From the Editor
We are building a garden. Perhaps not as legendary as those in Versailles or as mythical as the Garden of Hesperides, but a quaint, homely garden
like if a hobbit were to make his home in the Katsura Imperial Villa.
One of the most basic ideas embedded in this garden is to provide a
space for club members to gather for monthly meetings and other
gatherings, surrounded by bonsai and other plants. It is meant to be a
tree place for tree people. And to that end, we’ve received a very special
tree, a Wild Peach (Kiggelaria africana), from a dear new friend, that will
be grown prominently in the garden. Hopefully she will bring a great deal
of joy to future club members in the seasons to come, and in time her
bright yellow-green petals might even hang over a tokonoma for the
club’s bonsai to be showcased.
It is our every intention and hope to fuse our beautiful indigenous trees
and plants with the Japanese tradition of creating spaces of elegance
and tranquility, with a sophisticated blend of design and philosophy, to
gently reveal the deep relationship between architectural excellence
and the natural world. We want this to be a garden for our bonsai
community to gather, an ode to Japanese culture, and homage to our
South African botanical heritage.
We are still a seed that has barely sprouted, but in time we’ll grow and
flower. Come bloom with us
Wiring
Bonsai trees: Bending and shaping the branches of a Bonsai
By Bonsai Empire
Text and Photos from: www.bonsaiempire.com/basics/styling/wiring
Wiring
Bonsai trees: Bending and shaping the branches of a Bonsai
By Bonsai Empire
Text and Photos from: www.bonsaiempire.com/basics/styling/wiring
Wiring is a very important technique used to train and style Bonsai trees. By wrapping wire around the branches of a tree you can bend and reposition the branches to your liking. It takes a few months before the branches are set in their new position(s).
When should I apply wire?
Most tree species can be wired at any time of the year. Deciduous trees however are much easier to wire in late winter due to the absence of leaves. Be attentive when applying wire during the growing season as branches grow thick quite fast, which can result in ugly scars from the wire cutting into the bark. Check on your tree regularly and make sure to remove the wire on time. Caution: Protect wired trees from frost, as branch may die if wire freezes.
Types of wire
There are two kinds of wire that can be used for Bonsai: Anodized aluminium and annealed copper. Aluminium wire is better when used for deciduous species, while the harder copper wire is best for conifers and pines. However, if you’re a beginner we advise you to use the anodized
aluminium wire. It is easier to work with and sold in most online Bonsai stores.
Wire is available in sizes from 1-8mm thick. When wiring thick branches, we recommended wrapping them with rubber tape or raffia soaked in water first. This is to protect the branches from being damaged by the wire when shaping.
How to wire a Bonsai tree
Wiring can be a tricky technique to master. Whenever possible, wire two branches of similar thickness near each other using a single piece of wire. This technique is known as ‘double-wiring’ and it provides more support for both branches. The remaining branches should be wired separately using single-wiring. Make sure to wire all the branches you intend on shaping before actually bending them. When wiring an entire Bonsai tree, work from the trunk to the primary branches, and then start wiring the secondary branches. As a rule of thumb, use wires that are 1/3 of the thickness of the branch you are wiring. For example if you have a 9mm thick branch, selected a 3mm wire as per the 1/3 rule.
The wire should be thick enough to hold the branch in its new position and should be wrapped at a 45° to 60° angle.
Double wiring a Bonsai
First, select the pair of branches you want to wire. The branches you choose must have the same thickness and be located near each other on the trunk. The wire should wrap around the trunk at least once, so it will not move when bending the branches later on.
Wrap the wire around the trunk and proceed with one branch at a time. Be sure to wrap the wire from the base of the branch all the way to the very tip of it before moving on to the other branch. The wire should be wrapped around the branches at a 45 to 60 degree.
NB: If you want to bend a branch downwards from the trunk make sure the wire comes from below. If you’d like to bend a branch upwards from the trunk, make sure the wire comes from above.
When you have completed wiring all suitable pairs of branches, continue wiring the remaining branches using the single-wiring technique.
“ grow out seven nodes, and then cut back to two, throughout the growing season ”
Single wiring
Just like double-wiring, make sure you cut off enough wire to wrap around the trunk twice, and account for enough wire to wrap around the branch from base to tip at a 45 to 60 degree angle.
