity to really improve your skills and to learn, don’t miss out!

Azalea are very popular in landscapes, although they do tend to be a favourite food among deer. The Japanese have a fondness of Azalea in their gardens, often hybridizing them and carefully manicuring the plants’ growth to very exacting standards. They also make an excellent plant for bonsai due to their small leaves, attractive flowers, smooth bark, and ease of care.

Natural Habitat

Azalea are a broad-leaf evergreen found in deciduous forests of the north-east. They enjoy the early spring sun before the leaves of their canopy counterparts open. Once the canopy above is in full-leaf the azalea are shrouded in shade where they receive relief from the summer sun. The constant supply of oak leaves gives the Azalea an acidic mulch, keeping a rich loam that maintains even moisture.

Growth Habit

Trunks

Azalea are naturally a multi-trunked shrub to around 5 feet. Their Rhododendron cousins tend to grow much taller. Developing a single trunk of significant size takes a lot of time and a bit of luck.

The plants do back-bud readily on old wood and have a propensity to sucker from the base. The best way to develop a trunk is to keep pruning back the suckers to avoid multi-trunking and to allow as much top-growth on the single trunk as possible.

Bark

The bark of young wood is brown and flaky strips. As the plant matures, the bark becomes smooth, similar to that of a European Beech.

They do not heal-over particularly well and will leave attractive dimples where branches have been cut, giving the impression of age and adding character.

Deadwood

Azalea deadwood can be very attractive, particularly on trunks. While not as traditional as on Junipers, the effect can work quite well in bonsai.

Dead branches do not tend to look as attractive as trunks, giving the appearance of neglect rather than age.

Flowers

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The real draw of Azaleas are the flowers, and it is no different in bonsai cultivation. The flowers of Azaleas come in variations of every color of the rainbow except green and blue. Some have flowers with multiple colours in the same flower, or different solid-colored flowers on the same plant. Flowers can be single of double blossoms. The shapes and sizes also vary. The one thing that all azaleas seem to have in common is when they do flower, they get completely covered.

Leaves

The leaves of azaleas are evergreen, about 1/4 inch oblong.

The leaf variations between species are slight, generally some being a bit rounder than others or a bit shinier. The leaves are a good size for bonsai purposes and will not increase or decrease in size with variations in care. The leaves may exhibit a red hue in autumn depending on the species, but the real show are the spring flowers.

Caring For Azalea Bonsai

Light

Azalea are an under-growth, broad-leaf evergreen. As such, they are adapted to more shade than some other trees will tolerate. An azalea will tell you it’s happy in its location based on the rich, shiny green color of its leaves.

Too much sun (or too little fertilizer) and the leaves will start to fade into a yellow-green colour.

Watering

Azalea naturally grow in a rich, loamy soil of the forest floors. They are used to the acidic conditions created by oak leaves, and the consistent moisture ensured through a supply of leaf-litter. In bonsai culture, keep the soil evenly moist; avoid extremes of dry or wet.

Pruning

Azaleas have a habit of thin, leggy shoots and a propensity to sucker at the base. Pruning of the foliage can be done at any time. Long shoots can be cut back to develop pads on branches. Shoots which are long and out of place should be cut so they conform to surrounding growth on the same branch (or pad). After flowering, seed heads should be removed to promote stronger new growth.

Feeding

Fertilizing is good for promoting good plant health and colour. Use a general purpose (20-20-20) at ½ the manufacturers rate and feed every 2 or 3 weeks apart while the tree is actively growing. During the winter feeding is not necessary for the tree should be going dormant. Resume feeding when buds first appear in the spring. An acidic fertilizer may be beneficial but is not required.

Over-Winter Care

Azaleas are hardy to temperature zone 5. However your tree is in a container which now needs to be sheltered from extreme cold over the winter. Trees should be left outside to grow, this is where they do best. As the weather begins to change, leave trees outside till approximately Thanksgiving. At this time consider placing bonsai inside a garage or shed to over winter. The trees will be dormant and will not need light. Water the tree well and keep in a location in which it will not be forgotten. It’s important not to let it dry out over the winter period. The tree should be moved back outside when the harsh weather breaks. Generally around March/April.

