Page 40 - BSAM 2015 Q4

root pruning; the tree may push out of the pot in a year, no more than two.
ere are a number of ways to propagate Brazilian peppers, including cuttings, although why anyone would want to do this is a bit of a puzzle. Berries are drupes, another name for stone fruit like peaches, cherries and olives. ey are viable up to 5 months, grow rapidly a er germination and quickly become hard to kill.
Dressed for show at the San Pu Kai (Wind from the Moun- tains) North San Diego County bonsai club in 2015, the tree is quite imposing. Steve already has a pot for the next transplant- ing, again 6 inches deep, but slightly smaller at 16 inches wide and 12 inches from front to back.
Steve grows the tree in full sun. It is a hot-country-tree and responds well to the sun. Plants grown in heavy shade may have some etiolation, that is, lengthening of the internodes and yel- lowing of the leaves. For some trees, growth in shade is a way to darken the green of the foliage as the leaves develop extra chlorophyll to get the sun necessary for photosynthesis.
e compound leaves grown on this bonsai are small. e length of the compound leaf may be only two-and-a-half inches long, with individual leaves no more than a quarter-inch long.
Top; Roots can be severely pruned, left unsealed, and will not rot but will eventually callous over. Be sure to leave the ne roots to develop a good nebari, removing the large ones.
Bottom; Dressed for show at the San Pu Kai (Wind from the Mountains) North San Diego County bonsai club in 2015, the tree is quite imposing.
38 | BCI | January/February/March 2016