@Satsuki and Bonsai in Mack's GardenRenewal January 24th, 2012 |
Pruning and Trimming Processes in Late Autumn and Winter
As I introduced the principles and basic methods about pruning of satsuki trees in my previous homepage, this time I would like to introduce my practise of trimming and pruning satsuki trees in late autum and winter. I have three aims: to grow satsuki trees in large terracotta pots to much greater sizes, to make them have their better styles than before, and to keep satsuki bonsai in a good style.
Section 1. Growing satsuki trees to much greater sizes. Recently it is so hot even in mid-autumn that a lot of spring leaves of satsuki trees don't fall from their branches in late autumn. As my principal practice I would like to prune the big trees in large terracotta pots (45 cm) after their spring leaves turn to coloured ones completely and fall from their branches. I think that green leaves in late autumn still can make them grow or stronger only a little bit because it is still very warm, and that if I prune them while their spring leaves are still green, it will give some damage to them because they haven't made preparations for coming winter yet.
When I put a big araki in a large terracotta pot, which I bought or dug from my nursery, I hope that it will be the completed satsuki bonsai after 10 years which mean the third repotting because I used to repot all large trees in large terracotta pots every five years.
When I bought this Kozan in 1991, I cut the large trunk short to change the style of bonsai and put it in a large terracotta pot. I paid 50,000 yen for it whose height was 36 cm, circumference was 22 cm. And I put it in a 80 cm square wooden pot to grow it to much greater sizes soon in March 1995. But as I couldn't get the very good result, I put it in a large terracotta pot in April 2006, and did in March 2011 again because it still had the big scar. Pruning it in January 2012, I removed all upward and downward shoots from the branch pads, cutting long new unwanted shoots short which came from the trunk to grow it to a greater size and cure the big scar, for a lot of new shoots will come from the rests of them and help it to grow strongly. But I will cut them clearly in 3 years.
This Shuho-no-hikari was put in a large terracotta pot in March 2010 after I dug it out from my nursery. I have been growing it from the cutting. According to my experience this variety is a little bit weak. Since it didn't have a lot of long and strong shoots, I couldn't prune it drastically on January 4th, 2012, that is, I cut the unwanted shoots short and didn't thin the branches. Therefore I will continue to take very good care of it to put it in a good condition to grow strongly.
When I bought this Korin for 400,000 yen in 2003, the height was 43 cm, and the circumference was 38 cm. I put it in a large terracotta pot. Though it didn't have the right first branch, fortunately a new shoot came from the very good place on the trunk in spring 2006. I repotted it in March 2008. Though it took several years for it to grow to the present branch, compared to other branches, it is so thin that it will take several years to look like a good bonsai. But I would like to put it in a good pot as a bonsai when I repot it next March. Therefore I had to prune it drastically on January 4th 2012, and decide whether it will be put in a bonsai pot or not.
To keep the satsuki bonsai in a good style, we had better remove a long new shoot whenever we find it. But when we would like to grow them to a little bit greater sizes or to make them strong, I think we had better remove a lot of long new shoots drastically in winter, and if they don't have a lot of very long new shoots, we don't have to do so: it is better to trim them.
A. The big Nikko in the bonsai pot.This Nikko was put in a large terracotta pot in March 2006 after I dug it out from my nursery. I have been growing it from the cutting. And I put it in a bansai pot on April 5th, 2011. Since it was very strong and had a lot of branches, I could prune it drastically on November 21st, 2011. I hope it will have a very good shape when I repot it in 2014.
When I bought this Korin for 160,000 yen in November 1994, the height was 28 cm, and the circumference was 23 cm. I put it in a large terracotta pot and repotted it in the same pot in March 2001. Since it grew to the great size, I put it in a bonsai pot in April 2007, and repotted it in the same pot in March 2011. Since it is very strong and had a lot of long new shoots, I trimmed it after removing all of them on November 20th, 2011.
When I bought this Kakuo for 20,000 yen in June 1999, the height was 60 cm, and the circumference was 19 cm. I put it in a large terracotta pot and repotted it in the same pot in March 2005. Since this varaiety has a very good flowers, I put it in a bonsai pot in April 2010 though it didn't have a very good shape. Since it was very strong and had a lot of long new shoots, I could trim it after removing all of them on November 21st, 2011.