Propagation

Azaleas will readily produce roots on any branch that receives the consistent moisture of soil. Grafting is not done as there are no root stocks hardier than another. Plants can be easily air layered and cuttings can be taken, often just by sticking a branch in the ground in Spring or Fall without rooting hormone! Unless trying to create a new strain, Azaleas are rarely propagated by seed.

European Trees

Rainforest Trees

Other Trees From Around The World

Give Your Bonsai A Bath

During this extreme heat (well above 100) you can place your trees in a dishpan of water during the day, pot and all. Hours of being under-water will not be enough to drown roots, just take them out to allow the soil to flush with oxygen. The water will take much longer to heat up than the soil itself. Just don’t leave them in the water for days at a time.

Place Your Trees In The Shade

This will help the most. Even here at the nursery, the plants in full-sun this summer (pre-heatwave) have been showing signs of stress. While plants are adapted to the sun, there can be too much of a good thing. Outdoor shade, while visually not much different than indoor lighting, offers way more light than our little windows let in. The plants given shade/filtered light will often be greener and healthier than their counterparts in full-sun for the summer.

Water The Foliage

There is an old myth that watering the leaves of a plant will cook them by concentrating the light like a magnifying glass in the sun. This is couldn’t be more far removed from the truth. Watering the leaves of your bonsai will provide a buffer between them and the sun. The heat must first evaporate the water sitting on-top of the leaves before it can take the water out of the leaves, buying the tree some time to take water from the soil back up. This is especially important for trees that have been allowed to dry too much between watering as it reduces their stress.

Please keep in mind that watering the foliage in cool temperatures may cause fungal problems for certain species. In this extremely hot, dry air that is not much of a concern.

Don’t Forget To Water!!!

I cannot stress this enough, it is the most important point of all. Do not forget to water your bonsai in the summer. There is no faster way to kill your trees. Junipers and pines will not give warning by wilting in advance. If you have already forgotten to water, follow the previous three steps and hope for the best. There is not much else you can do.

Resist The Temptation To Bring Your Bonsai Inside

Due to the angle of the summer sun and the constant use of air conditioning, bringing bonsai indoors that have been growing outdoors will not be the best thing for them. Air-conditioned air, while cooler, is extremely dry. Dry air with low light is stressful for plants, and it is the worst thing you can do for hardy trees. Follow the previous four steps instead.

We currently have two sizes available, 24-inch and 6-inch trees.

24-inch Brazilian Rain Tree Pre-Bonsai

6-inch Brazilian Rain Tree Pre-Bonsai

6-inch Brazilian Rain Tree Pre-Bonsai

6-inch Brazilian Rain Tree Pre-Bonsai

Don’t let their small size fool you

The 6-inch Rain Trees have excellent branch placement and are perfect for shohin.

Japanese maples are a popular tree because of it graceful growing habit. It’s no wonder why so many people are drawn to them. They are a hardy dwarf tree which has been used in many landscapes due to their beautiful color and texture. They stun the viewer with a wide array of leaf colors and shapes, not to mention colorful wood of the trunk and branches. Their ability to adapt to small containers make them a wonderful choice for bonsai.

Natural Habit

The natural growth habit of japanese maples vary by variety and include upright and spreading forms.

Upright forms tend to reach the size of a medium height tree at 30 – 40 feet, while spreading forms may only reach 10 feet. Most are fast growing, sending out a strong surge of growth of 8-18” in the spring right after dormancy.

Japanese maples prefer full sun but many adapt equally well in an area of dappled sunlight and those grown in containers seem to prefer the break of intense sun over the summer. The lack of proper sunlight is seen by poor color within the foliage and reduced vigor in its growth.

