Chinzan Azalea

Chinzan Azalea, purchased as pre-bonsai stock from Adams bonsai in 2009.  The results of 3 years of wiring and maintenance.  The first two years the buds were pinched in early spring to promote early shoot growth.  After the first flush of growth was hardened off it was trimmed again.  This resulted in two flushes of growth per year speeding up ramification.  The third year I let the tree bloom and then trimmed the shoots and wired it to it's current form.

Japanese Red Pine and More

Japanese Red Pine grafted onto Black Pine Stock.  I have been working on this tree for about 4 years.  This is the second wiring the tree has received.  I have been working on developing the foliage by bringing down the main branches and separating the tertiary branches into fans to promote healthy growth.  I would still like to add some more movement into the lower branches and fill out the apex.  

Here is a picture of the back side of the same tree.  When I first purchased the tree in 2008.  I re-potted it the following spring.  The needles were yellow and the roots were in pretty rough shape.  After cleaning out the old soil and fertilizing for one growing season the tree recovered nicely and was ready the next spring for its initial wiring.

San Jose Juniper nursery stock.  The lower movement of this nursery stock caught may eye.  I have been working with numerous San Jose specimens and have just began styling many of them this year.  When I purchased the group 4 years ago many were root bound in their nursery containers.  I have found that they recover much quicker when first becoming established in their training pots.  I have made it a priority to first establish them before any wiring is done.  I wired a few right away while they were still in their nursery containers and they have been recovering on the bench for 2 years.  I won't make that mistake again.

Here is the Procumbens juniper I worked on during the Roy Nagatoshi workshop this spring.  I just removed the wire and the branches have set nicely.  It hasn't missed a beat and is growing profusely.

The Wild and I

As a youth I purchased a bonsai from a local garden shop.  I somehow managed to keep the tree alive until finally it died in my college dorm room many years later.  The experience was less than fulfilling.  However, I was still fascinated with bonsai and its mystery.  I began to think they took centuries to grow.  My thoughts on the subject were then set aside.  Life’s adventures took me in other directions.  It was not until the fall of 2003 when after college I moved to Harrisburg Pennsylvania for my first job.  While sitting in my apartment one day I decided to Google bonsai in the local area.  I was looking for a botanical garden with a bonsai collection.  I came across an interesting page, a nursery called Nature’s Way Bonsai.  My first visit to the nursery was like my first day at college.  I couldn’t wait to see what was around the corner.  After viewing every tree in the nursery the questions began to flood in.  To find the answers, I took some good advice and joined the local bonsai club.  I slowly began to understand what it took to keep them alive.  If I knew then the time and dedication required to successfully grow great trees I might never have attempted it.  Thankfully I remained ignorant to what was truly required.  Monthly visits to the nursery rejuvenated by hope at becoming successful.  I began to educate myself through workshops and club demonstrations.  It took about two years to develop the horticultural knowledge and another two years to build a foundation for basic techniques.  Right when I thought I figure it out I was hit by the artistic and philosophical concepts.  This was when my education truly began.  I looked down the rabbit hole and couldn’t see the bottom.  This was a very humbling experience and I realized that it was just the beginning.  I started seeking out literature on subjects which supported the artistic / philosophical aspects of bonsai such as, visual thinking, the golden ratio, Taoism, and Minimalism.  First the artistic side clicked then the philosophical side.  This re-defined how I initially approach a piece of material.  I became much more selective.  I began focusing my efforts.  The natural world became more appealing and I found myself studying simple things like lichen growing on a log or how water flowed over rock.  I began to see subtle connections between other genre of art and my own.  During my 7^th year I soon began to see how blindly I was applying techniques.  I was trying to tell the tree what to do instead of listening and letting the tree guide me where it needed to go.  I soon began to understand that it wasn’t about me, it was about the relationship with the tree.  Trees are living things.  They have needs, wants, and desires.  I began feeling full of creative energy and was looking for an outlet.  I had finally reached a state where I was comfortable with my abilities.  I sought out techniques to achieve goals.  I became interested in other bonsai artists, in what they were doing and how they were thinking.  Now I was interested in the concept not only the tree.  Over time I observed them growing and studied how they perceived the passing of time.  Soon the trees were much more than bonsai. They were the connection between humanity and nature, between the wild and me.   I began to listen.  Once again I began to realize how simple and wonderful life could be.

June 12^th 2012

Maple Forest and Ponderosa

Maple Forest Workshop with Jim Doyle 2006

American Larch Group with Collected Trees from Maine, Workshop: Natures Way Nursery 2006

Ponderosa Collected September 2011

Ponderosa Collected November 2009.

VBS Show 2012

This year the Virginia Bonsai Society show was hosted at the Norfolk Botanical Garden in Virginia.  The show was judged by Pauline Muth from PFM Bonsai Studio, West Charlton New York.  Posted below are a few Pictures of the show.
 

Chinese Elm

Viburnum - Best of Show

Japanese Maple

Native Red Maple

San Jose Juniper

Lace Leaf Japanese Maple

Korean Hornbeam - Best Deciduous

Ponderosa Pine - Best Evergreen

Native American Larch Forest - Peer Award

Hornbeam Forest

Green Island Ficus - Best Tropical

Japanese Maple Forest - Best Group Planting

Pauline with VBS member critiquing a Native Red Maple Forest

Pinus ponderosa "Cultivation Notes"

Pinus ponderosa / Ponderosa Pine
Bonsai cultivation notes

Position Ponderosa Pine prefers full sun; provide protection from drying winds in winter.

