This is the Trident Maple we repotted. It has been growing in pure turface.

As the your bonsai begin to break dormancy, the energy moves from the roots to the buds, and the buds begin to swell. Once the energy has been allocated you can cut the roots without removing the energy from the tree in the process. Yesterday we repotted a Trident Maple (Acer buergeranum).

Notice how the bud at the tip of the branch is larger and further open than the rest. The tree is allocating more energy to this one!

Trees do not allocate energy equally among all buds. The way that the energy is distributed depends on the amount of light that branches receive and the tree’s natural growth habit. Bonsai are just trees, and this holds true for them as well! Buds that have been allocated more energy break sooner, swell larger, and will put out longer growth. You can use this knowledge to your advantage when training your tree.

The rootball of this bonsai. Notice how the roots have wrapped themselves in the shape of the pot. It’s definitely due to be repotted!

The white fleshy roots are the ones that take up water, nutrients, and CO2.

To start we cut the wires that were anchoring the tree into the pot, and carefully pulled the rootball out of the pot so that we could assess the health of the tree. The tree had been growing in pure turface and put out many new white, fleshy roots. These types of roots are designed to pull nutrients from the substrate into the tree. The more of these types of roots that you have, the more water, CO2, and nutrients the tree can absorb. This particular Trident Maple had many roots, to the point where they were wrapping around the pot. Maples usually grow their new roots after the leaves are out, so it was not clear whether the roots had formed over the winter or in the prior year.

The mesh is anchored in place over the drainage holes, allowing water to drain while keeping the medium in the pot.

Anchors are created from wire, which hold the mesh in place over the drainage holes.

We started by preparing the pot. Bonsai pots have large drainage holes in the bottom, much larger than the size of the particles. This is to provide ample drainage so that the tree does not have “wet feet”. We need to keep the pot’s ability to drain, while keeping the substrate from falling out the bottom of the pot. Here we are using black plastic mesh, cut down to a size slightly larger than the drainage holes.

The mesh needs to be slightly larger than the drainage holes so that the potting medium stays in the pot.

The finished anchor. Two are created, one for each drainage hole.

After the anchor wire gets threaded through the mesh, it is placed in the pot.

To anchor the mesh, both ends of the wire are flattened against the bottom of the bonsai pot.

To keep the mesh in place we create a set of wire loops that get threaded through the mesh, and locked in place by bending the wire. Between the wire and the weight of the soil, it’s enough to keep the holes locked in place.

A course mix of lava and peanut shells is used. It will be porous and give the plant plenty of water and CO2.

All plants need a mixture of water, nutrients, and CO2. All three are taken up by the roots, but unless the water is moving (therefore oxygenated), the tree cannot absorb both its water and CO2 at the same time. Bonsai need a flush of water, followed by a flush of air. Too much time without water and the roots dry out and die. Too much time without air and the roots suffocate. It’s a balance, and one that is easier maintained by using larger particles which are porous. We will be potting this Trident Maple into lava rock mixed with a little bit of peanut shells.

We use a root hook to loosen up the roots. The root hook is held very loosely and we’re careful not to tear the roots.

We then started “combing” out the roots using a root hook. While we use the word “combing”, the hook is held very loosely between two fingers. The idea is to loosen the roots gradually, not to rip them off of the tree. A two-pronged rake can make the job go twice as fast, but remember to pull carefully, not rip!

A bonsai’s roots can grow quite long! However, its energy is up in the buds so we can trim them back.

We use a sharp pair of shears to create a clean cut.

We try to take off 1/3 to 1/2 of the roots. Too little and the tree will be pot-bound too soon. Too much and the tree will not be able to support itself with resources.

Combing roots is tiring! A double-prong hook does the job twice as fast.

When a bonsai’s roots wrap around the perimeter of the pot, they can be quite long! We want to remove enough of the roots so that new ones have room to grow, but not so much that the tree cannot support itself nutritionally. The rule of thumb is to only remove 1/3 to 1/2 of the tree’s roots. We cut them with a pair of sharp bonsai shears. A sharp, clean cut will encourage the roots to branch out where they were cut.

We test the depth to make sure that the plant is not sitting too low or too high in the pot.

The tree is tested for planting debth. We want the soil line to approximately the same as it was before.

