Page 34 - BSAM 2016 Q2

Training Phase (two steps)
A er 18 to 24 months of steady growth, our cut- tings should be ready for the next step: training. As the stems of the young trees will be exible enough, by means of wire, we start to shape our future bonsai. Depending on the size we want our tree to be, we can either opt to halt the development of the stock and use it for shohin bonsai or decide to prepare them for bigger size bonsai, which will require us to plant the trees on mounds or growing beds in the ground to speed up the process.
Use of Bamboo Canes and Nylon Thread
Bamboo canes have been employed as training de- vices for landscape trees throughout Asia. A durable material that can withstand the elements of time, bam- boo o ers the best possible medium for ground train- ing bonsai stock. Nylon thread, on the other hand, is also tough, exible and will expand once our junipers begin to grow out. In sum, juniper stock is planted o center. Bamboo canes are installed in the ground in the shape of an isosceles triangle to ensure irregularity and naturalness. Once the tree and bamboo is secured, the tree is bent into shape, safeguarding each bend in the bamboo by means of nylon thread. During this process, imagination and creativity is everything, so we must plan ahead of time and visualize how our tree will look in the future. With proper fertilization and careful attention, the trees will grow quickly. Further steps in creating interesting trunk lines and charac- ter branches are also performed during this growing phase, using the training methods we explain later in this article.
Top left to bottom left; Andrew Lo, (Min Hsuan’s son) thinning foliage, applying wire and creating dramatic bends on a young, 2 to 3 year old juniper cutting that will become a masterpiece bonsai.
Bottom right; Planting young juniper in the ground and shaping, using bamboo and nylon thread.
32 | BCI | April/May/June 2016