Page 62 - BSAM 2015 Q1

Top; Example of well-ramified specimen.
Top right and close up details;
Thin out, wire and arrange the twigs like those in a Japanese- style pine bonsai.
Bottom left and right; To improve the girth of the surface roots on collected specimens, the upper roots are covered with moss and encouraged to grow into the ground through PVC pipes. When proper root thickness is achieved, the roots are cut and returned inside the container.
The same process can be applied to developing sub branches and twigs as for the main branches. If neces- sary some wiring can be done. Do not cut off the tip of the sub-branches or twigs. Let them grow first. When the correct thickness has been achieved and the twigs are strong enough, we start to cut them off and shorten them, so that we will get compact ramification.
Now let the leaves grow wild, especially around three months before the exhibition. Cut the twigs down one month before the exhibition and pinch the leaves down. Within one month the new growth will be short and fresh. If there are some minor leaves too long, simply pinch them down. Now, clean, thin out and wire as necessary the leaf nodes and arrange them like the needles in a Japanese-style pine bonsai to achieve well-defined branch pads.
During the process of shaping the upper parts of the structure, we can do something to improve the root structure. The trees from the wild or from air layering, usually do not have perfect root systems for a bonsai. What we are doing is encouraging the up- per roots to grow by covering them with moss. Let the roots grow longer to reach the rim of the pot and then flow out of the pot into the ground through a PVC pipe. The roots that grow long, far away from the trunk, will be thicker in a shorter time. The process will be much quicker. When the proportion of the root thickness is considered enough, we can cut and shorten the root and return the growth of the root inside the container.
60 | BCI | April/May/June 2015