We wire a bonsai into the pot to make sure it doesn’t shift in the wind or when being moved, which would damage the fleshy roots.

The wire needs to be long enough so that it can be wrapped over the top of the root ball and have both ends twisted together.

The depth is good so we run a length of wire through the mesh, from one drainage hole, across the outside bottom of the pot, and back up and out of the other drainage hole. This wire will anchor the bonsai in its pot, particularly important while the new roots are growing.

We fill the pot with our substrate. Too much is purposely added as it will settle into the pot once we use a chopstick.

We use a chopstick to settle the soil around the roots. The chopstick is inserted into the medium and rotated.

We place a small amount of the substrate on the bottom of the pot. This is where most of the water will be held naturally in the pot, and you don’t want the area to dry too fast or too slow. The bonsai is placed in the pot, the anchor wire is run up through the rootball, and we fill the rest of the pot with our potting medium. A chopstick is used to settle the particles down around the roots. This is done to reduce the size of the airpockets, and increase contact of the roots with the substrate.

The wire is run beneath the nebari of this tree for aesthetics.

A quarter-twist will lock our anchor wire tightly in place. This does not hurt the tree or interfere with its growth!

We then run the anchor wire across the top of the rootball and twist the two ends together. In this case, we run the wire beneath the nebari as to hide it. A final quarter-twist of the anchor wire underneath the pot pulls the anchor wire nice and tight.

Mycorrhiza are fungi that help other plants grow. They will often form naturally in a bonsai pot, but this just helps the process.

We only need a small amount of the Mycorrhiza to be effective.

A small amount is sprinkled on the surface of the potting medium of the bonsai.

A little bit of Mycorrhizal innoculant is added to the surface of the substrate. Mycorrhiza are a beneficial fungi that form a symbiotic relationship with other plants, including bonsai. These fungi allow the tree to absorb water and nutrients more efficiently and can commonly be seen among the roots of bonsai, especially pines!

Now that the tree is repotted, we need to water it right away. Roots do not like being too dry for too long!

The finished job. This bonsai should be good for another two years before it has to be repotted again.

Finally we water the tree well but with a fine spray as to not wash the Mycorrhiza away. This Trident Maple should be good for about two years in its new lava rock!

And this January 26th, 2013 we’ll be holding a workshop, for beginners to intermediate hobbyists, using these great trees. You can learn more in Winter Workshop 2013 flyer (PDF) or online. Also be sure to check out more information about Brush Cherry for bonsai.

Brush Cherry are one of the finest tropical bonsai you could ask for. They’re maintainable at just about any size, from a few inches to a few feet. They will readily back-bud, produce heavy lower braches and trunk, have white flowers, and finally magenta fruit. This workshop will be held in our heated greenhouse, no need to worry about the cold! We’ll provide you with all materials (plant, wire soil, pot) and tools can be used for free. We’ll provide everything you need plus lecture/demo and instructional help!

Cost-$90.00 (plus tax)
Limited to plant material available.

More information about Eugenia Myrtifolia can be found here.

Brush Cherry get a small magenta fruit following their white flowers.

Brush Cherry have fruit about the size of a penny making them a perfect scale for bonsai.

Natural Habitat

The Brush Cherry is a canopy-growing rainforest tree native to Australia. Their botanical name, Eugenia Myrtifolia reflects the fact that their leaves closely resemble those of Myrtle. In nature it is a tall growing, bushy tree. They have small shiny green leaves, white bowl-shaped powder-puff flowers, followed by a magenta cherry, which is commonly eaten in Australia.

Brush Cherry As Bonsai

Hardiness

As a tropical tree they will not tolerate cold temperatures. Although, in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy our tropical greenhouse was without heat and did reach down around 40 degrees for a few nights, they survived undamaged while some other tropicals did display cold damage. Nevertheless, the trees will do better in warmer temperatures. They will do better outdoors in the summer months but will need to be brought indoors in the winter. As evergreens they will need bright light even in the winter months so make sure you have a bright window available.

Water Requirements

The brush cherry has average water needs, but do not allow the soil to remain dry between watering! They will lose branches if left too dry for too long, and may or may not back-bud from that point. We have helped people whos trees had completely lost their leaves and many branches had died. By leaving the tree in the greenhouse on the heater it was able to be revived after several months without leaves, but there had been branch die-back. So best is to not let them dry out, but avoid sitting-water as well.