When multiple wires are applied to the same part of the trunk or branch try to place them neatly together without crossing them.
Bending the wired branches
Once the entire tree is wired, you can begin bending and repositioning the branches. Hold the outside of the branch you want to bend with your fingers and bend the branch from the inside of the curve with your thumbs. it’s important to apply force on the inside of the branch to reduce the risk of splitting. When the branch is positioned where you want it, refrain from moving it. Repeated bending will likely damage the branch.
Aftercare
It’s important to keep a watchful eye on the tree during the growing season so the wires don’t damage your tree. Branches will grow around the wires in 1-4 months, depending on how fast the tree grows, damaging the bark and leaving permanent scars. Make sure you remove the wires before they start digging into the bark. When removing wiring, it’s best to cut the wire at every turn. Do not try to recycle wire by unwinding it off of the branches. Unwinding will most likely damage the tree.
Propagating bonsai from scratch
By Ky Basson
Introduction
Plants are so alien to some people, and yet, to those who take the time to learn how to grow and take care of plants, it easily becomes second nature.
The first step in learning how plants work is to propagate them yourself, and the best introduction to this concept is to grow from seeds and grow from cuttings. Each propagation method has its advantages and disadvantages:
Propagating with seed:
Seeds tend to store well for long periods of time, and need relatively little prior knowledge to understand how to start growing some plants. However, growing from seeds does take longer than with cloned material, and depending on
the species, some seeds will require special treatment in order to activate their seed germ. Additionally, when you do grow plants out from seed, they will all have genetic variations, which leads to inconsistencies within your plants. This affects the commercial grower more than the hobbyist, but is still important to note.
Propagating with cuttings:
Cuttings are significantly faster than growing from seed in most cases, as you’ve already got a fully functioning plant that only needs to regrow one part of itself. Genetic clones means predictable and consistent growth responses, all you have to do is learn how to grow ONE plant, but really well, and you’ll be able to replicate it near indefinitely.
That being said, cuttings are a lot more urgent to grow than seeds are, as they only stay fresh for a limited period. You also need to work a lot more hygienically when growing cuttings, to avoid spreading diseases.
Taking cuttings also needs to be timed- Most are taken in mid to late spring, and summer is also a good time to take, but autumn and winter cuttings tend to be more challenging, with harder wood usually being preferred.
Growing seed: Terminology
Scarification – The process in which we physically damage the shell of the seed so it can germinate faster
Stratification – The process of cold-treating a seed for a period to induce germination.
Growth inhibitors – Chemicals that prevent a seed from growing until either triggered by key signals or by being broken down via processes such as chemical treatment or boiling water.
Growing from seed has various approaches, but a good start is to cover the basics:
Soak your seeds overnight in water, place them into a moist paper towel and keep moist and warm somewhere nice and dark. You can use two saucers to help by using one as a lid for the other, creating a dark, humid place for the seed to grow. Wait for your seeds push out a taproot and then carefully plant them in your growing medium of choice.
Some seeds need special treatment, however, which may need different remedies. Some seeds need to be triggered into germinating. Maples, for instance, need to have their seeds go through a stratification process for 3-6 months, usually by being thrown into the freezer for the winter period. Thick shelled seeds often need to be scarified and then soaked in order to grow them fast. Acacias, for instance, can have their seeds be thrown into some boiling or near-boiling water, then allowed to cool and soak overnight. The hot water breaks down the outer seed coats and allows for the heat-resistant Acacia seeds to absorb water more efficiently.
How to grow from cuttings:
As discussed before, spring and summer are your most ideal seasons to take cuttings. This is to take advantage of the active growth the plants undergo at this stage.
“Each propagation method has its advantages and disadvantages…”
Cuttings can be 2mm to 8mm (pencil girth) thick and should ideally have at least 3 nodes on them, with the bottom of the cutting being close to one. (Nodes are the points where the leaves and later branches grow from).
Many people make a slanted cut on one side of the cutting, and a flat cut on the other to tell up from down. My personal preference is to have the slanted side on the top so to avoid water collecting on and potentially killing the cutting from the top.
Mother plants that you take cuttings from should ideally be in good health and well watered, rather avoid growing cuttings from sickly or weak plants.