Hardiness of Japanese maples range from temperature zone 4 (-25 degrees) to zone 6 (-10 degrees) but those grown in container form would all require extra protection from the cold.

Types of Japanese Maples

When one thinks of Japanese Maples, many think of the color red. Actually the colors can range from red to green with every variation in between. It’s difficult to think that a tree can have so many differences but this is my attempt to explain a few of them.

Acer Palmatum “Bloodgood” is an upright tree form Japanese Maple with good red color. I consider it fast growing and one of the hardiest. Each leaf has six lobes and measure apx. 3 – 4 inches across.

Some other varieties in the Palmatum family include “Burgundylace”, “Arakawa” (known for its rough bark), “Katsura” and “Butterfly”.

The red cut leaf is probably the most popular form of Japanese maple. This would include the varieties of Acer Dissectum “Red Select”, “Red Feathers”, and “Ever Red”.

Each leaf measures apx. 3 inches across. Acer Dissectum. “Seiryu” is a true winner for anyone wanting a true cutleaf upright maple which is green.

While these are popular choices for their known color, there still remains a group of others which host there own eye pleasing attributes.

Japanese Maples As Bonsai

Maples can be grown in any of the bonsai styles, but one of the best reasons for using Japanese maples in bonsai is their aggressive growth habit. Maples are nearly indestructible as long as you provide them with basic care.

Maples are hardy trees and are required to be grown outdoors (don’t attempt to grow them indoors) where they will have abundant circulation and light. Over the spring maples grow rapidly before slowing down during the summer. Trees struck by autumn frost can give viewers a second show as many are know to produce outstanding autumn foliage color.

The Care Of Japanese Maples As Bonsai

Over-Wintering

Japanese maples need to be over-wintered in a protected area where overnight temperatures stay above 24 degrees F. Keep the soil evenly moist even though it is dormant. The tree will not need light when it does not have leaves, but light should be provided as soon as the buds open.

Transplanting / Repotting

When repotting or creating your own bonsai, transplanting is better done in the spring while the trees are still dormant and leaves are still in the bud stage. The roots of healthy trees can be cut back quite hard which makes it easy to get them into smaller containers. Just remember that using a smaller container will require that you water more often.

Water

Using a medium fast draining soil is good but keeping them watered in the summer can be a challenge. Trees which are allowed to dry too hard will cause leaves to burn leaving a lasting mark for the remainder of the year. Placing trees in a location so they are in and out of sun throughout the day helps trees stay hydrated and keeps containers from getting too hot, which could damage the roots.

Styling

Japanese maples back-bud readily on old wood and heal well from hard cutting, although it takes time for the bark to fully roll over the cut.

They do not form much taper in bonsai culture unless they are routinely cut back. New branches can be “thread-grafted” in order to get a branch to grow exactly where you want it.

The new growth on japanese maples when left untouched is long and out of proportion for small bonsai.

Where to cut and when you should cut the new growth depends on your goals.

Thickening Branches

If your goal is to develop thicker branches it is best not to cut back the new growth, however unsightly it may be. This will lead to thicker branches in the shortest amount of time. Generally thick or heavy branches are wanted on the bottom of a tree. In this case, allowing the branch to grown untouched by cutting is required to thicken to the desired size. The opposite holds true for keeping branches small. The time when you are allowing the branches to thicken is also the time to shape branches with wiring.

Developing Branches

Once the branches have reached close to the desired thickness they can be cut back to two or more leaves. The branch will die back to the nearest bud so leave room for this to happen and cut back the dead wood once the new branch has started growing from the bud.

This should be done when the new growth has begun to harden, usually in late spring to early summer.

Refinement

Pinch back to the point of two or three leaves once the new growth extends beyond that point. Pruning to refine branches is best done in mid-spring when enough time is left in the growing season for a second serge of growth to develop.

Wiring

Japanese maple bonsai can be trained with wire.

