Secrets Of Artificially
Dwarfed Bonzai Trees
By Jimmy
Cox
The majority of the dwarfed
potted trees generally seen are developed from ordinary
nursery stock or from somewhat dwarfed trees found in a
natural habitat. The practice of artificial dwarfing might
be more aptly described as "revolutionizing" normal growth.
What, then, is this practice?
Let me first take some examples of the ordinary nursery
stock, and tell about them. Three- to ten-year-old young
trees of the following are suitable for "revolutionizing":
Evergreens: Japanese White
Pine (Pinus parviflora), Japanese Larch (Larix kaempferi (L.
leptolepis)), Hi-noki Cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa), and
such conifers as are grown in nurseries for ordinary garden
purposes or for forest plantations.
Deciduous: Japanese Maple
{Acer palmatum and varieties), Daphne odora. flowering Peach
(Prunus persica varieties), Japanese flowering Apricot (Prunus
mume varieties), Japanese flowering Quince (Chaenomeles
lagenaria), garden varieties of Hall's flowering Crabapple (Malus
halliana).
Such ornamental trees and
shrubs have trunks and branches that are comparatively easy
to bend. They are taken from nurseries in autumn, and
potted. A small pot is preferred to accustom the plant to
the smaller space for root development and to restrain the
growth of foliage.
However, when selecting the
pot, consider its depth; the shallower the pot, the better
the result, but it should be of fairly generous width. When
the trees are started on their way to dwarfing, they are
generally planted in shallow containers, as they look better
and seem to have a more aesthetic touch.
In late winter or early
spring, possibly while drinking tea, you begin to fancy the
shape of the tree when finished. The man experienced in
training with wire changes ordinary little trees into
different forms almost instantly, sometimes to a shape seen
in naturally dwarfed trees.
The wiring specialist's way
is about like this: in the autumn the tree should have been
potted so that the trunk is inclined to slant. Then in
spring, to shorten the trunk in height and lower the
branches, a wire is fastened to the trunk near the surface
of the soil in the pot, and again attached higher up so the
trunk can be pulled downward, away from the direction of the
slant.
It should be fastened at
the desired bend with the wire. After the operation the
little tree will have been considerably lowered, and then
another wire is fastened at the forked part, the end of the
wire coiling around the trunk; carefully wind the wire
toward the tip, having an inch or more in intervals of the
spiral. The branch is then ready to be shaped and fixed to
the desired form.
The second upper branch is
treated in the same way, then the third, and so on. After
one or two years, in many cases, the trunk and branches
should be settled in the desired positions, so the winding
wires are no longer needed, and may be taken off. From year
to year the tree is improved in form and foliage as the
result of careful pinching of certain tip buds, shortening
or removing undesired strong shoots, repeating the pinching
often in a season according to the kind of tree and further
winding the wire to change the form or improve it.
Gradually the artificial
look lightens and the "made-up" tree becomes the
natural-looking tree. The course of training for years is
very fascinating to fanciers, novices and experts alike. It
is not unusual in a day's stroll in the villages or towns in
Japan, wherever you may be, to come across people who train
dwarf trees -- they are a set of cheerful boasters.
About the
author:
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Enjoy!
I wish you all the best on your
bonsai adventure!
Best wishes,
Thomas T :)
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