You can use a rooting hormone to assist with the rooting process. You get both liquid and powdered form rooting hormones. Dynaroot has 3 colour coded formulas for soft, semi hardwood and hardwood cuttings. Liquid hormones can be diluted to the required amounts. Gel forms are also available, but can be pricey.
Keeping high humidity is vital, with no roots to suck up any water with, the plant tissues will rely on the moisture in the surrounding air to keep from wilting. A humidity chamber is
therefore vital.
Growing your plants:
Now that you’ve been introduced to the options, it’s time to look at how best to grow these plants.
You’ll need good lighting (dappled shade or bright, indirect light) and mild temperatures (not too hot, not too cold). With cuttings especially and often with seed, you also want good humidity, and although you don’t want a draft, you do want some air movement after roots
have established. A coke bottle with the bottom cut off makes for an excellent humidity chamber that can be periodical vented. Keep hygiene up to maximum, however, and ensure to not only wipe off the inside of the humidity chamber, but also dry it off once or twice a day during this most critical part of growing your saplings. Do not allow leaves to rest on the sides of the humidity chamber, as that invites diseases to brood readily.
When your saplings have established themselves (cuttings have their roots and seedlings have 4 sets of true leaves) you can plant them out into individual pots if they’ve been grown in groups, or into slightly bigger containers.
The initial growing process should ideally be done in many small steps rather than in giant leaps. Your rooted cuttings should start off in small containers of around 5cm diameter, then be planted up into 9cm pots, followed by 12cm, 15cm, 20cm and 25cm pots in a 3-7 stage growing cycle.
The reason behind this is that too much space in your pot means you waste resources because the roots can’t reach them in time before they leech out with watering, but at
the same time, you don’t want to allow your plants to become root bound, as that reduces their ability to absorb water and nutrients, so doing this intense grow cycle helps prevent these issues.
You should wait for the plant, the plant must never wait for you. In this context, it means that you should only act when the plant is ready, and avoid acting too soon. Cuttings that aren’t properly rooted (a process that can take up to a year in some species) will never be ready for a pot at all until they’re able to support themselves, but leave them too long in their growing container, and you stunt their growth and lose their growth vigour.
Don’t feed seedlings until they’re at least at the 4 leaf stage, and don’t feed cuttings until they have roots.
I hope this guide helps you grow out your best plants yet!
“You should wait for the plant, the plant must never wait for you.”
The Pinus genus
By Ky Basson
Introduction:
There are around 187 species of pines around the world, a couple of which are grown in South Africa for commercial purposes, and more that are available specifically as bonsai – Japanese black pine being particularly popular for its double flush of growth, but many local pines can have up to 4 flushes of growth a year! Some Pines of South Africa: P. pinaster – The Maritime Pine, native to the Western Mediterranean Basin, is a fast growing pine that has 1-2
flushes of growth a year. It has needles of around 2mm thick, which can reach up to 25cm long. It was introduced to South Africa between 1685 and 1693 as a source of timber and pine resin. It is quite fire resistant, and prefers a Mediterranean climate. It has become an absolute scourge in the Cape and other parts of South Africa, practically taking over the Fynbos region ever since its introduction between 1685 & 1693 as a source of timber, thanks to its rapid reproduction rate, rate of growth, and fire resistance.
P. patula – The Mexican Weeping Pine, native to Central America, is a moderate to fast-growing tree that has 1-2 flushes of growth a year. It has needles that range from
15cm-25cm long. It is grown for its multi-purpose timber in South Africa and prefers high altitudes.
P. elliotii – The Slash Pine, native to the Southeastern US, is a moderate to fast-growing pine that has 2-4 flushes of growth a year. It has thin needles that range from 14cm to 24cm long. It’s highly prized for its strong wood, and prefers warm, humid regions, and is commonly found around Pretoria and Centurion as street trees from times forgotten.
P. radiata – The Monterey Pine, native to Coastal California and Mexico, is a fast growing pine with 1-2 flushes of growth a year. Its needles are between 6cm and 15cm long. It’s grown for commercial use and has versatile wood.
P. communicatus – The Communication Pine, is an extremely slow to not growing cellphone tower that has around 0 flushes of growth a year. It is planted for its ability to broadcast radio waves while pretending to be a tree.
