Azalea Tips: Developing New Branches

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An advanced, but unfinished stage in the development of a Satsuki azalea (see below for a later photo). There are at least three flower variations shown in this photo: all white, all pink, and pink and white striped. Satsuki azaleas are renowned for their vast and varied range of flowers. The photos and illustrations in this post are from Bonsai Today issue 1. The bonsai artist’s name is not mentioned.

Azaleas are easy
Azaleas respond extremely well to pruning during most of the growing season. You can cut off all the branches and new shoots will appear from the stubs (and from practically everywhere else). You can even whack the trunk down to almost nothing and new shoots will spring forth from whatever is left (even from the roots). This and other features like small leaves (on many but not all azaleas), small and beautiful flowers (ditto) and easy adaptability to container culture, make azaleas a favorite for bonsai enthusiasts.

Can you apply the same techniques to other types of trees?
Many of the tips provided in this and subsequent azalea posts will work with other types of trees. However, bear in mind that most trees are not as forgiving as azaleas, so don’t get carried away. It’s always a good idea to know the tolerance levels of whatever type of tree you are working with.

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Leave stubs where you want new branches. If a bonsai has been neglected, it might be necessary to remove the old branches and start over (don’t try this with conifers or other trees that don’t bud back on old wood). If you leave stubs where you want new branches, shoots will grow from them and you’ll have a head start.

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A Great Tree & A Very Interesting Conversation

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Juniper by Isao Omachi that just appeared on our facebook page. Though you can tell it’s a juniper, no specifics were given except that four of Mr. Omachi’s trees have been accepted in Kokufu-ten (universally recognized as the premier bonsai exhibition in the world).

In Isao Omachi’s san’s own words
“On January 25th 2010(Kokufu-ten judgement day) I am pleased to inform everyone that my 4 entry’s were accepted into this years 84 show! So I invite anyone who is willing to come see them! Starting on February 9th-17th hope to see you there!”

And, in the words of others…
The tree is remarkable and so are some of the comments. I recommend you take a look and feel free to add to the discussion (if you dare!).

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A Borrowed Bougainvillea Bonsai: Bracts and All

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Bougainvillea. Borrowed from Andolfo Bonsai Studio. Two things stand out; the flowers (actually they are bracts, the little white things are the flowers) and the trunk. You might also notice the how small the pot is relative to the tree. If the purpose of this tree is to show off its colors, then you’d have to say it’s a screaming success. But what if you take away the flowers? Is it still a noteworthy bonsai? Or does that even matter?

Are flowering bonsai different?
In Japan flowering trees are often designed in ways that show off the flowers first and foremost. Normal bonsai guidelines don’t always apply. In some cases (think flowering cherries and the like) where the flowers come and go almost overnight, the trees are moved front and center for that brief moment and then stuck in the back of the bench for the rest of the year. Bougainvilleas have an advantage; they can flower for months at a time.

Finding virtues and faults
I’ve been thinking about offering more critiques (gently, of course). It’s a good way to learn and advance our skills and it doesn’t just have to be about me telling you what I think; I’d also like to invite you to participate. You can write as much as you want in the comments, and going a step further, you could even offer your own bonsai for critiques.

Would another pot be better?
My biggest question about this tree is the pot. I think a glazed pot would be better. It could also be a little wider and shallower. The depth of this pot takes a little away from the powerful girth of the trunk.

Surface roots
I like the root on the right, because it expands the base of the trunk and lends stability and balance, but it looks funny all jammed up against the pot. The other root in the center of the pot looks blueish and strange in the photo. Ideally there could be a root on the left side of the trunk which would counter balance the tree’s lean to the right. But ideal roots are hard to come by.

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Andolfo Bonsai Studio. A clean, well-ordered workspace makes for better bonsai.

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Excuse Me While I Wipe the Egg Off My Face

Here’s a little note that I just received from Bill Valavanis
I was just looking at your new tool and am wondering something. A few years ago in Japan I got a new tool which looks exactly like yours, but it’s for air layering. It has two sets of parallel blades, I can’t tell if yours has one pair or two. So I was just wondering if yours is actually an air layering tool or bark removal tool.