Feeding Provide micro nutrients after candles have extended but before the needles begin to extend (pineapple stage).  Feed every other week with a well balance fertilizer in summer after shoots have extended and needles have hardened.  Stop feeding when the day time temperatures exceed 93 degrees F.  Late summer and early fall feed every two weeks with a low nitrogen fertilizer to stimulate and enhance bud and root growth.  Stop feeding 2-3 weeks prior to the first frost.

Watering Water as needed throughout the growing season; a well draining soil is suggested poor draining soils will quickly lead to root rot, especially with newly collected specimens.

Re-potting re-pot in fall or early spring every three to five years, when the tree has become established re-pot as necessary when roots fill the pot.

Pruning Collected Ponderosas have a slow growth rate so keep pruning to a minimum.  Structural pruning should be executed in late fall or winter when sap flow has slowed down.  During winter bring them in for 24 hours to completely thaw out before pruning, wiring, or shaping.  Restrict candle pinching and shoot pruning to only the vigorous areas.  Utilize existing branches to their fullest potential; growing new branches can take many years.  Note: I have observed rapid growth in some specimens, where the shoots have extended up to 4 inches in one growth cycle.  In the fall after they have hardened off I have cut them back by ½ only to be rewarded with prolific bud back the following spring.  This also helped to balance the energy throughout the tree.

Needle Cutting Selectively cut needles only in very vigorous areas during the fall to equally distribute energy and bring light and air to the inner and lower branches.  For refined trees remove apical buds on vigorous shoots if extension is not required.

Collected Specimens & Pre-Bonsai Collect specimens in fall to take advantage of the second period of root growth.  The long fall season here in coastal Virginia seems to help them become established before winter sets in (1^st week of January).  When collecting preserve as much of the root system as possible without disturbing the duff.  After transporting, wrap the long root extensions and the duff attached to the feeder roots, around the inside of the training pot.  Remove the original soil not the attached duff, keeping the roots moist and being careful not to damage the fine feeder roots.  Cut away dead roots and/or the tap root with a clean cut and seal with cut paste.  Save some of the original soil to reintroduce the microriza back into the soil.  Use a well draining soil mix to prevent root rot, water with Super Thrive (vitamin B) once a week for the first two weeks after collection.  Grow for one year without pruning allowing the root system to fully recover. Place newly collected specimens in partial shad until new buds have developed and new shoots have extended.  Note: I will only collect specimens if at least 40 percent of the fine feeder roots and duff can be preserved.  Specimens collected with less than 40 percent of the feeder roots will struggle during the next spring and may fail to produce buds and shoots the following year. If this occurs they will eventually becoming weak and die when the day time temperature exceeds 90 degrees F.  I have also observed that after collection some of the specimens will have needles that stand up and spread out after 3 weeks.  These are the trees that bud out first and grow profusely the next spring.  Following this procedure I have enjoyed an 85% survival rate.

Carpinus caroliniana "Cultivation Notes"

Carpinus caroliniana /American hornbeam
Bonsai cultivation notes

Position Carolina Hornbeams prefer slight shade particularly from mid-day sun, provide wind and frost protection in winter.  They have a tendency to lose lower branches when exposed to extreme elements.

Feeding Feed every week with a well balance fertilizer for a month upon leaf break in spring, every two weeks thereafter.  Stop feeding when the day time temperatures exceed 93 degrees F.  Late summer and early fall feed every two weeks with a low nitrogen fertilizer to stimulate and enhance bud and root growth.  Stop feeding 2-3 weeks prior to the first frost.

Watering Water generously throughout the growing season, hornbeams tend to dry out more quickly than other species (check daily).  Keep moist and well drained.

Re-potting re-pot in spring (before buds extend) every two years, when tree is ten years old re-pot as necessary when roots fill the pot. Hornbeams have a tendency to have a small number of straight, vigorous roots that emerge at angles from the trunk base. These need to be pruned back hard to encourage more numerous branching roots.
 
Pruning Allow the initial spring flush of growth to fully extend and harden off and then prune back the new growth very hard. This hard pruning will encourage back budding and a second flush of shorter, more compact growth for the remainder of the year while ensuring the tree remains vigorous. Remove large leaves as and when necessary.
 
Collected Specimens & Pre-Bonsai Collect specimens in spring before bud brake.  When collecting preserve the root system 8 inches from the trunk for every inch of trunk diameter.  Remove the original soil immediately keeping the roots moist and being careful not to damage the fine feeder roots.  Trim off the tap root and any large roots perpendicular to the trunk and seal with cut paste.  Cut the trunk two inches above where you want the new leader to grow.  Trunk cut Carolina hornbeams almost always bud out 1 to 2 inches below the cut; expect a few inches of die back.  Plant them directly into a well draining soil and water thoroughly with Super Thrive.  Place newly collected specimens in a shaded area until new buds have developed and extended.  Grow for one year without pruning allowing the root system to fully recover.  Before bud brake in the second year prune back the upper branches to one or two buds and let the leader in place to fully develop and build taper.  In the third and fourth years prune as needed to develop taper and anatomically correct ramification.  Prune leaving at least one bud, they will experience die back if there is no visible bud on the branch.  Seal all exposed areas with cut paste.

Defoliation Defoliate refined specimens in midsummer by removing all leaves leaving just one at the tip of each branch.  Defoliation is conducted on vigorous and anatomically mature specimens only, with the goal of reducing leaf size and promoting back budding.  This is stressful on the tree so implement every other year allowing a one year rest period.
 
Pests and diseases Coral spot, caterpillars and aphids, sun scorch to leaves.  Note: be sure to examine newly collected root systems for grubs.  Warning: Examine the root systems of collected specimens; I have noticed at least 1 in 4 contain a grub that bores into the base eating away at the feeder roots.