Care: Pines all have approximately similar needs in order to
grow them well. They require six or more hours of direct sunlight, which helps develop shorter needles, and they prefer soil that drains well & is slightly acidic with a pH between 4 & 7, but otherwise grow in a huge variety of soil types.
Pines enjoy frequent watering. Although they want soil that drains freely and to be allowed to dry out a little between watering, they’re actually relatively thirsty trees and have had the unfortunate side effect of drastically reducing South Africa’s water availability when growing in the wild.
It is important to keep your pines from going though periods of drought, as they are notorious for only showing symptoms of drought damage weeks after experiencing it.
Some species are specialized for certain environments,
some preferring the cold and harshness of northern hemisphere mountains, others exclusively growing in subtropical regions. Thanks to this diversity, anyone can
use pines for bonsai and get beautiful results. However, some pines are better than others as bonsai material- stiff needles usually being more prized than drooping needles, although even these can make for some lovely specimens.
Training:
Pines are best pruned during the active growing season, in Spring and Summer. According to the Bonsai Empire website, candles should be removed in early to mid summer, when they’ve hardened off a little, and leave a stub of around 6mm with a few pairs of needles.
In Autumn, you can remove excess shoots from the tree until you have 2 remaining. It is advised to remove the dominant shoot and thin out the others to a laterally growing pair that are of similar strength that are growing in the correct direction, forming a V shape, ideally. On parts of the tree with the most vigorous growth, you can pluck out the excess of older needles to encourage that classic tip-growth habit pines have in nature.
When it comes to wiring, it is important to note that pines tend to resist wiring, so the common South African practice is to use aluminium wire of half the girth of the branch instead of a third of the girth, and wire it for a little longer than is preferred elsewhere. Alternatively, if you can afford it, copper wire is considered as the best tool for the job, as it leaves thinner marks and therefore can stay in place for a little longer. It is also harder than aluminium once bent, so take care when styling a branch with copper wire, as you will have to plan well ahead and style your tree as you apply wire. Once it’s on, it’s on!
Although pines are frost hardy and can even tolerate being covered in ice, it’s still advisable to protect your trees somewhat in the winter, specifically the roots.
You can feed unhealthy trees little bits at a time through the year until they are better. Be careful with the dosage, however, as pines do not take well to being over fertilised in general. Healthy trees can be fed from early spring to late autumn in cold climates, but in South Africa, the practise is to simply lessen the winter feeds.
Repotting is a bit of a task: Pines heavily rely on their
mycorrhiza [mahy-k, uh, -, rahy, -zee], the symbiotic fungus that lives on and around their roots, to remain healthy and strong against pests and diseases. Be sure to take old soil from between the rootball mass and sprinkle it throughout the new growing medium to colonise it speedily and allow the tree to regain its strength rapidly.
Pests, diseases and how to treat them:
Pines are vulnerable to a number of fungal diseases and an array of pests. Aphids, caterpillars, nearly invisible scale insects, mealybugs and of course, red spider mites, all like
to feed upon pines and can cause years of hard work to be at risk. Healthy trees do not typically get pests easily, so an underlying cause could be lurking beneath the surface. For most pests, a treatment of Oleum combined with a contact insecticide like Cypermethrin/Siezer/Malasol should do the trick. For red spider mites, a combination of
Oleum, a wetting agent like g49/JADAM, and a miticide such as Siezer/Ludwig’s Rose Spidermite should help.
There are a number of fungal diseases that pines are vulnerable to, but sadly once symptoms are visible, you might be already too late. Prevention is therefore better than cure! Healthy trees that are kept in a sunny position (And luckily for us here in Gauteng, usually dry air), tend to remain healthy, but for that extra sense of security, you can make use of a suspension* fungicide such as Chronos or Odeon periodically. Be sure to avoid systemic fungicides or spraying on the roots, as to protect the mycorrhiza.
Always take precautions when using chemicals like these. Wear gloves, closed shoes and long sleeved clothes while handling chemicals, and wear a mask and goggles when applying them. Read the label, and if you are unsure, consult plant experts like me for advice [and tip them well]
I hope this information helps you grow your best pines yet!
*Suspension fungicides go into the tissues of the plant at the location where you sprayed, as opposed to all over the plant’s system such as the case with systemic fungicides