And here’s my somewhat red-in-the-face reply
Hi Bill. I think you are on to something and now I feel a little slow on the uptake. It does have two set of blades. It was sold to us as a jin tool, and it worked for me for bark stripping when I tried it out, but now that you mention it, why two blade if not for air layering? Guess I’ll have to revisit it on my blog. PS: Have you tried yours for bark removable? It worked quite well for me.

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And speaking of deadwood (and maybe just to distract you), here’s the remains of a Monterey cypress on Point Lobos. Photo by Amy Palmer.

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Just Arrived! New Bark Stripping Jin Tool

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Here it is, our brand new Bark Stripping Jin Tool. It has two settings, one for thin branches and one for thicker branches, but you can adjust it easily to any size up to almost 2″ (5cm). In the photo below the blades are 1 & 1/2″ (4cm) apart in the center and you can get it to open even more. The overall lenght of the tool is 6 & 5/8″ (approx 17cm). Made in Japan by Koyo tools.

It passes with flying colors
I just braved the cold and ice and tried mine on three types of branches (oak, larch and juniper) of varying thicknesses. As soon as I got the hang of how much pressure to apply and the wrist movement (this took about 30 seconds), it worked like a charm. I look forward to tackling my bonsai with it come spring.

And speaking of tools
A new shipment of Koyo tools (including the one featured here) just came in from Japan. And BTW: tomorrow we start a tool sale, so the timing is just right.

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Open wide. As you can see, it can strip large branches, as well as small and medium ones.

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Nature’s crazy bunjin (this has nothing to do with the tool; just thought you might like to see it). We found this Monterey pine (Pinus radiata) on Point Lobos. The bottom half of the trunk (mostly not shown here) is straight and fairly thin. Then suddenly it veers sharply left, thickens out (it’s a sort of flat thickness characteristic of this species) and swirls around into a wild bunjin type tree. Photo by Amy Palmer.

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An Unusual California Juniper Gallery by Ernie Kuo

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California juniper by Ernie Kuo. This tree was collected by Sam Uyeno in 1985 and later purchased by Mr. Kuo. Height 31″ (79cm). Chinese pot. Photo from Bonsai Today issue 84.

A little buzz about Ernie Kuo’s bonsai
Ernie Kuo’s trees are impressively dramatic; real eye poppers. Yet, he has his detractors. Some bonsai people find faults in his designs and perhaps his whole approach. If you look closely at the photos, you might pick up on what the criticism is about. Or, you might just be amazed at the power of his trees.

For the rest of Ernie’s gallery of California junipers visit our facebook photo gallery.

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$100 Contest: The Final Three

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This Cape honeysuckle (Tecomaria capensis), submitted by Ken T. (that’s all he wrote) has some promising potential. I like the gnarly knob on the right that makes the tree unique and tells a little story. Still, I can see a few things that might improve it.
1. I think soil line could be just a little higher so the base of the tree has a more anchored feel. Maybe if the soil was up to the bottom of the knob on the right and that little root was covered. Another way of saying this is just to lower the tree in the pot.
2. Perhaps letting the crown grow up higher in the center and then rounding it off some would balance the tree a little better. There are certainly other possibilities, but no matter, I think the crown could be stronger.
3. All the little exposed roots on the surface of the soil are distracting. A higher soil line (see #1 above) or some moss could fix this problem.
4. Though it’s hard to tell with only one side showing, I have a feeling that if you could turn the tree a little counterclockwise, the front might be a little better.

How ten suddenly became eleven
I know I said ten and eight plus three makes eleven, but these last ones all came in at about the same time, so what the heck?

The $100 unique bonsai contest is officially closed
But don’t worry. We’ll have more contests. Next time don’t wait so long!

flowering serissa for contest at stone lantern 010

This flowering serissa was submitted by Brian and Jill. It looks healthy, the flowers are great and the strong little trunk is a good start. Unfortunately the pot is too big for the tree; at least for show purposes. A too large pot can work for growing on and encouraging development, so maybe that is their intention.

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This little ficus was submitted by Susan Richards. I like the way the trunk is wired. It promises a good future for this sparse little tree. But the future, when the tree is much larger, is mostly what we have to go on at this point. Right now the aforementioned sparse leaves are way too big for the tree, as is the pot; at least for show purposes. I’d like to see it in four or five years.