The wood is brittle so care should be taken when bending them. Also keep in mind that the bark is smooth and can be scarred if the wire is left on too long, so be diligent. Shallow scars may disappear as the tree grows but deep scars may be permanent.

Light

Full to partial sun exposure while in leaf. It is better to place trees in full sun during the spring and move to a partial exposure during the summer as the leaves are delicate and prone to scorching. Bright light is necessary for best color in non-green varieties. If a colored leaf is not given enough light the leaves will turn green temporarily. This condition will not hurt the plant (assuming there is enough light to continue photosynthesis) but may be undesirable cosmetically. Plants should be paced in light as soon as the buds break to avoid scorching the leaves.

Feeding

Spring

When actively growing feed with a general purpose fertilizer every 2nd or 3rd week at half strength.

Summer

Feed monthly at half strength.

Fall

(September – October) Use no nitrogen or low nitrogen fertilizers.

Winter

Stop feeding.

Propagation

Seedlings

Young trees can be started by seed, which can be fun and educational. They are easy to germinate, as anyone with a japanese maple in their landscape will be able to tell about the many seedlings in their planting beds and lawns. However, hybrids such as those stated earlier are generally done by graft or cutting in order to ensure that they are propagated true to variety.

Grafting

Most of the japanese maples found in garden centers are produced by grafting. This means that one variety is grown on the roots of another, resulting in a faster growing root system than left to grown on its own root system. This is particularly true of variegated varieties, where the light portion of the leaves is slow to photosynthesize. While this is helpful in a landscape environment, the results can be a bulge at the graft (the rootstock may grow faster than the top growth) and not desirable for bonsai. Luckily there are alternative methods.

Cuttings

Japanese maples can be propagated by cuttings. This is an easy method of acquiring more plants that are genetically identical to the parent plant, and thus shares the same characteristics and traits. Regular bonsai soil can be used using a rooting hormone on small portions of second-year growth and the results will be the cultivar you want without a graft line.

The downside to this method is the number of losses and that is that you must wait for the cutting to develop before it will be usable for bonsai.

Air Layering

Air layering is possibly the best method of propagation for japanese maples in bonsai. It is a fairly quick method, highly reliable, and you can end up with a thick trunk on its own roots in months. Japanese maples can be air-layered at any time of the year, although keep in mind that the roots will only form in the spring or fall.

Pests For Japanese Maples

Japanese maples are affected by a few pests, including insects and mammals. Aphids and scale will drain the energy from the branches and japanese beetles may attack the leaves. A healthy tree should be able to defend against a mild to moderate attack, and there are controls available for a severe outbreak.

In addition to insects, deer and mice should be considered. Why this may not be a big deal for landscape plants, it can be devastating to a bonsai. Mice may chew the bark in winter storage.

Although these trees are not pest-proof the troubles are infrequent and they should not deter you from using japanese maples for bonsai.

1. Dreams (Day Or Night)

Dreams tend to bring about the most abstract images of trees, and often some of the most interesting looking ones. Whether during the day or the night your mind will break down an environment and manifest feelings through a variety of mediums. When you’re looking at a piece of raw material, try allowing yourself to day-dream and see what images come to mind. Then use craft to express that feeling through your bonsai.

2. Cartoons

Animators are masters at conveying human emotion through non-human images in order to tell a story. When applied to trees the results are stripped down to their bare-essentials needed to convey what the artist felt. The trunk, branches, leaves and roots, all support the same theme. Faces just help to reinforce the message.

The movement of the female tree is drawn with flowing curves and a thin trunk. The male tree is also thin but much more angular. The foliage of the female tree is used to represent hair, but also communicates a tree growing in ideal conditions.

Contrast the happy scene to the one of the evil tree. Everything about it looks evil. Even without the faces the body-language communicates a lot.

Ask yourself what characteristics are given to convey the age of the “Old Tree” compared to the young trees?

3. Paintings

This is where Google Images comes in handy.