Fertilizer Requirements

No special requirements for these trees, just consistency. Any balanced fertilizer you have will work, as with any other bonsai.

Transplanting / Repotting

As a tropical bonsai, the brush cherry should be transplanted when they are about to actively grow. This is usually in the early summer months. They do not form swelling buds like other plants to indicate new leaves forming, rather putting out tiny new leaves already open, ofen on new wood. Their roots can get quite long in a pot and can be cut back quite drastically under such scenarios, but should not be cut back by more than 1/2 under most conditions to play it safe.

Pruning and Styling

This Brush Cherry bonsai has been pruned aggressively and is already back-budding.

Brush Cherry can be pruned aggressively and will back-bud on old wood quite readily.

This Brush Cherry has started back-budding on a trunk that’s easily 20 years old.

They have a rough, crackled texture for their bark, which develops on their branches and roots alike.

The Brush Cherry develop a crackled bark on the roots, trunk, and branches.

As bonsai, the Brush Cherry will develop thick lower branches easily if allowed to grow, helped a lot by their tendency to back-bud. The Brush Cherry can be wired, but be careful bending branches as they have a tendency to snap if taken too far too soon once the new growth has hardened off. Although not as brittle as the glass-like branches of Japanese Maple, we have broken enough over the years to learn this lesson!

Brush Cherry can take on many forms as bonsai. We have used them from informal uprights to cascades and windswepts. Their small leaves make them ideal for just about any size tree. Some of ours are over two feet tall, and others under half a foot.

Both the leaves and fruit of the Brush Cherry are perfectly sized for bonasi.

Although they have a rich green color year-round, Brush Cherry also get a bright red new growth which can be ornamental and can be covered in white flowers in the summer.

Brush cherry have a fiery red new growth which contrasts nicely with their rich green leaves.

This Brush Cherry bonsai is covered in white flowers.

Light Requirements

As a tropical canopy tree, Brush Cherry prefer bright light. However, it’s better to keep them humid as they are not well adapted to arid conditions such as a heavily heated room in mid-winter. This becomes less necessary as long as the roots are kept watered, as we have had sprouted Brush Cherry with their roots directly in the ground last months in the summer without watering. These plants had tapped directly into the underground water flow and were able to tolerate hot dry air as a result.

Propagation

Although they will grow from seed, we propogate Eugenia Myrtifolia from cuttings.

Brush Cherry can be propagated by seed (there have been several growing directly from the stone floor in our greenhouse over the years) and do not require cold stratification to germinate. The method that we prefer is cuttings. A small amount of rooting hormone can help, as will misting of the cuttings to prevent drying out.

Pests For Brush Cherry

You can see the white aphid on the stem of this Brush Cherry bonsai.

Brush Cherry can be affected by aphids, although not a favorite host of these insects. Scale can be a more frequent problem, and should be watched for in the winter months. Both can be easily controlled by spraying with Camelia Oil. We have never come across any diseases affecting these plants.

Sometimes when we import trees they have a rough time in transportation. With one batch of Ficus Retusa (Tiger Bark Ficus) we got about a month ago, the trees had been bare-rooted and de-foliated. In those situations all you can do is pot them up and wait to see what happens! We potted the tree in a mix of lava rock and fir bark. After about a month in the tree has leafed out quite nicely and is putting out new growth.

It was also a chance to see which branches had died. Once the tree is actively growing, if a branch has not leafed out then it’s probably dead. A good final test is to try to break the branch. If it SNAPS and is dried out, it’s dead. If it bends/breaks but doesn’t snap, then it may be alive. Another test is to make a small scratch on the bark. If it’s green underneath and not dried out, then the branch is probably alive.

If the branch is still alive, for (most) any tropical or deciduous tree you can cut it back to try to trigger new growth to break. If it’s an evergreen conifer you’re probably going to have to grow a new branch or wait for the tree to decide on its own.

In the case of ficus, they grow new branches very quickly and readily, even from old wood, as you can see from this video. The longest branches will have the most energy and become dominant. If that is not what you want, trim them back a bit to reduce their vigor!

Now that Thanksgiving has passed it’s time to get all of your bonsai into their winter storage locations if you haven’t done so already! And if you have any questions about how to overwinter your trees, stop on in, we’ll be here!

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.