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Apex, Canopy, Crown: Whatcha Got?

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This Zelkova serrata (sometimes called Greybark elm and sometimes called just Zelkova) is a classic broom style bonsai. Often when you think of broom style, you think of Zelkova (and vise versa). However, neither broom style nor zelkova are what inspired this post (see below). Photo from Bonsai Today issue 26.

You asked for it
A while back someone asked for some info on designing apices (plural for apex). At the time I promised that we would post something very soon and then proceeded to neglect to do it. So, here’s the beginning of a series on bonsai apices. Better late…

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As you can see, this illustration (also from BT26) shows how to maintain the silhouette on a zelkova broom style bonsai. Pretty simple, and the good news is that this technique (or variations on it) can apply to many types of trees in various styles, though you don’t want to be too literal as there are differences that crop up (so to speak).

Apex, Canopy, Crown: Whatcha Got?
I’ve heard and seen a mix of uses of these three terms and would be interested to see how you use them. Do you distinguish between all three? Two? Not at all?

Big discounts on Bonsai Today back issues
Over at Stone Lantern we are running a sale with some very large discounts on Bonsai Today back issues, as well as books and kenzans.

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An Excellent New Book & Big Book Sale

B4NATCON

This luminous cover shot gives you a pretty good idea of the quality of A Natural History of Conifers. And quality is just the right word. Quality photos, quality drawings, quality text and an abiding love for trees and nature, coupled with a unique and learned point of view is what I’ve found so far. I look forward to spending more time digging in. Meanwhile, if you like books, our 30% to 40% off book sale ends in two days.

Outlive your neighbor and take his property
Here are some (but by no means all) of the pieces that make up the whole book: What are conifers? The image problem with Christmas trees and hedges. Who is related to whom? More genera, fewer species. All of nothing about ancestors. The earliest conifers. Conifer heyday: the age of conifers. Conquering armies and vast empires. The fortresses of poverty. Outlive your neighbor and take his property. Facing the enemy. Climbing the giants.

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Speaking of conifers. Here’s a very alive Monterey cypress (Cupressus macrocarpa) flanked by some very dead, but still beautiful friends. Point Lobos, California. The photo was by taken Amy Palmer during our trip to California’s Central Coast earlier this month  (it’s not from the book, but could be).

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There’s Something About Junipers

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Shore Juniper (J. procumbens) by master bonsai innovator, Masahiko Kimura. I like this one. It combines the sculptural look that has been favored by some Japanese bonsai artists (especially in the 90s) with a more wild, rugged natural look that is in favor in much of the world bonsai community. Not that bonsai is so simple that it can be divided into two categories; sculptural versus natural. If bonsai is an art, then categories are continually being broken down as artist play, explore and innovate. And no bonsai artist that I know of, has played, explored and innovated more successfully that Master Kimura. Photo is from our Juniper book.

What is it about junipers?
Junipers are tough, durable, flexible (they take to wire like they were made for it) and pruneable. They don’t mind having their roots hacked (sometime quite heavily) and they take to container culture. Their needles tend to be small and dense and both their needles and bark come in a range of attractive (sometimes luminous) colors and textures. Perhaps best of all, junipers take to carving like few other plants; and their deadwood is both attractive and long lasting (all deadwood eventually rots, but juniper wood rots more slowly than most), especially if you keep it clean and apply lime sulfur.

Everywhere and for everyone
Junipers grow almost everywhere in the northern hemisphere (they don’t occur south of the equator), from the Arctic tundra to the Central American mountains and African tropics. This means that there are varieties for almost any climate, including some that can survive indoors (only under just the right conditions, with the emphasis on survive, rather than on grow; as indoor cultivation is tough on most plants – but that’s a story for another time). All this makes junipers a first choice for bonsai, from beginners all the way to the masters.

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Dwarf Japanese garden juniper (J. procumbens ‘Nana’). By Jerald B. Stowell. From Bonsai Today issue 26. Procumbens nana is by far the most popular juniper for beginners, at least here in the States (it’s the one you see ad nauseam in the malls around the Holidays). However, you seldom see a masterpiece, as the trunks tend to stay too thin. The trunk on this one is about a thick as they ever get.

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