Take a look at the way trees are portrayed in paintings. Do the trees appear young or old? Realistic or abstract? What emotions do they convey? What is drawn in detail vs left to your imagination? Every detail that an artist includes must help contribute to the story. If a branch does not help strengthen your bonsai’s story it weakens it.

4. Cities

Most cities are old. The ones on the east coast of the US were founded hundreds of years ago, and trees were planted. Today, depending on the city and its sections, some of those original trees remain. Boston has some great old elms if you’re in that area, in Cambridge outside of Harvard. [http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/08/nyregion/08tree.html?_r=1]New York City too has its share of old trees. Both cities have parks and arboretums as well.

5. Old Farms

Farms are a great place to see old trees. They used to be used as property lines and to separate fields. Combined with animals eating the competion while providing fertilizer, the trees that remain on old farms are often close to what they are genetically designed to be when not forced to compete.   Other times their fortune becomes their misfortune and they become lightning rods, adding to their character.  If that is the type of image you want to portray with your bonsai, old farms are a good place to look.

6. Books

Trees have long been a source of inspiration to authors. From children’s’ books such as the Bernstein Bears to books devoted to the subject such as Remarkable Trees Of The World, you can find images of old trees. If you’re more interested in the growth habit of a specific species you can always pick up an illustrated field guide that will often tell you where the trees can be found, under what conditions, and show you a drawing of a mature tree. Then just assign a story to your pre-bonsai and let your artistic side take over. And of course there’s always books on bonsai!

7. The Internet

The Internet is a collection of the world’s information. Trees included. Places to look include blogs, flickr, forums, this website and your favorite search engine.

8. Historic Trees

As posted before, there are many local trees of historic significance. These trees have stories to be told about the history they have seen.

9. Your Own Backyard

The best inspiration for bonsai are the trees you see yourself! Bonsai is a 3-dimensional art. All other forms of inspiration listed so far are two-dimensional. Take notice of the details, what the details make you feel, and see how you can translate that feeling into the details of your bonsai.

10. Bonsai Exhibits

This one is inspiration for technique. Here you can see what’s possible with time. Ask yourself what technique the artist used to achieve their results. The trees that move you are successful in their mission. Try to figure out what it is that conveys the feelings for you. Then apply them to your own bonsai. A true national treasure is the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum.

Winds Re-Cover Path To Coldframes

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The nursery is open year round and I thought it was a chance for everyone to see the change the winter weather makes. Overnight snow on Jan 11th gave us fresh power snow total between 6-8 inches.

Overnight temperatures ranged between 10-22F. As you can see by the ice sickle forming, day time temps were only in the low 30′s at best.

Benches where bonsai were once sunning during the summer are now covered with snow.  The bonsai are now either inside the green house or cold frames.

The growing field planted in the fall is blanketed with white power. Cold weather won’t bother the newly planted trees much, I have 3 inches of mulch covering the soil around them.  This will help protect young plants from brutal cold weather.

Very gusty overnight winds closed up the  once clean pathway to the cold-frames in the back.  I checked the temperature inside the structure and the sunny daytime temperature was 40F; I consider that just right for mid-winter.

Working On A Pre-Bonsai

Part 1 – Cleaning Up The Tree & An Overview

Part 2 – Wiring & Styling

Part 3 – Potting The Tree

The Finished Result

Click to view larger image

Wiring A Bonsai Pot

Natural Habitat

Native to the mountains of Southern Japan, these plants are well adapted to life on the edge.  Their long branches, often reaching 6 feet, sometimes as long as 12, can contour to the surrounding rocks.  They are not tall growers, topping out at around 12 inches.  Their natural growth habit is mounding, with new layers growing over each other.  These plants are fully adapted to sun.  Too much shade, including from its own branches, will cause the Juniper Procumbens to abort the needles that are not photosynthesizing.  What’s left is then dead needles in the center of the plant, with a living, vibrant-green outer shell.  Although their native climate is warm, these Junipers must have retained the cold tolerance of their relatives for they are cold-hardy and commonly used as a ground-cover landscape plant in the US.

