June 2017 Bonsai Tips

Branch and Trunk Twisting

I often say that one learns the most from problem trees. Solving problems is part of the charm of bonsai. One handy technique is to twist a wired branch or even the trunk.

Say, for example, that I have an otherwise nice young tree with good rootage but not too much taper in the trunk yet, but all the branches come off of one side. There are several possible approaches to using such material. One is to turn it into a windswept design. That's a natural, and some may say too obvious and easy. Another approach is to Wire the trunk with heavy wire from the roots to the apex, and then twist the trunk more than a full turn (360+ degrees). Twisting can be done more radically if bending is simultaneously applied. Sometimes one or more helpers is required to hold the base of the tree and help twist, sometimes using leverage tools. The twisting should be done in the direction of the wire helix so it will tighten and grip the tree firmly as it is twisted. Then the branch placement will rotate around the tree, making for a future chokan (formal upright) or moyogi (informal upright) style tree. This technique makes for a very interesting live demonstration in front of an audience.

Sometimes a branch may have no or few secondary side branches, but some secondaries may be pointing up or down, which is not generally desirable. The branch can be wired with a relatively heavy wire for the branch and then Twisted in the direction of the wire helix until the branches point horizontally. This can be a very useful technique with a problem branch. Naturally, these radical bending/twisting techniques work best with very flexible material, such as with some junipers, hibiscus, etc.

How Many Bonsai?

Whenever bonsai enthusiasts gather, the discussion can frequently turn to some popular topics such as the composition of potting soils or the best fertilizers to use. Another essential topic is how many bonsai an enthusiast should have. I think it boils down to time and space. How much space do you have? One bonsai enthusiast was very active in her club but lived in an apartment, so had room for only a dozen fairly small bonsai on her lanai. Others with large estates may have room for thousands. But taking proper care of bonsai takes time and one should not have more bonsai than one can take care of. Typically, a bonsai enthusiast will have many more bonsai in training or growing pots than "finished" bonsai in bonsai pots. When I lived on the mainland I had about a hundred bonsai in bonsai pots and perhaps twice that many in growing pots. Now that I am retired, I theoretically have more time to work on bonsai, but I have scaled back somewhat and keep about two dozen or so in bonsai pots, with about twice that many as growing material.

How can you tell whether you have too few or too many bonsai? Are all your bonsai in terrific shape and nothing needs working on? You may have too few bonsai. Are most of your bonsai overgrown, have weeds, or need repotting? You may have too many bonsai. The right number of bonsai keeps you busy maintaining them, but not so busy you can't keep up with the maintenance work.

Some bonsaists periodically thin their collections, striving to improve the quality of their trees. It's always tempting for a bonsai lover to acquire more trees than he can take care of properly. Also keep in mind that as one ages, it gets harder to properly care for trees, particularly the larger bonsai. The bottom line is that the right number of bonsai is the number that pleases the enthusiast.

Email Richard dot J dot Wagner at gmail dot com