Types Of Juniper Procumbens Foliage

Immature Juniper Procumbens Foliage

Immature Foliage

Most people are familiar with the spiky, immature foliage of Juniper Procumbens.  This is the growth that forces many people to wear gloves when working with their bonsai.  This growth is also the most commonly seen in landscape plants, where they never seem to develop the other two stages, probably due to the constant shading from its own branches.  The immature growth is a stress response for the plant in addition to being the default form on new branches.  Stress your Procumbens too much, yet short of killing it, and it will revert back to this growth.

Semi-Mature Foliage In The Top-Right And Bottom-Left

Semi-Mature Foliage

This growth looks like a hybrid between the immature and mature foliage.  Its needles are far more compact than that of the immature foliage but still has the appearance of spikes.  The transition from immature foliage to mature is not all-or-nothing and you will often see all three types on the same plant.  However, it is far more common to see the semi-mature growth next to mature than it is to see immature next to mature.  You will usually only see this type of growth on older branches.

Mature Foliage With Pollen Cones. Notice The Tight Scale-Like Growth

Mature Foliage

This growth is characterized by very tight needles that are not spiky at all.  They are so compact that they resemble scales of a reptile.  This growth looks far more like other Junipers within bonsai and most people do not even recognize them as Juniper Procumbens anymore.  In addition to the growth being aesthetically pleasing, the bark is mature, and the tree can start producing pollen cones at this point.

Veins And Pathways

You can see the pathways divided by lines, as they move up the tree.

The top half of this branch is dead. The bottom half is a living vein.

Junipers grow with living veins, and the Juniper Procumbens is no exception.  The plants have pathways connecting certain branches with the roots.  These pathways can be strengthened or weakened based on how much light the foliage on these branches receive, as well as the roots ability to find and pump nutrients to that foliage.  A branch that is receiving lots of light will produce lots of growth, requiring more nutrients and water, and a larger vein.  If a pathway is closed because the branch is removed  or is no-longer needed due to weakening, the pathway will die and become dead-wood.  This effect is often seen with shari (dead-wood on a trunk) and jin (dead branches), and is common in nature.  The living vein, assuming it is strong, will continue to expand out in all directions, wrapping itself around the dead-wood.  Use it or lose it.

Backbudding

Juniper Procumbens Back-budding On A Strong Vein

Do no prune all foliage off of a Juniper Procumbens branch unless you do not need the branch to survive.  They will back-bud on a strong, living vein.  However, unless the vein is absolutely critical to the plant’s survival, and the vein is very strong, the plant will see no reason to put its energy into back-budding when that same energy can be used on the perfectly good living growth that remains on stronger pathways.  If you do leave some foliage on the branches, then the plant will have far more incentive to keep the branch, although it may still abort the weak ones.

Where To Keep Juniper Procumbens Bonsai

Juniper Procumbens are not a tropical plant.  However, they do come from a warm climate and can be grown indoors for the winter in some situations.  They will need a sunny window.  We recommend to people who want to grow one indoors for the winter to try it.  If the plant does not respond well, send it dormant to give it a rest.  We do keep them in a heated greenhouse throughout the winter without problems.

Winter Color

This Juniper Procumbens has a heavy bronze color-cast this winter.

Juniper Procumbens change color when exposed to the cold.  That can range from a slight red or blue tint to a dramatic bronze tone.  This does not harm the plant, and is quite the opposite in regards to dormancy.  A dormancy gives the plant a chance to move energy back down to the roots, accumulate more energy, and send it back up to the foliage to resume photosynthesis.

Pests And Diseases

Juniper Procumbens can be subject to spider mites.  These tiny, red insects suck the energy from the juniper’s needles, weakening the plant.  They commonly attack in situations of low humidity (mid-summer and indoors winter).  They are easily controlled with pesticide.

For more information on how to care for Juniper Procumbens, as well as any other bonsai, please see the bonsai care sheets.